Ten Percent Happier
April 5, 2023

#580. Tripping Out with a Legend: Jon Kabat-Zinn on Pain vs. Suffering, Rethinking Your Anxiety, and the Buddha's Teaching in a Single Sentence

A beautifully weird conversation with the creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. 

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. is Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded its world-renown Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic in 1979, and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society (CFM), in 1995. He is the author of many books including Full Catastrophe Living and Wherever You Go, There You Are. 

His latest book, Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief, illustrates a range of evidence-based mindfulness meditation practices for those suffering with the challenges of chronic pain. 

In this episode we talk about:

  • The origins of MBSR and its relation to pain relief
  • Pain vs. Suffering
  • The accessibility of awareness
  • The limitation of mindfulness meditation as a self-improvement practice
  • The quote, “open your mouth and you’re wrong” 
  • Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition of of healing 

Photo Credit: Jaume Cosialls 

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jon-kabat-zinn-580 

Where to find Jon Kabat-Zinn online: 

Website: jonkabat-zinn.com

Social Media:

Book Mentioned:


Other Resources Mentioned:

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