In this day and age our world continues to get faster and faster. My body doesn’t like it. I have to make a point to slow down so I can be the best version of me that I can be. Those who know me, know that mindfulness and meditation are huge parts of my day to day. I am crazy about self care and make it a point to model positive practices for Louis to see. Yoga is another part of my life and he even joins me on the mat sometimes! Bless!

So I am teaming up with my beautiful friend De over at Books and Babycinos to celebrate slowing down and taking care of ourselves. We’ll be sharing books about Mindfulness and talking about ways we can be more mindful and present with our families. I am also teaming up with the lovely Carla over at Essentially Squared, for some tips on integrating essential oils into our mindful lives too! I’m even doing a sneaky little giveaway. So head on over to my Instagram to join in!

So here they are! My favourite books about living mindfully! Check them out:

 

Slow Down World by Tai Snaith

This book is a beautiful reminder for children and adults to slow down and appreciate the world around us. Tai Snaith is a fellow Melbournian, which I find totally cool, and she is among the most creative artists I’ve seen. She uses clay as her medium and carefully sculpts and molds the pictures to portray beautiful scenery. Louie always tries to touch the pages, expecting them to be textured because the pictures are so inviting. This book is a whimsical journey towards mindfulness in the mind of a young girl’s imagination. It shows you the beauty of slowing down and how the simplest things in life can bring the most joy.

If you and your family are GO GO GO all the time, then this book is an absolute must for you!

 

I am Peace by Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds

When the world feels chaotic and your mind is full of worrying thoughts and feelings, this book is sure to calm you with the lovely reminder to stay mindful. This peaceful book reminds us to express emotions through speech. Find empathy through imagination. Connect with the earth. Wonder at the beauty of the natural world. Breathe, taste, smell, touch, and be present. All of the things that make for a happy mind and happy heart!

I wouldn’t hesitate to use this book with my students, and L when he grows a little older. Peter Reynolds’s expressive water colour illustrations bring the ideas of mindfulness to a kid-friendly level, and make the book  even more engaging!

At the end, Susan Verde writes a note about the importance of mindfulness and she even gives the reader a guided meditation for children. If your little ones need a helping hand to slow down and live more peacefully, then this book is a winner and the step by step guided meditation at the back will certainly help.

 

Today we have no plans by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker

This is one of my favourite books at the moment. I love it so much because it represents the typical busy family these days. Most of us are so busy running our kids to sports, music classes, tutoring, play dates, family functions etc! Ergh! If we ever get a day with no plans it’s just like finding $50 note in an old handbag! It’s a win!

This book celebrates that one day. The day of no plans. The day to rest. The day to reconnect! With such busy weeks to contend with, a slower day means time to dream and time to play.

This book is so lovely to share at bedtime. The illustrations by Anna Walker are delightful and soft, just like all of her other projects! I love how real this book is, and how it makes me reminisce my busy childhood with my parents and brothers. Bless!

 

Big Sky Mind by Whitney Stewart and Sally Rippin

You know when you’re having a really bad day and nothing seems to go right? You feel scared, sad and mad all at the same time, and you don’t know what to do. This little book about mindfulness is sure to help you. I love this book because  it gives you nine simple mindfulness exercises to share and practice with your children. Through these practices you can learn how to soften your emotions, grow your heart, feel protected and discover your inner wisdom. It helps to create space around your feelings and accept yourself as you are.

This book is great if you want to start practicing mindfulness and meditation with your children and are not sure where to start. You can encourage your little one to use these techniques to overcome the day to day issues they may face. Kids have all sorts of stresses to contend with these days. Using this book to develop some great techniques to cope will definitely help them out not just today, but into adulthood too!

 

Making Mindful Magic by Lea McKnoulty

Similar to Big Sky Mind, this gem is like a little handbook of mindful experiences for kids! It shares practical ways that you and your family can practice mindfulness. They are technology free tips (YES!) and mostly set out in nature to spark your child’s creativity, curiosity and presence in each moment.

The activities are written in a beautiful and gentle verse, and each page is illustrated with soft pastel artwork. It feels so earthy and organic that just looking at the book makes me feel closer to nature.

The best part about this book is that even though it looks like a story book, and feels like a story book, it is actually a great resource for parents and teachers. It includes a detailed guide on how to make the best use of the book. You can’t go wrong with that!

 

ABC Mindful Me by Christiane Engel

This book is perfect for the little ones! A sturdy board book with bright pictures, it’s sure to engage even the most reluctant readers! It pairs simple mindfulness principles with each letter of the alphabet. Each page displays a letter and a playful rhyme to help explain the mindful practice on that page. For example, A is Awareness, B is Breathing, O is Outdoors and P is Present, just to name a few.

A fun read for the entire family, ABC Mindful Me is not only perfect for teaching toddlers their ABCs, but also for introducing them to key mindfulness ideas which promote physical and mental wellness, proper breathing, compassion, gratitude, and kindness. These key concepts will help to grow young readers’ concentration, listening skills, and ability to manage emotions, stress, and anxiety.Plus, a handy index provides at-a-glance reference for 26 different mindfulness pillars for children to explore.

I absolutely love the practicality of this book and it’s ability to connect with our littlest readers! Toddlers particularly will love this one, but it can be enjoyed by the whole family!

 

Did any of those books resonate with you? I really hope so.

Remember to check out my Instagram for more mindfulness tips and tricks and a team effort with De and Carla (@booksand babycinos and @essentiallysquared).

Stay tuned for another blog post on how to live mindfully with children! 🙂

Enjoy lovely Readers!

A xxx