Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn (1944–)

An American medical scientist and meditation teacher, Jon Kabat-Zinn is the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. He is a key figure who translated Eastern Buddhist meditation traditions into the language of Western medicine and science, bringing mindfulness into mainstream medical settings.

Launched in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, the MBSR program is an 8-week structured course that trains mindfulness through body scan, sitting meditation, hatha yoga, and walking meditation. Originally developed for chronic pain patients, it has since been shown to be effective for a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, and depression.

Kabat-Zinn defined mindfulness as 'paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.' This concise definition has become the standard for understanding mindfulness. His work laid the foundation for the development of various mindfulness-based therapies, including Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).