Meditation is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids

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Title: Meditation is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids
Author: Whitney Stewart
Publisher: Albert Whitman
Pages: 32
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Format: Hardcover/Kindle 
Age Range: 4 - 7 years 
Grade Level: Preschool - 2
Feeling mindful is feeling good! You know when you’re having a bad day, you have that wobbly feeling inside and nothing seems to go right? Find a quiet place, sit down, and meditate! In this daily companion, kids of any age will learn simple exercises to help manage stress and emotions, find focus, and face challenges. They’ll discover how to feel safe when scared, relax when anxious, spread kindness, and calm anger when frustrated. Simple, secular, and mainstream, this mindfulness book is an excellent tool for helping kids deal with the stresses of everyday life.

My Impressions: 

 The thing I loved about this book was how it did not define what meditation is, only how to perform it and when it should be utilized. I liked this concept because it allows the parent to talk to their children about the different aspects of meditation, especially regarding religion, in a way that works for their family. I talk to my kids about meditating on Gods word, His promises, etc. While that works for my faith, it may not for someone else. The beauty of this book is you can tweak it for your own family. I do not know if that is what the author intended or not, but it was my favorite aspect of the book.

The book focuses on 9 different styles of meditation  to help with focus, security, wisdom, relaxation, kindness, clarity, decision making, control and openness.  With each emotion, the author gives you different meditation techniques to that will help you conquer the negative feelings and replace them with a inner peace. Using an elephant and monkey kids will surely enjoy reading this book while looking at the wonderful illustrations.

My readers know I am all about God to calm my soul, but I still use meditation practices to help me focus my attention on Him. This book is a great tool to teach your children some healthy practices with guidance from parents.


Disclaimer:

\I was given a complimentary copy of MEDITATION IS AN OPEN SKY - Mindfulness for Kids from the author, Whitney Stewart and Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tours for my view of the book


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Enjoy an  Excerpt:
You know when you’re having a bad day and nothing seems to go right? You have that wobbly feeling inside that makes you scared, sad, and mad all at the same time. Well, find a quiet place, sit down, and meditate.

Meditation won’t take away your problems, but it will help you deal with them. You’ll learn to watch your feelings pop up and disappear like soap bubbles.

Read through this book and pick one meditation for today.

Sit in a chair or cross-legged on a pillow on the floor.
Keep your back straight but not stiff, and put your hands on your knees or in your lap.

Close your eyes or keep them slightly open and stare at a spot on the floor.

Inhale and feel your breath fill up your belly.

Then breathe out slowly. Continue with slow, full breaths during meditation.


About the Author:
Whitney Stewart grew up in New England and graduated from Brown University. She published her first award-winning, young adult biography after interviewing the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, the subject of two of her books. She trekked with Sir Edmund Hillary in the Everest region of Nepal; interviewed Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon, Burma; and traveled extensively in Asia to research the lives of Deng Xiaoping, Mao Zedong, and Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. She is the author of three middle-grade novels and multiple middle-grade nonfiction books, including an unknown tale of Abraham Lincoln and artist Francis Bicknell Carpenter. Her newest picture books include A Catfish Tale, a bayou retelling of the Grimm brothers’ Fisherman and his Wife, and Meditation is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids.



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