GROWING UP MINDFUL — BY Christopher Willard PsyD
Introducing mindfulness into the lives of our children and teenagers is perhaps the greatest gift we can offer. Mindfulness builds emotional intelligence, boosts happiness, increases curiosity and engagement, reduces anxiety and depression, soothes the pain of trauma, and helps kids (and adults) focus, learn, and make better choices. If that weren’t enough, research now shows that mindfulness significantly enhances what psychologists call “flourishing” — the opposite of depression and avoidance.
Growing Up Mindful helps parents, educators, and counselors learn how to embody and share the skills of mindfulness that will empower our children with resilience throughout their lives. With more than 75 accessible exercises and practices, along with adaptations for the individual needs of a wide range of children and teens, this inspiring guidebook brings you road-tested insights and tools for:
• Tapping the power of the imagination, play, and creativity
• Body-based mindfulness and movement practices
• Creatively overcoming resistance and gaining kids’ buy-in
• The mindful use of technology and social media
• Building the foundation through your own personal practice
• “Attending” and “Befriending” — two positive responses to stress
• Setting intentions and managing expectations of new practitioners
• Sharing mindfulness in a formal setting including schools and workplaces
• Extending our practice into the larger communities we share
“Seeds of mindfulness can be planted in anyone at any time — seeds that under the right conditions can burst and bloom into a life of compassion and connection,” writes Dr. Willard. Growing Up Mindful invites you to “embark on something incredible and world-changing” as you join the growing community of adults bringing wonder, curiosity, and reflection back into childhood and adolescence.
CHRISTOPHER WILLARD, PsyD, is a Boston-based clinical psychologist and educational consultant specializing in mindfulness and contemplative practices. The author of Child’s Mind (Parallax, 2010) and other books on the topic, Dr. Willard teaches at Harvard Medical School and leads popular workshops around the world. For more information, visit drchristopherwillard.com.
You can purchase your own copy of GROWING UP MINDFUL on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or at your local indie bookstore.
PRAISE FOR: Growing Up Mindful
“A wonderful, practical book for kids and adults that is reassuring, accessible, and enjoyable. Chock-full of useful and engaging practices, it is a great resource for parents, therapists, and teachers. Chris Willard is a rising star whose attunement to the needs of children shines through on every page.” -Susan M. Pollak, President, Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, coauthor of Sitting Together
“Practical, engaging, and a pleasure to read, this inspirational book is an invaluable resource for parents, teachers, and anyone else who works with or cares for kids. Based on extensive experience, it’s chock-full of creative, common-sense practices that can help virtually any child, adolescent, or adult live a happier, richer, more engaged, life.” -Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD; author of The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems; assistant professor of psychology, Harvard Medical School
“Whether you’re a mindfulness newbie or a mindfulness instructor, in Chris Willard’s Growing up Mindful you’ll find wise answers to questions about sharing mindfulness that you have now and that you’ll have in the future. This book is a gift — for yourself, for a friend, for a teacher.” -Richard Brady, founder, Mindfulness in Education Network
