Mindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused Mind

by Whitney Stewart

Overview

From hormones to homework, parents to peers, health issues to bad habits, life can be a pressure cooker. How can we find relief?

Author Whitney Stewart introduces readers to the practice of mindfulness. With its roots in ancient Buddhist teachings, mindfulness—the practice of purposefully focusing attention on the present moment—can change a person's approach to stress, develop skills to handle anxiety and depression, and provide a sense of awareness and belonging. Stewart guides readers through how to get started with meditation as well as provides specific exercises for examining emotions, managing stress, checking social media habits and wellness routines, and setting intentions to increase happiness.

"A thorough and accessible resource for young people."—Kirkus Reviews

"Considering the range of challenges that today's teens face, equipping them with pertinent coping skills is crucial for their future success and well-being. . . . [S]traightforward and refreshing."—School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541572294
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/06/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	120
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	13 - 14 Years

About the Author

Whitney Stewart is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction books for kids—for toddlers to young adult. Her research has taken her to Nepal with Sir Edmund Hillary, to India to interview the Dalai Lama, and to China's Great Wall. She also teaches mindfulness and meditation and lives in New Orleans.

Table of Contents

When Life Came Crashing Down 4

1 Mind Training: Practice and More Practice 6

2 Getting Started: How Do I Do This? 17

3 Busy Mind! Working with Thoughts 30

4 Ticked Off! Dealing with Emotions 42

5 Stressed Out: A Body-Mind Connection 52

6 Anybody Listening? Mindfulness and Social Media 66

7 Let's Get Physical: Rising, Eating, Moving, and Sleeping 80

8 Happiness: A Mindful Way of Living 93

Source Notes 106

Glossary 108

Selected Bibliography 110

Further Information 113

Index 117

Editorial Reviews

"Considering the range of challenges that today's teens face, equipping them with pertinent coping skills is crucial for their future success and well-being. . . . [S]traightforward and refreshing. Recommended for purchase."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/01/2019

Gr 8 Up—Considering the range of challenges that today's teens face, equipping them with pertinent coping skills is crucial for their future success and well-being. In her latest book, Stewart, a practitioner of mindfulness and meditation for a number of years, provides a road map for teens to follow in order to achieve balance in their lives and a proper mind-set for obtaining happiness. Beginning with a short overview of mindfulness and its Buddhist foundation, the book provides insight into how to obtain clarity. The author makes it clear that mindfulness is not a quick fix, a religion, or a replacement for medical treatment. There are numerous simple exercises and techniques from which teens can choose. Readers are advised not to set goals when meditating, for goals are about the future. The intention within this book is to concentrate on the present to achieve equilibrium. The chapter entitled "Anybody Listening? Mindfulness and Social Media" is timely and offers an excellent social media self-assessment. Supplementing this text are excellent features including source notes, a glossary, a bibliography, an index, a website list, visually appealing illustrations, and mindfulness/meditation apps. VERDICT Stewart, the author of Mindful Me: Mindfulness & Meditation for Kids, has produced another book that is straightforward and refreshing. Recommended for purchase.—Jeanette Lambert, formerly at Nashville-Davidson County Schools, TN

School Library Journal

2019-05-06
A guide to the history, methods, and benefits of mindfulness and meditation, which a growing body of research shows can change brains in ways that reduce stress and increase happiness.

The book guides readers through many strategies for practicing mindfulness, such as meditation, movement, and the cultivation of mental attitudes like compassion and gratitude. Throughout this empowering guide, the author helps teens understand their minds and frequently reminds them to reach out for help if their stressors feel overwhelming or if they are concerned about their mental health. More than two dozen practice scripts are included that present a variety of traditional approaches—such as noticing the breath, labeling thoughts, and moving mindfully—as well as contemporary updates, such as setting limits on screen time and mindful use of social media. The lack of recorded audio companions is an unfortunate omission considering that the resource is otherwise respectful of the varied lives and learning styles of its intended audience. The shaded information boxes and stock photos of diverse teens result in a textbook feel that may limit appeal, but for readers genuinely interested in the topic, this book has much to offer as they begin their practice and as it grows over time.

A thorough and accessible resource for young people. (source notes, glossary, bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews