Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Practices to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life

Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Practices to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life

  • Downloads:6308
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2023-04-05 02:19:29
  • Update Date:2025-09-12
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Jon Kabat-Zinn
  • ISBN:1683649389
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

Discover how mindfulness can transform your relationship to pain and suffering with a beautifully illustrated book from Jon Kabat-Zinn

We know that practicing mindfulness in everyday life can help us reduce stress and cultivate deep, embodied well-being—but what about its effects on physical and emotional pain, especially when it seems overwhelming or unrelenting?

Jon Kabat-Zinn developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to help medical patients with ongoing pain conditions who were not responding to conventional therapies。 Since then, the practices of MBSR have become world-renowned for their effectiveness in pain management。 With Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief, Kabat-Zinn provides a range of evidence-based mindfulness meditation practices that anyone can apply gently and effectively to even the most intense forms of pain and suffering。

Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief is a soothing and beautifully illustrated book with accompanying guided meditations and teachings offered digitally。 It opens with an overview of seven fundamental attitudes we can develop to cultivate mindfulness in relationship to chronic pain and its incessant challenges, and follows with concepts and practices including: mindful breathing, working with intense sensations, befriending thoughts and emotions, finding refuge in awareness, and bringing mindfulness into every life。

For anyone tired of suffering from the challenges that chronic pain presents to living a full and appreciative life, this is a welcome guide。

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Reviews

Karen Hammond

I'm just at the beginning of my journey with this book and its techniques to manage chronic pain but find the concept good and can see how it will help me。 I'm just at the beginning of my journey with this book and its techniques to manage chronic pain but find the concept good and can see how it will help me。 。。。more

James Collier

As a counselor who works with several individuals suffering from PTSD and chronic pain, I found this book to offer fantastic mindfulness meditation strategies and guided meditations to aid these individuals in their personal healing journeys。 Jon Kabat-Zinn is an extremely gifted writer and does such a masterful job of explaining scientific concepts in an easy-to-understand manner that will resonate well with both clinicians and those who are in pain but have no science background。 Kabat-Zinn gr As a counselor who works with several individuals suffering from PTSD and chronic pain, I found this book to offer fantastic mindfulness meditation strategies and guided meditations to aid these individuals in their personal healing journeys。 Jon Kabat-Zinn is an extremely gifted writer and does such a masterful job of explaining scientific concepts in an easy-to-understand manner that will resonate well with both clinicians and those who are in pain but have no science background。 Kabat-Zinn grabs the reader's attention with the line, “All our capacities for healing and transforming our lives are based on our ability to pay attention and to cultivate intimacy with our innate capacity for awareness," and then he wonderfully guides us on a step-by-step journey of how we can work to achieve increased awareness, presence, and attentiveness to transform our relationship with pain and, thus, improve our well-being。 Kabat-Zinn provides a realistic roadmap and does not oversell the challenge of this journey toward improved attentiveness, emotional regulation, and self-awareness。 But it is through a compassionate and optimistic voice that Kabat-Zinn is able to paint this journey as a realistic and achievable goal for anyone willing to consistently practice the guided mindfulness meditation practices provided with this book。 One of the biggest obstacles I have with my patients is helping them develop healthy alternatives to the maladaptive coping skills they have been using (in some cases for several years) to cope with emotional and physical pain。 Kabat-Zinn captures this struggle well with this passage: “As a consequence, we might find ourselves turning toward familiar sources to dull the pain, such as alcohol, drugs, food, endlessly getting lost in our phones, binge-watching television, scrolling and posting on social media, going down one rabbit after another, even if these coping strategies and perpetual distraction opportunities deliver anything but an enduring sense of satisfaction and contentment。” As Dr。 Jud Brewer emphasizes, it is very difficult to change these behaviors without developing a bigger better offer that can provide similar benefit to our unhelpful behaviors but without the negative consequences。 In this book Kabat-Zinn provides not only the tools but a roadmap toward that bigger better offer for individuals suffering from pain。 The guided meditations in this book are very helpful in challenging individuals to turn toward their pain to help foster "less emotionally reactive, less critical in our judgments, kinder, and more accepting of ourselves and our moments, whatever they may be, gradually becomes our go-to mode, our ‘default setting。’”I highly recommend this book to all mental health professionals and clinicians working with patients suffering from chronic pain。 I would also recommend this took to those individuals suffering from invisible illnesses that cause chronic pain (including but definitely not limited to complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)) who have exhaustively sought out ways to improve pain management but have only found minimal success in being able to thrive with their pain。 I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an unrealistic quick fix or who is not willing to practice mindfulness 5-7 days a week for at least 8 weeks。 。。。more

Meghan Regina Ginelli

Mindfulness Meditation for Pain ReliefBy Jon Kabat-Zin, PhDSounds True Publishing Publication date: April 4, 2023I was drawn to this book because I have chronic pain, have had it for over 20 years。 And believe me, I’ve tried everything。 Well, everything EXCEPT mindfulness meditation。 In fact, I’ve always done the opposite while in pain- detach and dissociate。 But I keep coming back to the idea of mindfulness because it makes sense, and maybe it’s the missing piece in the treatment of my chronic Mindfulness Meditation for Pain ReliefBy Jon Kabat-Zin, PhDSounds True Publishing Publication date: April 4, 2023I was drawn to this book because I have chronic pain, have had it for over 20 years。 And believe me, I’ve tried everything。 Well, everything EXCEPT mindfulness meditation。 In fact, I’ve always done the opposite while in pain- detach and dissociate。 But I keep coming back to the idea of mindfulness because it makes sense, and maybe it’s the missing piece in the treatment of my chronic pain。I know of Jon Kabat-Zin as the foremost authority of mindfulness meditation, so if anyone can teach me about this, I know it can be him。 He created MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction) in 1979 and it’s been gaining momentum ever since。There are so many just deeply profound words in this book。 So many new ideas and revelations。It is all about actually turning towards pain, holding it in our awareness, and changing our relationship towards in。 As Jon Kabat-Zin states, if we constantly turn away from the pain we are turning away from what the pain has to teach。This book includes the written out guided meditations and provides access to audio guided meditations as well。 These medications are incredibly soothing, restorative and intensely liberating。I encourage you to give this a try, open yourself up to a new experience and discover a way to reclaim your life。 。。。more

Mags

An I triguing look at the use of mi dullness for chronic pain。 As a sufferer for years of chronic pelvic pain, I was I terested in learning new ones to cope and this book delivered。 Well-written and engrossing。

Joselyn Moreno

Loved this book, it was very to the point and it helped with a few more pointers on consistency to meditate。I do try to meditate daily some days are harder because of the time, but the more information I get on it, it makes more sense and it helps to know that even a little everyday can help and to try to live more in the moments that sometimes you can totally miss。If you're initiating or already know it doesn't hurt to always remember why you're doing this and how to live through your pains mor Loved this book, it was very to the point and it helped with a few more pointers on consistency to meditate。I do try to meditate daily some days are harder because of the time, but the more information I get on it, it makes more sense and it helps to know that even a little everyday can help and to try to live more in the moments that sometimes you can totally miss。If you're initiating or already know it doesn't hurt to always remember why you're doing this and how to live through your pains more effectively。 。。。more

Venky

Jon Kabat-Zinn, an American professor emeritus of medicine and the creator of the stress reduction program mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), is also a founding member of the Cambridge Zen Centre。 In this small volume titled “Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief”, Kabat-Zinn offers a few techniques revolving around the practice of mindfulness, to alleviate both the physical distress as well as the mental anguish suffered by people gripped by chronic pain。 These are patients who have be Jon Kabat-Zinn, an American professor emeritus of medicine and the creator of the stress reduction program mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), is also a founding member of the Cambridge Zen Centre。 In this small volume titled “Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief”, Kabat-Zinn offers a few techniques revolving around the practice of mindfulness, to alleviate both the physical distress as well as the mental anguish suffered by people gripped by chronic pain。 These are patients who have been advised at various stages in their lives by a myriad of medical practioners to “learn to live with pain”。 This “community of the afflicted”, according to the author can take recourse to MBSR whose objective is to strive to be at ‘home’ with pain if not transcending it。The recognition that living with pain is a type of ‘minuet’ is the first stage in overcoming an attitude of resignation and a defeatist reconciliation。 Urging his readers to “tune in”, Kabat-Zin appeals to them to turn pain into an ally。 If one was to experience pain experientially and experimentally then the attribute of pain ceases to be an irritant。 The once dreaded usurper of hopes transforms first into a trusted ‘teacher’ before donning the mantle of a friend。The MBSR therapy spans eight weeks in its entirety and requires the eager beaver to unfailingly devote a certain stretch of time on a daily basis。 There are no set limits for the number of minutes or hours that one ought to engage on MBSR。 So long as the practice is sustained and consistent, even a few minutes each day in the initial phases would suffice, according to the author。 The concept of MBSR took shape for the first time in the year 1979 at the University of Massachusetts。 Currently, MBSR is being implemented across medical centres around the world。At the nub of MBSR is the concept of ‘moment-to-moment awareness’。 In the same vein in which we come consciously or even unconsciously aware of bodily sensations such as sound, smell, sight, touch etc。 one can also develop an acute awareness of the pain in the ‘now’。 Developing awareness does not mean recognising the pernicious nature of the pain and wallowing in it but being non-judgmental about the entire experience。 The key is to develop an awareness of the pain, in pain。 The book lays out seven principles to alter the experiencer’s relationship with pain。Living and inhabiting the present moment, tuning away from default options such as self-blame and a compulsive recourse to drugs etc are some of the suggestions。 There is also a guided meditation technique that is available in the book for the interested and the uninitiated。 The potential of MBSR seeks to rend asunder ‘outcomes’, and not being attached to outcomes, including those that are as natural and understanding as it is to ‘want some。’Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief is a reliable primer for all those who are interested in engaging in the practice of MBSR。(Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Practices to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life – Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph。D。 is published by Sounds True Publishing and will be available for sale on the 4th of April 2023)Thank You Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy! 。。。more

brief n bold book reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for this eARC。I find the topic of mindfulness really interesting as it is very much akin to acceptance and commitment therapy with elements of stoicism。 I'm not sure what it was exactly with this book but it didn't work for me。 I have read quite a bit about this topic and use it regularly with my work。The writing style was very much targeted at someone who has no previous knowledge or experience with mindfulness。 While it did have descriptive exp Thank you to NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for this eARC。I find the topic of mindfulness really interesting as it is very much akin to acceptance and commitment therapy with elements of stoicism。 I'm not sure what it was exactly with this book but it didn't work for me。 I have read quite a bit about this topic and use it regularly with my work。The writing style was very much targeted at someone who has no previous knowledge or experience with mindfulness。 While it did have descriptive explanations for the practical components, the audio link web address was incorrect。 I attempted to use the link at was given "page not found" message。Considering this book was titled "mindfulness。。。。。pain relief", I would have expected there to be more specific information regarding pain。 It felt like his previous books on mindfulness were taken and had the word "pain" put in there every now and again。 。。。more

Carissa

A nice short overview of how to use meditation to help with pain with the second portion of guided practices。 I've been looking for an accessible resource for my dad who has a chronic health issue and think that mindfulness may be helpful if delivered in the right way。 Will give this a try and see how we go。 A nice short overview of how to use meditation to help with pain with the second portion of guided practices。 I've been looking for an accessible resource for my dad who has a chronic health issue and think that mindfulness may be helpful if delivered in the right way。 Will give this a try and see how we go。 。。。more

Sue

Life changing。 I now ask myself if my awareness of pain is in pain and it reduces my perception of pain significantly。 Read by the author in a slower cadence than the previous book of his that I just finished。 My only complaint about the Audible is that it doesn’t break the meditations into chapters and they tend to be included with long explanations that are helpful but difficult to know when the guided meditation begins and ends。 It’s good modeling though and hopefully if I listen enough I wil Life changing。 I now ask myself if my awareness of pain is in pain and it reduces my perception of pain significantly。 Read by the author in a slower cadence than the previous book of his that I just finished。 My only complaint about the Audible is that it doesn’t break the meditations into chapters and they tend to be included with long explanations that are helpful but difficult to know when the guided meditation begins and ends。 It’s good modeling though and hopefully if I listen enough I will be able to naturally do the meditations。 。。。more

Carol

listened to this 2 hour book, guiding and teaching mindfulness over the pain in our bodies。 Very helpful and good。 The type of book you could listen to several times。 4 stars

Mariko

Very helpful!

Ryan

Audio book。 The premise of his work is that pain and mental distress from pain are experienced as a result of resistance。 Once we let go and stop resisting, our body can heal。

Lauren

He’s my original guru。 I love his voice。 I love that he speaks to my chronic pain。 I love relaxing into (and under) his voice and guidance。 If you have any pain in your life, this is an absolute must!

Jeannie

Kabat-Zinn was the man who introduced to the whole idea of mindfulness in 2006, while I was struggling with losses that came with physical and emotional pain。 His stress-reduction program and guided MM has changed many minds, lives, bodies including mine。So while I can’t wait to reread 。。。 five full, fat stars! 😊

Sarah Booth

This is an audio book that one would listened to over and over again as it is guided meditation, but it also explains the process and how the process may not feel like it’s doing anything and you may not like it etc。, but those who were forced to follow it despite not feeling comfortable with it etc in tests reported that despite struggles etc。, found that there were effective。 Any reduction of pain is going to have the attention of those who have chronic pain。 So, like most meditation, even if This is an audio book that one would listened to over and over again as it is guided meditation, but it also explains the process and how the process may not feel like it’s doing anything and you may not like it etc。, but those who were forced to follow it despite not feeling comfortable with it etc in tests reported that despite struggles etc。, found that there were effective。 Any reduction of pain is going to have the attention of those who have chronic pain。 So, like most meditation, even if it seems like a bad session, will still have positive effects。 I got this from the library but having listened to it once will give it another one before returning it and perhaps purchasing it for my permanent collection。 I think that it would be useful if followed according to the instructions。I am not sure if it is the way the Library set up the audio book from a CD or if this is the way it came, but there were not clear chapters or markers for the different guided or meditations。 It was a bit haphazard, so finding them again and cueing up at the beginning is challenging if you want to go back and do the exercises over and over again, Or you wanted to just find a specific one that you wanted to do。 Otherwise it was pretty good with explanations of why this could work etc。, and how you just had to bully through it for 6 weeks whether you liked it or not or thought it was interesting。 It's like medicine, it needs time to work。 。。。more

Becky And

I have listened to this book for 6 years again and again。 It’s my aid if pain takes over my being。 Kabat-Zinn’s voice is very soothing and his method in this book keeps my total attention somehow managing the worst。

Tracey

Having suffered chronic pain for several decades there was nothing here that I hadn't already instinctively worked out for myself。 Having suffered chronic pain for several decades there was nothing here that I hadn't already instinctively worked out for myself。 。。。more

Bonny

This is probably a 3。5 star book in my opinion, but it was worth listening to, especially when my pain was at its worst。 At the very least it provided a distraction from the head, neck, shoulder pain, and crippling headaches I was experiencing。 The symptoms affected every aspect of my daily life, and much of the night, but I could often get back to sleep with an extra dose of ibuprofen and listening to this mindfulness meditation。 I didn't find it a cure-all, but I do think it was a valid part o This is probably a 3。5 star book in my opinion, but it was worth listening to, especially when my pain was at its worst。 At the very least it provided a distraction from the head, neck, shoulder pain, and crippling headaches I was experiencing。 The symptoms affected every aspect of my daily life, and much of the night, but I could often get back to sleep with an extra dose of ibuprofen and listening to this mindfulness meditation。 I didn't find it a cure-all, but I do think it was a valid part of treatment that includes ibuprofen, topical arnica, Traumeel, Aspercreme, and physical therapy。 Things are better (not perfect), but so far I've avoided surgery for cervical herniated discs。 Mindfulness meditation may not fix everything in your life, but it can help in many ways。 。。。more

Mary

Chronic pain is no fun -- and I'll try anything to feel better about having it。 I'm a Kabat-Zinn fan since taking a course in Mindfulness。 As I have the audio version (I can't even imagine how you'd use a format other than audio。。。?) I need Goodreads to add a "listened to" option。 Chronic pain is no fun -- and I'll try anything to feel better about having it。 I'm a Kabat-Zinn fan since taking a course in Mindfulness。 As I have the audio version (I can't even imagine how you'd use a format other than audio。。。?) I need Goodreads to add a "listened to" option。 。。。more

Heydi Smith

This is a good read only if you know absolutely nothing about mindfulness, otherwise - you'll be gravely disappointed。Pretty cover though。 This is a good read only if you know absolutely nothing about mindfulness, otherwise - you'll be gravely disappointed。Pretty cover though。 。。。more

Laura Rogers

This is a 2 CD set。 It is, on the surface, very simple。 But if you have chronic pain, nothing is simple。 I worked in the University of Alabama Medical School Back Pain Clinic in the early 80's and mindfulness and relaxation was part of the program。 If you don't have a lot of money or even if you do, this is a good investment for under $20。 This is a 2 CD set。 It is, on the surface, very simple。 But if you have chronic pain, nothing is simple。 I worked in the University of Alabama Medical School Back Pain Clinic in the early 80's and mindfulness and relaxation was part of the program。 If you don't have a lot of money or even if you do, this is a good investment for under $20。 。。。more

Zac Stojcevski

I was interested in using this book as a reference and a tool for introducing mindfulness/ meditation to the workings and healing of my patients。 I cannot speak for them yet however the audiobook seemed a tad bland and basic - surfing on the coattail of panache that the author's name carries。Great catch phrase in the sense that if you're breathing then half of the problems are catered for。 I was interested in using this book as a reference and a tool for introducing mindfulness/ meditation to the workings and healing of my patients。 I cannot speak for them yet however the audiobook seemed a tad bland and basic - surfing on the coattail of panache that the author's name carries。Great catch phrase in the sense that if you're breathing then half of the problems are catered for。 。。。more

Sonia

Helpful, but I wish it went more in depth in terms of the actual meditation techniques。

Debbie Nicoletti

Great beginning meditation book。 His guided meditation and focusing on the breath is helping me with my knee pain。

Maggie

yes! what he says。 and it really works: mindfulness on the breath and being able to pin-point spots of pain and "breathe" into those areas, i。e。 raise our lovingkindness awareness to pain as though giving the baby buddha a bath works。 yes it does。 and this book is a 100% reliable guide through that process。 yes! what he says。 and it really works: mindfulness on the breath and being able to pin-point spots of pain and "breathe" into those areas, i。e。 raise our lovingkindness awareness to pain as though giving the baby buddha a bath works。 yes it does。 and this book is a 100% reliable guide through that process。 。。。more

Lyla

Very helpful during a few weeks I had a great deal of joint pain。

Danie

This audio-book is good for a beginning meditator。 I was expecting more in the way of insights into pain and how meditation would be beneficial, or directed meditations that could be used daily。 The book is setup more as instructions, so you can take them and form your own practice if you do not have one。 The actual meditations are short, perhaps 3 or 4 minutes, but he talks at length beforehand。 If I'm in pain I'm not going to have the physical or mental energy to forward the audio to the corre This audio-book is good for a beginning meditator。 I was expecting more in the way of insights into pain and how meditation would be beneficial, or directed meditations that could be used daily。 The book is setup more as instructions, so you can take them and form your own practice if you do not have one。 The actual meditations are short, perhaps 3 or 4 minutes, but he talks at length beforehand。 If I'm in pain I'm not going to have the physical or mental energy to forward the audio to the correct place。 Its a little thing, but big when you're dealing with pain。 。。。more

Stephanie

I have used this to help my mental responses to intense pain during the past year, and it has been very helpful--certain phrases ring through my mind in crisis moments even if I can't listen to an entire guided meditation at the time。 I have used this to help my mental responses to intense pain during the past year, and it has been very helpful--certain phrases ring through my mind in crisis moments even if I can't listen to an entire guided meditation at the time。 。。。more

Colleen

I bought this on the recommendation of my doctor。 I have lumbar arthritis, and it causes me daily, constant pain。 And I really hate narcotics; they don't help, they just make me sleepy and stupid。 If I hurt badly enough, I might take one, but I go to sleep hurting, I wake up hurting, and I get cottonmouth in the bargain。 Yech, right? So the doctor recommended directed meditation。 I purchased the audio book so I can put it on my iPod and use it when I'm away from the house if necessary。 After my I bought this on the recommendation of my doctor。 I have lumbar arthritis, and it causes me daily, constant pain。 And I really hate narcotics; they don't help, they just make me sleepy and stupid。 If I hurt badly enough, I might take one, but I go to sleep hurting, I wake up hurting, and I get cottonmouth in the bargain。 Yech, right? So the doctor recommended directed meditation。 I purchased the audio book so I can put it on my iPod and use it when I'm away from the house if necessary。 After my first run-through, I think that's a great idea, really。 Kabat-Zinn has a very gentle voice, to start with。 He also makes sense。 He uses loose visualizations so that the listener can make adjustments as needed。 He also recommends being comfortable, not necessarily sitting in some pretzel-like position。 After listening the first time through, I think this will work。 I need more practice, because I'm (evidently) easily distracted by noises, but I can see exactly where the author is trying to lead me。 His intent is very clear, and that seems to make the process simpler。 The meditations are only a few minutes long - 3 or 4 minutes, really。 That's perfect for people in pain, as we tend to have difficulty holding still for too long。 And the format is such that, ideally, you'd get good at this and be able to duck into a nursing room or other quiet corner at the office and do a quick meditation for your pain。 I have high hopes。 。。。more

tpg0

As an AI language model, I do not have personal experience or opinions, but Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief has received positive feedback from readers on Amazon。 The book, written by Jon Kabat-Zinn and based on his mindfulness-based stress reduction program, provides techniques and practices to help individuals manage chronic pain and reclaim their lives。 The author emphasizes the importance of present-moment awareness, non-judgment, and acceptance in coping with pain。 The book includes guided meditations, exercises, and reflections to help readers cultivate mindfulness and reduce their suffering。

tpg1

As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions。 However, "Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Practices to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life" by Jon Kabat-Zinn is a well-known and highly recommended book for those seeking to learn about mindfulness and how it can help alleviate chronic pain。 The book provides practical techniques and exercises that can be implemented in daily life to help manage pain and enhance overall well-being。 Many readers have praised the book for its clear and concise explanations, as well as its compassion and understanding for those experiencing chronic pain。

tpg2

As an AI language model, I don't have the capability to read books or have personal experiences。 However, based on reviews and insights from readers, the book 'Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Practices to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life' by Jon Kabat-Zinn provides helpful techniques and practices for people who are experiencing chronic pain。 The book focuses on using mindfulness meditation as a tool to manage physical discomfort and improve the quality of life。 It also includes guided meditations and exercises that aim to enhance body awareness and reduce pain-related stress。 Overall, this book could be a helpful resource for those experiencing chronic pain and looking for alternative ways to manage their symptoms。

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    mindfulness meditation for pain relief practices to reclaim your body and your life mindfulness meditation for pain relief practices to reclaim your body and your life jon kabat-zinn