Jon Kabat-Zinn, author, scientist, and mediation instructor, is the founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. His instruction for initial exploration of meditation and mindfulness is capsulized into the 2 CD audio course, Mindfulness for Beginners.

Over two hours worth of instruction and guided practice can be found in the audio course. The first CD contains a lecture on what mindfulness is and what it is not. It also discusses the ethical foundation of this form of meditation and the Seven Key Attitudinal Factors of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. The second CD offers five guided meditations, beginning with a simple mindfulness eating exercise, and going through breath awareness, body awareness, sound awareness, and thought awareness.

I found Kabat-Zinn’s vocal delivery during the education CD to be lively, funny, and warm. He explains that mindfulness isn’t woo-woo nor what he calls "a dime-store technique." It is a viable way to still the mind and relax. He also indicates that mindfulness meditation can eventually lead to some greater insights into our inner mind as well as using mindfulness in daily activities. As we begin to recognize the constant chatter inside our minds, we don’t make judgements about it and begin to just release those thoughts. We can then pay attention to the thoughts that have some greater meaning for us. Some activities can also become a means to mindfulness, such as washing dishes. We can also become adept enough to observe mindfulness for brief moments during our days, observing, listening, and not judging.

The meditation exercises are deceptively simple as Kabat-Zinn takes us through the senses (touch, smell, taste) and then to paying attention to breathing, body awareness, and the dealing with mental chatter. Unlike many other forms of white meditation that seek to produce a blank atmosphere in which we reside, mindfulness helps us to be more aware of our bodies and where we are in space. In that process of sifting through and slowing down the chatter, we come to greater awareness of who we are and loving ourselves as we are. This may not happen all at once, but the practice of mindfulness is useful to allow us to relax and begin the deeper meditation that can be done. Kabat-Zinn’s guidance through these exercises is gentle, softly spoken, and always encouraging.

I’d recommend this audio course to anyone seeking to learn how to relax. It is also a great place to start for anyone wanting to learn how to meditate. Mindfulness for Beginners is probably the best beginning meditation course I’ve seen. And, for those who are more experienced meditators, mindfulness will open new avenues of experience in your practice.