Dr. John Kabat-Zinn, founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and best-selling author of Wherever You Go, There You Are presents his experience of meditation in front of a live audience at the San Francisco Zen Center. "In the yogic tradition," he says, "the world is described as a spinning grindstone. You can completely be chewed up by it — or you can position yourself so you can hone yourself, like a blade."
Kabat-Zinn sees the present moment as both a treasure and a teacher. He salutes mindfulness as a tool to bring meaning and pleasure to relationships, work, and family. It enables us to see ourselves as unfolding beings and others as entire universes. Using poetry from Derek Walcott, T. S. Eliot, and Antonio Machio, he reveals the art of cultivating self-compassion and reverence for the spice of life. The improvisational nature of these talks by Kabat-Zinn will appeal to those who enjoy casual rather than planned presentations.