Don't Just Do Something, Sit There: A Mindfulness Retreat with Sylvia Boorstein [Paperback]

Sylvia Boorstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 1996

Get away from doing and into being with this lively, down-to-earth guide to your own meditation retreat by beloved mindfulness meditation teacher Sylvia Boorstein. Presenting what Jon Kabat-Zinn has called "endearingly personal mindfulness wisdom," she offers a three-day retreat plan accompanied by timeless lessons -- always grounded in real life -- on how anyone can achieve calm, clarity and joy through meditation practices.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Graceful, clear, completely user-friendly instructions for mindfulness practice." -- Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

From the Back Cover

"The truth is available in every moment, and we could wake up to wisdom and freedom in the supermarket, but a retreat is different. . . . Being alone, with no diversions, sets up terrific conditions for beginning to see."(from Don't Just Do Something, Sit There)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 149 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1st edition (February 16, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060612525
• ISBN-13: 978-0060612528
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading -- and practicing, February 9, 2003

By 

bribri (San Rafael, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Just Do Something, Sit There: A Mindfulness Retreat with Sylvia Boorstein (Paperback)

I've been practicing "Mindfulness" meditation for about 7 months now. It's been very helpful, and suits me well. A couple of months ago, I attended my first retreat, of 4 days, at Spirit Rock. It was easily the most profound thing I've done in my life. And one of the hardest. And I'd do it again in a second.

Unfortunately, because of my schedule, I'm not able to attend another retreat for several months. So, when I heard about people taking "personal" weekend retreats alone, I decided to try one myself. This book is a -wonderful- "manual" for doing such a retreat. I locked myself in my house for 3 days, and used this book as my teacher. Sylvia writes so warmly... I really needed her compassionate words when my meditations got rough. I found myself laughing aloud many times during the retreat. It was a hard retreat (I find meditation -very- hard to practice daily, but I do it anyway because that's the only way really), but I emerged with a similar feeling as my first retreat -- more aware, and more loving toward myself.

I would not recommend this book if you have never attended a formal retreat (in a group setting, with experienced teachers). But, if you've done that, then this is a great way to supplement and boost awareness "in-between" formal retreats.

I took one star away only because I found the timetables hard to keep up with. My 2nd night, I didn't get to bed until 11pm. Maybe I should have given it five. Oh, just let me have this one grudge, please? :)

Thank goodness for people like Sylvia. She knows exactly how to make the self-critic in my meditation ("I'm not DOING it right!") run for cover.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading -- and practicing, February 9, 2003

By 

bribri (San Rafael, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Just Do Something, Sit There: A Mindfulness Retreat with Sylvia Boorstein (Paperback)

I've been practicing "Mindfulness" meditation for about 7 months now. It's been very helpful, and suits me well. A couple of months ago, I attended my first retreat, of 4 days, at Spirit Rock. It was easily the most profound thing I've done in my life. And one of the hardest. And I'd do it again in a second.

Unfortunately, because of my schedule, I'm not able to attend another retreat for several months. So, when I heard about people taking "personal" weekend retreats alone, I decided to try one myself. This book is a -wonderful- "manual" for doing such a retreat. I locked myself in my house for 3 days, and used this book as my teacher. Sylvia writes so warmly... I really needed her compassionate words when my sittings got rough. I found myself laughing aloud at her words a handful of times during the retreat. It was a hard retreat (I find meditation -very- hard to practice daily, but I do it anyway because that's the only way really), but I emerged with a similar feeling as my first retreat -- more aware, and more loving toward myself. She also offers a handful of techniques that were new to me, and helped me greatly.

I would not recommend this book if you have never attended a formal retreat (in a group setting, with experienced teachers). But, if you've done that, then this is a great way to supplement and boost awareness "in-between" formal retreats.

I took one "star" away only because I found the timetables hard to keep up with. My 2nd night, I didn't get to bed until 11pm. ...On second thought that was my own fault for taking a long afternoon nap... Maybe I should have given it five... Oh, just let me keep this one grudge, please? :)

Thank goodness for people like Sylvia. She knows exactly how to make the self-critic in my meditation ("I'm not DOING it right!") run for cover.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost "instant meditation", May 19, 2000

By 

Marianne Gillis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Just Do Something, Sit There: A Mindfulness Retreat with Sylvia Boorstein (Paperback)

Sylvia Boorstein simply and clearly outlines the first steps into meditation. They worked for me. Clear three days off your calendar and try it.