Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Av Linda Myoki Lehrhaupt, Petra Meibert

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a concise, thorough, concrete, and a very practical introduction to mindfulness and stress. It’s designed to work either as a text in a classroom or training situation or as an individual’s guide to understanding and practicing MBSR. It features straightforward instruction in the main exercises of MBSR—mindfulness meditation, walking and eating meditation, Yoga, Body-Scan, informal everyday practices—and builds these skills step by step. Authentic personal stories from MBSR class participants allow readers to benefit from and relate to others’ experiences, and helpful summaries are included for quick reference.At its core, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is an intensive training in mindfulness, which the originator of the eight-week evidence-based process, Jon Kabat-Zinn, defined as “the awareness that arises by paying attention on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.” Rooted in the Buddhist traditions of Asia, as well as finding expression in other contemplative traditions, mindfulness has been integrated in the West since the 1970s.Mindfulness is a simple yet powerful approach, available to everyone, which can help with life’s psychological and physiological challenges. By fully engaging in the present moment, we are guided step by step to relate to our difficulties with compassion and a non-judgmental attitude, enabling us to live life with more serenity and fulfillment. MBSR has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms associated with chronic illness, anxiety, psoriasis, pain, burnout, cancer, and other conditions with stress-related symptoms.The more than 900 participants of the authors’ MBSR teacher-training program in Europe have expressed that they prefer to recommend this book to their students as the basic course text because of its accessibility and concreteness.Authoritative and yet easy to absorb, it stands apart from general introductions to mindfulness as it is informational, inspirational, and prescriptive. It follows the MBSR course as developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, explaining and illuminating the main themes of each of the eight weeks of the program. It can be worked with incrementally over a period of two months or read in one sitting. Many MBSR teachers assign sections from the book to their classes on a week-by-week basis.Because it’s a course book, rather than one of many MBSR workbooks, readers are not required to do the exercises upon reading to profit from them. They can choose to practice a meditation if they wish, but the course book is meant to give background information as well as very practical examples of how MBSR can work for them. Many readers of the German version of the book say they bought it to help them decide if MBSR was for them before enrolling in a program.