Book Review: 'Sitting still like a frog: mindfulness exercises for kids (and their parents)' By Eline Snel.

Mindfulness is about being present; it focuses on breathing, relaxing, paying attention. In this sense, mindfulness is becoming a powerful tool to support mental health. This book discusses a variety of ways that mindfulness benefits kids and their parents, as well as providing short and easy activities to help parents guide and assist children.  

Author, Eline Snel, is a therapist that has spent the last 20 years working on mindfulness programs for kids. Snel also draws upon personal experiences raising her own children, and how mindfulness worked for her situation. In this way, the book is very open and sharing, providing personal experiences that support the exercises.

The book explains what mindfulness is in an easy to understand tone. The strategies provided will help kids to learn to be more calm and focused, fall asleep, manage anger and other difficult feelings, and become more aware of what’s going on around them. There is a CD in the book that will help to complete the exercises.  

Reserve a copy here.

Book Review - A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled By Ruby Wax

'A wonderful book full of passion, verve and humor'
Mark Williams, author of Mindfulness : A practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World.

Ruby Wax is a comedian and TV writer who holds a Master's degree in Mindfulness- based Cognitive Therapy from Oxford University. She has recently been awarded an OBE for services to mental health.

Outrageously witty, Ruby Wax gives out mindfulness advice about relationships, for parents, children and teenagers. A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled contains a six week course based on her studies of Mindfulness- based Cognitive Therapy with Mark Williams at Oxford University. Containing nine chapters and filled with humor, a great read. Anne

Book Review - Mindfulness made Simple : an introduction to finding calm through mindfulness and meditation Forward by Elisha Goldstein PHD

Mindfulness made Simple shows you how to bring mindfulness and meditation into your daily life. Mindfulness is widely recognised for its calming, healing and restorative effects.

This book contains a step by step guide to your first meditation plus a further 5 basic and 8 advanced meditations to deepen your practice.
The book contains a number of inspiration quotes and tips. I found chapter 5 very helpful as it lists a number of simple meditations for common concerns eg stress and negative thought patterns. I found this book to be very helpful in deepening my meditation practice. It is easy to read and contains clear and concise instructions to follow. Anne

Book Review - Why Mindfulness is better than Chocolate : Your guide to inner peace, enhanced focus and deep happiness By David Michie

Why mindfulness is better than chocolate : Your guide to inner peace, enhanced focus and deep happiness explains the benefits of meditation and mindfulness. The benefits include-

• Reduced stress
• Lowers high blood pressure
• Boosted immunity
• Reduces health costs
• Helps manage chronic pain
• Reduces mortality
• Helps people suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions
• Helps manage and prevent anxiety
• Promotes good help
• Increases self compassion
• Helps you break bad habits

With all these benefits David Michie uses Buddhist teachings and contemporary science to discuss and explain a number of related topics in detail.

"David Michie demonstrates the knack for capturing the essence of this important topic and presenting it in a fun and accessible way." Dr Timothy Sharp, The Happiness Institute.

A very insightful and informative read. Anne