Kabat-Zinn refers to earlier humans, who would have sat by a fire each night to reflect, meditate, share stories, and relax. We have lost this tradition in the modern world and therefore have lost the practice of sitting in stillness at the close of the day. We are further robbed of the opportunity to live more fully by television, which bombards our senses and leaves us feeling soporific, rather than providing stillness or time for reflection.

Sitting with one’s breath is much like sitting with a fire. It provides a relaxed focal point for the mind and allows us to reconnect with ourselves.

Kabat-Zinn recalls a time watching a flock of Canadian geese flying north. He was struck by their beauty, majesty, and order and humbled by nature’s mystery and sophistication. Kabat-Zinn uses this event to remind readers of the inherent majesty and order of nature, which we should take time to celebrate and appreciate. Furthermore, we should celebrate the use of our senses and our bodies; we shouldn’t need catastrophes or illness to bring these things into focus.

In a “Try” activity, Kabat-Zinn invites his readers to see and appreciate the majesty in all things around them: nature, weather, food, people, or anything else.