This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Wherever You Go, There You Are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What is Jon Kabat Zinn’s mindfulness meditation practice? What postures should you use to meditate properly?
Formal meditation requires you to focus on your breathing, posture, and visualizations. If it sounds hard, don’t fret. Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn has plenty of advice for making your meditation smooth sailing.
Continue reading to learn how to escape the world and focus on mindfulness meditation.
Practicing Mindfulness Through Meditation
According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness meditation starts with focusing on your breath. If you’ve never practiced mindfulness before, it can be helpful to set aside short periods in your time to implement a more formal meditation practice. That way you can focus fully on your practice and get comfortable honing your focus before trying to introduce mindfulness more regularly into your daily life.
(Shortform note: Some psychologists don’t recommend formal meditation practice for people struggling with chronic conditions like intense anxiety, ongoing depression, trauma, psychotic episodes, or active addiction, because the intense focus on your inner emotional landscape can feel overwhelming. If you suffer from a chronic condition, start by drawing awareness to the outside world or a simple activity, like chopping vegetables or folding laundry, instead.)
In meditation practice, there’s no one right way to meditate. Kabat-Zinn describes meditation as being like walking along a trail. With each step, you make split-second decisions about where to put your foot next and how you step. Each step you take informs the following step. Rarely do you have to think about where you step next—you just do it. Just like walking along a trail, there’s no one way to practice meditation. Everyone will do it differently, so don’t think about what’s supposed to happen, just practice being aware of what is.
(Shortform note: Metaphors can be helpful tools in explaining the abstract quality of mindfulness. While Kabat-Zinn uses the images of walking along a trail, psychologist Christopher Willard, author of Child’s Mind, compares mindfulness to sitting on a train and looking out the window: Instead of trying to climb out every time you see something interesting, he explains, you take in the landscape as it rolls by. The Headspace App describes mindfulness as sitting on the side of a busy road, watching traffic go by instead of running into the road and trying to stop every car or chase after them.)
Just as there’s no right way to meditate, there’s also no right amount of time to practice. The amount of time isn’t important. As Kabat-Zinn explains, every second is another opportunity to be present. Over time you’ll build up your stamina and be able to meditate for longer and longer periods.
(Shortform note: Sometimes all it takes is one breath. While some research has suggested that it’s most helpful to meditate for at least 15 minutes a day, in Joy on Demand, former Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan advocates for the power of one mindful breath. He explains that even one breath in which you make your exhale longer than your inhale will activate your parasympathetic nervous system, calming your body and your mind.)
Meditation practice can happen at any time of day, although Kabat-Zinn makes a plug for the early morning, which he describes as an especially fruitful time to meditate. Mornings, he explains, are naturally still. More often than not it’s dark and you’re alone. Moreover, waking up early requires the same discipline required to meditate, so early morning meditation gives you the opportunity to more easily observe your mind’s objections and resistance to practicing. Finally, he explains, when you start your day with mindfulness the benefits are more likely to stay with you through the rest of the day.
(Shortform note: Kabat-Zinn isn’t alone in advocating a morning routine. Many highly successful people, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Michelle Obama, have lauded the benefits of waking up before 6 a.m. Robin Sharma, author of The 5 AM Club, refers to the hour of 5 to 6 a.m. as the “Victory Hour” because it’s the most productive hour of the day. He advocates spending this first hour of the day improving your body, strengthening your mind, and making progress on your goals.)
Postures
What does formal meditation look like? Kabat-Zinn introduces several postures that are conducive to meditation practice:
Sitting meditation is a meditation posture that involves sitting cross-legged in an upright position. Kabat-Zinn explains that your posture should reflect the meditative mind—neither passive nor tense, but relaxed and alert. He suggests sitting in a way that reflects dignity—a tall spine, shoulders back, and your chin slightly raised. You can rest your hands on your knees, either facing up in a gesture of openness or down to reflect inward focus.
(Shortform note: While the goal of a meditative posture is to remain relaxed, it’s common to also experience pain in a seated posture, especially as you begin to sit for longer stretches of time. If you experience pain as you meditate, try directing your attention to the pain rather than away from it. Being aware of and welcoming pain makes it easier to manage and understand. To start, try getting comfortable with the pain and paying attention to your reaction instead of the pain itself. Investigate the pain by locating it, describing its qualities, and observing any movement around it. Approaching your pain with curiosity has the power to transform your experience and teach you about your own body.)
In traditional monastic environments, periods of sitting meditation are often broken up with a walking meditation. Just as with sitting meditation, you should maintain a relaxed, but alert posture, moving slowly and intentionally as you walk. Kabat-Zinn suggests finding solitude for your walking meditation, allowing you to focus on your practice without being concerned about what other people might be thinking about you.
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Here's what you'll find in our full Wherever You Go, There You Are summary:
- A guide to mindfulness for both beginners and seasoned practitioners
- How to incorporate mindfulness more intentionally into your daily life
- How to practice mindfulness through meditation
