Jon Kabat-Zinn Quotes & Sayings (Page 3)

“My father was a world-class scientist and my mother was a prolific painter. I could see that my parents had completely different ways of knowing and understanding the world, and relating to it. My father approached things through scientific inquiry and exploration, while my mother experienced things through her emotions and senses.”

“Sometimes shutting off the sound on the television can allow you to actually watch the game and take it in in an entirely different and more direct way - a first-order, first-person experience - rather than filtered through the mind of another.”

“There are certain ways in which I cultivate awareness, both through mindful yoga and taking care of my body and taking time to actually drop as deeply as possible into stillness, into whatever is unfolding in the present moment.”

“A lot of harm has come in all eras from people attached to one view of 'spiritual' truth.”

“It is what makes us human, what distinguishes us from other animals. We can be aware of being aware.”

“I don't want people following Jon Kabat-Zinn. I want them following themselves.”

“Most people think that to meditate, I should feel a particular special something, and if I don't, then I must be doing something wrong.”

“The 'find it, fix it 'model of medicine doesn't work any more. The U.S. healthcare system is bankrupting the country, bankrolling the insurance companies and exhausting healthcare staff. And despite all that, we are ranked 50th in the world for life expectancy.”

“The mind that has not been developed or trained is very scattered. That's the normal state of affairs, but it leaves us out of touch with a great deal in life, including our bodies.”

“Too much of the education system orients students toward becoming better thinkers, but there is almost no focus on our capacity to pay attention and cultivate awareness.”