PDF Summary:Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Are you curious about mindfulness but don’t know where to start? Are you trying to reinvigorate a mindfulness practice that’s feeling stale? Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is a guide for anyone who’s interested in exploring mindfulness further, from the tentative beginner to the seasoned practitioner.

Kabat-Zinn is a meditation teacher often credited with bringing mindfulness practice into mainstream public awareness. Wherever You Go, There You Are, which reviewers call a “must-read,” is full of Kabat-Zinn’s reflections on mindfulness and practical strategies for how to incorporate it more intentionally into your life.

In this guide, we’ll explain what mindfulness is (and isn’t) and why Kabat-Zinn believes it’s so crucial to living well. We’ll also outline some simple ways to introduce mindfulness into your daily life. Throughout the guide, we’ll supplement Kabat-Zinn’s advice with strategies and reflections from other mindfulness experts and provide background information on current psychological research on mindfulness.

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Simplicity also means choosing to focus your thoughts on one thing or object at a time. Thoughts and feelings will naturally occur, but the greater your ability to refocus when your mind wanders, the deeper your mindfulness practice will become.

(Shortform note: The ability to focus on one thing has also been proven to increase productivity. Trying to focus on multiple things at once, or multitasking, leads to an effect known as "switch cost," the mental effort expended to shift gears and readjust to the new task. Because of the mental shift required, it takes time and mental effort to make this adjustment. As a result, switching between tasks can slow down your overall progress and reduce your productivity.)

Patience

Mindfulness also requires patience. Patience is the gentle acceptance of things the way things are, rather than the fruitless agitation of wishing things were different. You can be patient with your wandering mind, with external distractions, or with your body on days you’re moving more slowly.

(Shortform note: Patience seems to be increasingly rare in the modern world. A study by the Pew Research Center found that the convenience of technology has made people less patient than they used to be. Living in a world of instant gratification where you can communicate with someone halfway across the world instantly and have groceries delivered to your doorstep in a matter of hours has made it harder for people to muster patience for the things that take time.)

Patience becomes easier when you're open to all the possibilities. Staying open to new or uncomfortable experiences allows you to resist the impulse to judge your experience, to simply observe what's happening, and to quiet the desire to control or alter your reality.

(Shortform note: Openness often requires a holistic perspective that allows you to consider experiences from multiple perspectives. In The Book of Joy, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama argue that expanding your perspective to look at the world through multiple lenses is a foundational value for a more joyful life.)

Vulnerability

This kind of openness requires vulnerability because it requires you to give up the illusion of control and trust that things will unfold as they should. (Shortform note: Some argue that vulnerability depends on trust, but in Dare to Lead, Brene Brown argues that vulnerability and trust are mutually dependent, and occur simultaneously.)

Practicing vulnerability has the additional benefit of making you more generous. As you become more generous and kind with yourself, you’ll also become more generous and kind toward others, allowing the benefits of your mindfulness practice to ripple outward.

(Shortform note: Contrary to Kabat-Zinn’s assertion, one study found that instead of increasing generosity, mindfulness had the opposite effect in some cases, leading to more selfish behavior. The study revealed that participants who were identified as being naturally interdependent-minded—thinking more often about themselves in relation to others—showed more prosocial behavior after a timed meditation. However, participants who were more naturally independent-minded, and thought primarily of themselves as individuals, demonstrated a decreased motivation to help others after the same timed meditation. The increased inward focus of mindfulness seemed to exaggerate their existing egoist tendencies and make it easier for them to ignore the needs of others.)

Perseverance

The final value is perseverance because, ultimately, the key to mindfulness is making it a habit through ongoing practice. As Kabat-Zinn explains, most of us live our lives automatically, relying on habit or compelled by impulse in our decision-making; mindfulness goes against all of our deeply ingrained habits and ways of thinking. Paying attention to the present moment requires intentionality, and making it a practice requires discipline.

Because returning to mindfulness day after day is challenging, Kabat-Zinn also recommends starting with a clear understanding of the motivation driving your mindfulness practice. To sustain your mindfulness practice, he suggests grounding your practice in your most deeply held values and hopes for yourself.

(Shortform note: The combination of perseverance and motivation is what Angela Duckworth refers to as grit, a personality trait that enables you to maintain your interest, work hard, and overcome obstacles. She argues that grit, more than natural talent or external circumstances, is an indicator of long-term success.)

In the next section, we’ll offer guidance on how to incorporate formal meditation practice and daily mindfulness into your routine.

Focus on Your Breath

Whether you're practicing mindfulness in your daily life or doing a more structured meditation practice, your breath is an invaluable tool; it provides you with something to draw your attention back to when your mind wanders. Wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing, you can breathe naturally, paying attention to what it feels like to have your breath move in and out of your body. Notice where you're most aware of your breath and the sensations of your breath as it enters and leaves your body.

Why Start With Your Breath?

There are a number of reasons why the breath is such a valuable tool in mindfulness practice.

1. Your breath is enough. So many of the things we pursue in our lives are about getting somewhere or improving, but not your breath. You don’t ever need to try to breathe better or more efficiently. Your breath is vital and perfect as it is.

2. Your breath is steady. Even as your thoughts bounce around, your breath keeps a steady rhythm that you can return to over and over. It’s predictable and constant.

3. Your breath is richly layered. Even as your breath stays steady, no one breath is exactly the same. As you pay attention to your breath, you can also pay attention to how the duration, sensation, and texture of each breath differs slightly from the one before.

4. Your breath grounds you in your body. We live much of our lives inside our heads and disconnected from our bodies. Using your breath as an anchor brings your awareness back to your body.

5. Your breath is calming. Mindful breathing allows you to enter a relaxed state of mind that supports your mindfulness practice.

6. Your breath is in control. Even though you can increase the pace of your breath or stop breathing momentarily, ultimately your breath is in charge. Without it you wouldn’t live. Paying attention to your breath reminds you that, like all things, you don’t have full control.

Practice Mindfulness Through Meditation

The first place you can practice focusing on your breath is during formal meditation practice. If you’ve never practiced mindfulness before, it can be helpful to set aside short periods in your time to implement a more formal meditation practice. That way you can focus fully on your practice and get comfortable honing your focus before trying to introduce mindfulness more regularly into your daily life.

(Shortform note: Some psychologists don’t recommend formal meditation practice for people struggling with chronic conditions like intense anxiety, ongoing depression, trauma, psychotic episodes, or active addiction, because the intense focus on your inner emotional landscape can feel overwhelming. If you suffer from a chronic condition, start by drawing awareness to the outside world or a simple activity, like chopping vegetables or folding laundry, instead.)

In meditation practice, there's no one right way to meditate. Kabat-Zinn describes meditation as being like walking along a trail. With each step, you make split-second decisions about where to put your foot next and how you step. Each step you take informs the following step. Rarely do you have to think about where you step next—you just do it. Just like walking along a trail, there's no one way to practice meditation. Everyone will do it differently, so don’t think about what's supposed to happen, just practice being aware of what is.

(Shortform note: Metaphors can be helpful tools in explaining the abstract quality of mindfulness. While Kabat-Zinn uses the images of walking along a trail, psychologist Christopher Willard, author of Child’s Mind, compares mindfulness to sitting on a train and looking out the window: Instead of trying to climb out every time you see something interesting, he explains, you take in the landscape as it rolls by. The Headspace App describes mindfulness as sitting on the side of a busy road, watching traffic go by instead of running into the road and trying to stop every car or chase after them.)

Just as there’s no right way to meditate, there’s also no right amount of time to practice. The amount of time isn’t important. As Kabat-Zinn explains, every second is another opportunity to be present. Over time you’ll build up your stamina and be able to meditate for longer and longer periods.

(Shortform note: Sometimes all it takes is one breath. While some research has suggested that it’s most helpful to meditate for at least 15 minutes a day, in Joy on Demand, former Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan advocates for the power of one mindful breath. He explains that even one breath in which you make your exhale longer than your inhale will activate your parasympathetic nervous system, calming your body and your mind.)

Meditation practice can happen at any time of day, although Kabat-Zinn makes a plug for the early morning, which he describes as an especially fruitful time to meditate. Mornings, he explains, are naturally still. More often than not it’s dark and you’re alone. Moreover, waking up early requires the same discipline required to meditate, so early morning meditation gives you the opportunity to more easily observe your mind’s objections and resistance to practicing. Finally, he explains, when you start your day with mindfulness the benefits are more likely to stay with you through the rest of the day.

(Shortform note: Kabat-Zinn isn't alone in advocating a morning routine. Many highly successful people, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Michelle Obama, have lauded the benefits of waking up before 6 a.m. Robin Sharma, author of The 5 AM Club, refers to the hour of 5 to 6 a.m. as the “Victory Hour” because it’s the most productive hour of the day. He advocates spending this first hour of the day improving your body, strengthening your mind, and making progress on your goals.)

Postures

What does formal meditation look like? Kabat-Zinn introduces several postures that are conducive to meditation practice:

Sitting meditation is a meditation posture that involves sitting cross-legged in an upright position. Kabat-Zinn explains that your posture should reflect the meditative mind—neither passive nor tense, but relaxed and alert. He suggests sitting in a way that reflects dignity—a tall spine, shoulders back, and your chin slightly raised. You can rest your hands on your knees, either facing up in a gesture of openness or down to reflect inward focus.

(Shortform note: While the goal of a meditative posture is to remain relaxed, it’s common to also experience pain in a seated posture, especially as you begin to sit for longer stretches of time. If you experience pain as you meditate, try directing your attention to the pain rather than away from it. Being aware of and welcoming pain makes it easier to manage and understand. To start, try getting comfortable with the pain and paying attention to your reaction instead of the pain itself. Investigate the pain by locating it, describing its qualities, and observing any movement around it. Approaching your pain with curiosity has the power to transform your experience and teach you about your own body.)

In traditional monastic environments, periods of sitting meditation are often broken up with a walking meditation. Just as with sitting meditation, you should maintain a relaxed, but alert posture, moving slowly and intentionally as you walk. Kabat-Zinn suggests finding solitude for your walking meditation, allowing you to focus on your practice without being concerned about what other people might be thinking about you.

(Shortform note: Walking meditation can also be helpful as you begin to think about how your meditation practice translates into daily mindfulness. In Mindfulness in Plain English, Gunaratana explains that while sitting meditation is all about stillness, walking meditation helps you practice staying mindful while in motion, a key skill when working on living more mindfully.)

Lying down meditation is especially valuable when your body needs to relax. Kabat-Zinn recommends maintaining the same alert, but relaxed posture. In this position, try doing a body scan in which you shift your focus to different parts of your body, paying attention to what you notice and feel there. Kabat-Zinn explains that this meditation can be particularly helpful for getting in touch with strong emotions, which often manifest in different parts of our bodies. For example, you might find anxiety living in your belly, anger in your jaw, or fear in your throat.

(Shortform note: Body scans don't only have to happen lying down, so don’t hesitate to use them in your daily life if you notice yourself feeling strong emotions. Body scans meditations help ground your body and your thoughts, reduce stress and tension, and increase self-compassion. So next time you’re about to go into a high-pressure meeting or a hard conversation, consider doing a body scan first. You’ll likely go into the experience more focused, calm, and compassionate.)

Visualizations

Kabat-Zinn also offers several visualizations that he uses to support his meditation practice.

First, he describes a mountain meditation. In a seated position, picture a mountain. Notice its shape, its size, its stillness. Imagine the mountain in every season—warmed by sun, covered with snow, and standing firm in the midst of a wild thunderstorm. Notice how the mountain is unchanged as the world moves and changes around it. Continue to breathe, holding the image of the mountain in your mind. Try to bring the image of the mountain into your body, so that you become the mountain you're picturing.

(Shortform note: The mountain meditation, often attributed to Kabat-Zinn, can be particularly helpful when you’re confronting uncertainty and change. This is a grounding meditation that helps you feel centered even in the midst of turbulent changes. You can find a free guided version of the mountain meditation led by Kabat-Zinn on YouTube.)

The lake meditation can be done either seated or lying down. Start by picturing yourself as a vast lake held by the earth. First imagine the lake perfectly still and mirror-like. Now imagine the lake in a heavy rainstorm or churned up by strong winds. Picture your thoughts as the waves and ripples on top of the lake. Now picture the undisturbed silence below the surface. As you continue your meditation, remember that you embody the entire lake, both the disruptions on the surface and the deep stillness below.

(Shortform note: The lake meditation and other similar water meditations are particularly helpful in managing stress or anxiety because they help you to visualize yourself flowing around obstacles and trusting the flow of your own life. Some practitioners suggest that submerging yourself in water, even if it’s just a bath, can enhance the experience of a water meditation. You can find a free guided version of the lake meditation, led by Kabat-Zinn, on YouTube.)

The loving-kindness meditation is about recognizing that you're a part of a larger whole, and the belief that if you treat yourself with compassion you can make the world a more compassionate place. Start by focusing on your breath, then expand your attention to encompass your entire being. Imagine holding yourself with love and attention, as you might hold a frightened child. Tell yourself that you're loved and that you're worthy of happiness. After directing your compassion inward, direct your attention outward, offering thoughts of compassion to your loved ones, neighbors, and then to anyone who might be suffering.

(Shortform note: The loving-kindness meditation can be particularly helpful when you’re in conflict with another person. For example, Chade-Meng Tan, co-chair of the One Billion Acts of Peace Campaign, explains how he uses loving-kindness meditation as a tool to diffuse conflict by managing his own emotional response. You can find a free guided version of a loving kindness meditation, also known as metta meditation, on YouTube.)

The Pros and Cons of Guided Meditation

Many of these visualizations and others can be found in the form of guided meditations on apps like Calm, Headspace, 10% Happier, or Jon Kabat-Zinn’s JKZ Meditations App.

Guided meditations have a number of benefits, especially as you’re first getting started in your mindfulness practice. For example, guided meditations are easier to follow and help you focus your attention, offering gentle reminders to draw your attention back to the present moment when your mind wanders. The sounds, music, and voices of a guided meditation can also help you relax during your meditation practice.

However, guided meditations don’t always sync up with your own breathing, and it can be easy to listen to guided meditations mindlessly. Make sure you're using your guided meditations as a tool instead of a crutch, and don’t be afraid to experiment with unguided meditation as a way to deepen your practice.

Mindfulness in Your Daily Life

While a formal meditation practice can help strengthen your ability to focus, the purpose of meditation is to live your life more mindfully every day. Every moment and activity is an opportunity for mindfulness. Mindfulness doesn’t require a specific activity or environment; it can happen anywhere at any time. Just pause and pay attention, using your breath as your focal point.

(Shortform note: While every moment is an opportunity for mindfulness, there are some moments that are especially easy to take advantage of. Gunaratana recommends looking for spare moments in your day when you aren't otherwise occupied. For example, if you’re waiting for a dentist appointment or in line at the grocery store, instead of flipping through an old magazine or pulling out your phone, pause, notice, and focus on your breath.)

Everyday Tasks

That being said, it'd be impossible to be mindful every minute of every day, so Kabat-Zinn recommends finding small moments throughout your day that serve as reminders to be mindful. For example, every time you open the refrigerator, go upstairs, or put on shoes, slow down and pause. Focus on your breath and pay attention to everything that's happening in that moment. These small actions are all opportunities to pause and pay attention. As you add more activities and moments, you’ll be able to string them together, creating longer and longer periods of mindfulness in your day.

(Shortform note: As you’re learning to be mindful as you go about your daily life, it can be helpful to slow down your activity. Gunaratana recommends slowing down an activity to a tenth of its normal speed. Moving in slow motion will allow you to pay attention to every moment and nuance of the activity. For example, if you’re sitting and drinking tea, you can notice your posture, the feeling of the handle of the cup, the aroma of the tea, and the heat of the tea as it first touches your lips.)

Parenting

Parenting is also a valuable opportunity to practice mindfulness. Children are constantly testing you, challenging your assumptions, pushing your boundaries, and reminding you that there's much of the world that you can’t control. Most of all, what children want most is your loving attention, the same kind of attention that's cultivated through mindfulness practice. So while parenting, or other responsibilities in your life, may feel like a barrier to your mindfulness practice, remember that they’re often the best opportunities to practice.

(Shortform note: Kabat-Zinn elaborates on the practice of mindful parenting in Everyday Blessings, a book he co-authored with his wife Myla Kabat-Zinn. They describe parenting as a spiritual practice and explain how the basic tenets and practices of Buddhism can be powerful tools for parents. The book offers the reminder that your time with your children, like everything, is fleeting and should be treasured.)