Wherever You Go There You Are

When you think of mindfulness, do you automatically think of spirituality? 

Can you separate the two?

In “Wherever You Go There You Are,” Jon Kabat-Zinn explains how to practice mindfulness in more areas than just meditation and/or spiritually. 

Let’s talk about Mindfulness 

Although mindfulness is a Buddhist practice, Jon Kabat-Zinn says its relevance has more to do with living in harmony with ourselves and the world around us. 

How do we do that?

We can start by becoming more conscious of every moment we are alive. He says that this means to pay attention, on purpose, and not judgmentally. It’s important to accept our present moment reality.

If we are not fully present in each moment, our unconscious or automatic behaviors can take over. Generally speaking, these automatic behaviors are rooted in fear or insecurity. 

Mindfulness is waking up from a dream to our true nature.

Jon Kabat-Zinn admits that this is not easy, but requires effort and discipline. If we are on automatic pilot, sometimes it is tough to switch gears.

Practicing Mindfulness 

At the end of each chapter, there are different exercises to try, to practice mindfulness in different life situations.

Mindfulness meditation is a great way to get started. This is something I try to practice daily. It is about being present, in this moment. 

While meditation is important, we can practice mindfulness in a variety of different ways.

For example, we could try to closely examine any impatience if we feel it. It would be useful to stop and ask ourselves questions about any impatience and try to let things just be. Also known as, going with the flow, mindfully. 

Another good way to practice mindfulness is through trust. He says that it is important to trust ourselves, others, or a process or idea. He points out that this doesn’t mean to be naïve, but to be led intuitively.  

I want to mention one more great way to practice mindfulness: to perceive harmony. I’m so glad that he pointed this out. I try to practice this as much as possible. We can become aware and perceive harmony in almost any situation, especially in nature and in people. It’s kind of exhilarating.

“Wherever You Go There You Are“ is another book that I just can’t say enough about, I learned so much from Jon Kabat-Zinn. 

What are your experiences with mindfulness? Comment below, and thank you for checking out the blog today!

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