Child's Mind: Mindfulness Practices to Help Our Children Be More Focused, Calm, and Relaxed Paperback – July 9, 2006

I picked up this book after it was recommended to me by a friend, and I'm happy I did. Willard's writing and explanation of meditation practices are clear and simple, and I've begun incorporating the practices he outlines into my daily life. My favorite so far is Practice 2.3: Metta Meditation. I also appreciate how he discusses how our own thought patterns are so integral to our lives and how meditation helps to tame them: "You don't have to believe everything you think. Watch [your thoughts] like leaves floating down a stream, don't jump in the river and chase them, just watch them drifting by. Shift your perspective and intend to look at the thoughts, not from them."

This is a wonderful and comprehensive book about meditation and mindfulness practices for children. It helps the reader understand what mindfulness is for themselves and also how to teach the children in their lives how to practice mindfulness. As a therapist I have used the practices that that C. Willard writers about in my work with kids of all ages and their families. It has also helped me obtain a better sense of mindfulness in my own life. I've found it to be incredibly useful to people across the lifespan. I've recommended this book to numerous families within the context of therapy and will continue to do so both in and out of the office.

Having recently had the opportunity to teach a meditation class for kids and their families, I was introduced to the widening literature in this area. I found this book one of the most useful and least tedious. There is much here for parents and educators to think about and apply to their own lives as well as offer to the children with whom they live and work.

This book has a good supply of mindfulness activities that I have found useful with my Sunday school class. These are more focused at the shorter attention span of children and have been more useful in class than the adult practices I learned. I especially liked the "Points of Contact" and the "Ice, Water, Vapor" methods as ways of starting a class full of high-energy middle-schoolers. The "eating" practices were great ways to add a mindfulness component when giving out treats to the class.

This book provides some good background and useful ideas for practicing mindfulness with kids. I'm incorporating some of the author's ideas into my clinical practice.

I've had this book for a year and read most of it, and it is chocked full of fantastic wonderful ideas. I bought it in hopes of creative ideas to share with my kids, teach them the world of virtues and mindfulness. Any time I feel stale on ideas, I read another chapter and am re-inspired, to reuse what I've already read, and to use the new material I've just read.This is a good book to keep in your library. And I do not find it denominational. No matter your spiritual preference, this will likely be useful.

I'm a mother of four and peace educator. I've read a TON of books on mindfulness and have been practicing meditation and mindfulness for many years. In his book, Chris uses his own practice, teachings from masters, and his extensive research to provide readers with a bouquet of techniques that can guide our children toward composure.

This is a clearly written, concise, and very relevant resource for sharing meditation and mindfulness with children, including specific instructions that you can use immediately with children or for yourself!