Wherever You Go, There You Are

January 3, 1994
Kabat-Zinn ( Full Catastrophe Living ), founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, here urges readers to practice ``mindfulness,'' a more than 2000-year-old Buddhist method of living fully in the present, observing ourselves, our feeling, others and our surroundings without judging them. Free of trendiness, the book presents meditation as a natural activity that can be practiced anytime and anywhere, without props or trappings. Kabat-Zinn explains how to live in the moment by taking up such techniques as ``non-doing,'' trust and concentration. He shows readers meditation postures and ways to meditate, including visualizing mountains and lakes, and concentrating on walking or standing. Amusing anecdotes illustrate applications of mindfulness in everyday life, including ``Cleaning the Stove While Listening to Bobby McFerrin,'' ``Cat Food Lessons'' and two chapters on parenting as a form of meditation (children as ``live-in Zen masters''). This warm, witty and wise guide should bring relaxation to stressed-out people. Author tour.