Details
Synopsis
COMING TO OUR SENSES is a major statement from Jon Kabat-Zinn, who draws on his years of experience in mind-body medicine and his studies of Eastern thought to addresses timely concerns of the 21st century. Saying that we appear to suffer from what he calls an autoimmune "dis-ease" and a collective ADD, Kabat-Zinn exhorts us to become more awake and more aware, or, in his words, "more fully human," through mindfulness, a practice which allows us to "live in the moment." As the title suggests, Kabat-Zinn explains that we first need to become more aware of, and in touch with, our senses--sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. He presents a thorough explanation of meditation, its practice and purpose. He also addresses busy behaviors, such as our attention to cell phones and email which are symptoms of our "continual partial attention." Full attention is the remedy here. Kabat-Zinn extends his mind-body healing approach to the political realm, making specific reference to 9/11, the War In Iraq, global warming, and other newsworthy topics. He says that mindfulness can clear our heads so we might make good decisions, and that mindfulness and democracy can go hand in hand. Each chapter, or lesson, in this long and dense book includes selections from poets such as Rumi, Kabir, Derek Walcott, Mary Oliver, and other "intrepid explorers of what is so, and articulate guardians of the possible." Kabat-Zinn covers a lot of ground, and COMING TO OUR SENSES amounts to a virtual course in mindfulness. At some points an iconoclastic manifesto, this grand statement moves logically from the personal to the political. It is a wake-up call that may be summed up as: Heal your body and mind, and the rest will follow!
| Size | | Length: | 656 pages | | Height: | 10.0 in | | Width: | 6.8 in | | Thickness: | 2.0 in | | Weight: | 34.4 oz |
Publisher's Notes
First Line: "It is difficult to speak of the timeless beauty and richness of the present moment when things are moving so fast."
Industry Reviews
"[A] passionate tour-de-force....Ardent, personal, frankly opinionated in places....It is a treasure-trove of contemporary wisdom." Starred review.
Publishers Weekly (12/20/2004)
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