Reddit reviews Full Catastrophe Living : How to Cope With Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness Meditation

>THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT because any book that talks about meditating to reach a higher being, to see pretty things is not what I'm looking for.

That is wonderful! Because, despite what some people imagine, that's not what real meditation is about.

Meditation addresses the cause-and-effect of the thinking; in particular, how to get out from under the false ideas we make or that are implanted in us by parents, society, and other conditioning factors, and how to instead be able to see things plainly and accurately — before opinion filters the view.

You are very fortunate to have this yen for simple, observable effects; and you are very fortunate to understand that you need to reset. Furthermore, it is good that you can see some of your own patterns and how they might get in the way of your success. Resetting is indeed the practice: coming back to zero.

Zen Master Seung Sahn used to talk about "pressing the Clear button". When you use a calculator, you need to be able to return to zero in order for the calculations to come out correctly. If you keep entering calculations without resetting, they go further and further from the accurate result. Similarly, if we are to function correctly we need to be able to clear away the previous results and start from zero. So meditation means we press the Clear button. Then, how that clear point functions in life is the next step.

I think you may like some of Zen Master Seung Sahn's writing, and you may dislike some of it. His teaching is very well organized. He also often appealed to the scientific mind (he would sometimes teach by using mathematics, for instance). But also some of his writing includes points that you may not have the patience for, and includes deep teaching you probably won't understand (not until you have practiced for several years); so you may not like that part of it.

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But this raises an important point for you. Despite the fact that you seek very clear, no-nonsense teaching — which is, I think, commendable — there is also a sort of selfish, demanding, entitled tone to your post. You have to realize that nothing is perfect. Your situations become satisfactory or unsatisfactory based on your own mind and your own relationship to things. So if you keep a demanding and entitled attitude, there is no teaching that will help you.

Right now, you are saying that you are going to stay where you are, and that all the teaching should come to you, in exactly the way you want it. Sure, we all want things our way; but that's not really a mature approach. You have to come at least half way. If you take down some of the unnecessary doubt and armoring, and take some steps toward the teachers, then naturally the teachers will respond and the teaching can be assimilated by you. If you only stand where you've always stood, holding on to your narrow view out of fear of entering new territory, then nothing will change for you.

This is also cause and effect.

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One writer you may appreciate — I don't know, you'd have to check him out — is John Kabat Zinn. He offers meditation practices in a non-religious context. Probably his most famous book is his first bestseller, Full Catastrophe Living, which looks at meditation for stress relief and treatment for illness. The follow-up book Wherever You Go, There You Are is more focused on meditation itself, and may be a good start for you. He has several books, videos, and mp3s available.

Here's an excerpt from a user review on Amazon:

>A family member bought this book. I found it sitting on a shelf, glanced at the cover and involuntarily thought to myself "uh oh, granola time," and came within a heartbeat of dismissing the book out of hand. Luckily, I did not. Instead, I read the introduction, and then found myself -- almost in a state of disbelief -- reading on and on. I was amazed to find that the book is not just one more new age book muttering away about a world none of us really lives in. To the contrary, the book is written by someone with a profound understanding of everyday reality, who is astonishingly good at sharing that understanding.

Mindfulness might help your pain. Check out Full Catastrophe Living by Kabatt-Zinn. It won't make it go away, but it might dial it down a level or two. https://www.amazon.com/Full-Catastrophe-Living-Mindfulness-Meditation/dp/0749915854

Have you ever considered MMJ or CBD oil?

If yuh do swimming see if you can find a “masters” program near you. They are basically swim clubs/ team for adults. Usually there has a workout and a coach. Swimming is all about form. You want someone to help you with your form so you don’t injure your shoulder. But great for longevity. I love road biking. Better than running on my feet.

Also on a more mental note maybe check out the book “full catastrophe living”. (Link below). I’ve learned to check my ego with working out and injuries, acceptance is a good skill (mindfulness acceptance). Also I found that being healthy snacks to work helps. Personally I got a vita mix and love that thing. Easy to make really tasty smoothies that fill me up.

I do suggest a good trainer who knows body stuff. I can no longer run and had to stop kickboxing due to foot issue. Miss it, but adjusting. Great job reaching out for support!

https://www.amazon.com/Full-Catastrophe-Living-mindfulness-meditation/dp/0749915854