Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your

You really need to take a course or two on this Mindfulness method. The book just doesn't give you every tool. The courses are everywhere if you look out for them.Otherwise good book.

After living with chronic pain for a year, and trying every pain treatment modality available to me, I turned to meditation as a last ditch effort to make my chronic physical pain bearable. I will be honest, I haven't listened to the first CD at all, I've skipped straight to the tracks on the second CD that get into the actual meditative exercises. Mr. Kabat-Zinn's voice is unbelievably soothing...almost too soothing (I fall asleep listening to the CD more often that I would like, though I guess that means it is working, since I used to be kept up by the chronic pain). Today, after returning to work in my office, after working from home for a year, I felt quite a bit of pain. In my chair, I practiced a couple of the meditation exercises at my desk and immediately felt my pain lessen. The best part, unlike pain medication, the meditation did not make me sleepy, and unlike other external means of dealing with pain, no one was the wiser that I was practicing breathing and visual imagery techniques while working. I would highly recommend this CD for people living with chronic pain who are trying to deal with the pain in a natural, low-key way. No meditation experience needed for the practices/exercises taught in this CD.

My mother recently retired (for the second time) after spending her entire life working hard for others. To celebrate her retirement she went away with my father on holiday. The next day they had to return as she had experienced an unbearable pain at the base of her back that did not go away. She has been to have scans etc. and is still in the process of finding out exactly what is wrong. I thought "how typical of what life can throw at you!" However, the point of my long winded story is that she has been unable to sleep without pain killers and a hot water bottle. The pain killers that were prescribed for her interrupted her digestive system completely. In despair I bought her this CD. She listens to the CD and does the practices prescribed each night and now sleeps comfortably. She tells me that she could not be bothered with it one night and as a consequence had to take tablets to help her sleep. So, although I have not listened to the CD myself I can say that it has had a great effect on my mother who has been in a lot of pain. Furthermore, I suggested that after each mindfulness session she could do one of the Ignatian Spiritual exercises - these are imaginative contemplations on the gospels. She tells me that the CD has greatly enriched her prayer life. So I am greatly thankful to Jon Kabat-Zinn and for how his CD has helped my mum. I would just like to say though that it is not a cure for my mum's pain. She is still getting to the bottom of it at the hospital. Nevertheless, these meditations have been greatly helpful to her.

Another excellent meditation tape. Sometimes the pills and assorted treatments do not do the job. I have found this to be another tool for relief of pain and coping with pain.

I don't have physical pain, per se, but my husband and I plan start a family (at some point) and I thought I could use this during labor (I'm an extreme planner, what can I say). Although I haven't used this for child birth, I've already been able to put these meditation exercises to use in my day to day life.I sometimes experience sleeplessness where I wake up, start thinking pointless thoughts, and can't get back to sleep. I've been able to use some of these practices to help me get back to sleep and it works every time, and very quickly. The exercise of not letting thoughts distract you and paying attention to your breath is an invaluable skill and can be used in many ways. I've also used this for mild headaches, and have found it works like a charm. I feel very encouraged to better learn these exercises for more major pains in my future.