(First published March 17, 2020 on Facebook)
Jon Kabat-Zinn’s classic book seems like an appropriate read right now based on the title alone. Does it not feel as though we are all already living the full catastrophe!? Kabat-Zinn is the founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. I discovered the 600+page tome when I tagged along with my wife Christina in an eight-week intensive MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) training. It was quite a commitment as we had to practice mindful meditation for over an hour a day and participate in some intense group work every week. I went into it skeptical; I came out transformed.
The inspiration for the title comes from the 1964 film Zorba the Greek. When asked if he is married, Zorba (played by Anthony Quinn) responds, “Am I not a man? And is not a man stupid? I’m a man, so I’m married. Wife, children, house–everything. The full catastrophe.” Kabat-Zinn turns this on its head and spins it positive by offering resources for each of us to find control and calmness through relaxation, awareness, and the practice of being in the present. Thus, we become better equipped to be at peace in the “full catastrophe” – the spectrum of stress in life, which is unavoidable to all of us.
There is a reason my wife, a Psychologist, is interested in mindfulness. MBSR is rooted in many principles linked to cognitive behavioural therapy. Kabat-Zinn primarily works with individuals who have experienced medical dilemmas, but it is also valuable for other kinds of stressful circumstances that people cannot control (pandemic, anyone?). Through mindful meditation, we can find ways to reframe our circumstances and keep them in their proper place. By learning to listen to our bodies, we can grow in our capacity to “take on the full catastrophe” and deal with fear, panic, anxiety, and stress. We can learn to shift from an emphasis of “doing” to a focus on “being” – a timely skill for the coming weeks and months. Mindfulness helps us adjust to our suffering and walk more compassionately with others who are in physical or emotional pain.
Michael Ferber 