“I wish I had learned to Just Breathe when I was younger. The lessons inside are priceless, and you will be able to use them for the rest of your life. All kids—and all adults—should read it.”
—Cara Natterson, pediatrician and New York Times bestselling author of The Care and Keeping of You series
Stress is an increasingly dominant part of young life. Over the last decade, the number of American teens feeling overwhelming anxiety has surged. Whether it’s fleeting butterflies before a test, or a constant stomach knot that seems only to tighten, kids and their parents are left wondering what they can do to relax.
Meditation teaches your brain how to stay calm in stressful situations. Wellness expert Mallika Chopra, daughter of Deepak Chopra, learned to meditate when she was nine years old. Her two daughters, ages fifteen and twelve, also practice meditation. Drawing on their experiences and her own, she wrote JUST BREATHE: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More (Running Press, August 28, 2018)—a fun and accessible guide to meditation. Mallika’s exercises show kids how to feel less overwhelmed, more in control, and generally happier. With full-color illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions, 8 to 12 year olds will love this book written just for them. It is the Care and Keeping of You for meditation and emotional wellbeing.
JUST BREATHE includes prompts for sleeping better, curbing a headache, calming an upset stomach, cooling down, and more. It shows kids how to find an anchor inside them that is safe, happy, and quiet—a place they can go whenever stress and its side effects are taking over. By connecting with their innermost being, kids can choose how to interpret experiences and be confident about expressing themselves.
Step-by-step instructions include:
With JUST BREATHE, kids can finally exhale. They’ll learn effective ways to deal with anxious feelings, laying a sturdy foundation for healthy teen years and adulthood.
MALLIKA CHOPRA is the author of Living with Intent, 100 Promises to My Baby, and 100 Questions from My Child. She is a busy mom of two girls, a sought after speaker, and the founder of Intent.com. She lives in Santa Monica, CA.