Teaching Mindfulness to Children: An Interview with Susan Kaiser Greenland
Susan Kaiser Greenland is a former corporate attorney who began to practice meditation when her children were young as a way of coping with a family crisis. As she developed mindfulness awareness through this practice, not only did she survive the crisis, but she learned that it is possible to access inner peace and stillness, even when the world seems out of control.
She began teaching these practices to her children with success and is now the author of the book, The Mindful Child, which aims to help other parents and professionals teach mindfulness awareness practices to children. Susan is also the co-founder of the Inner Kids Foundation, a program dedicated to bringing mindful awareness practices to inner-city and underserved communities in Los Angeles. She blogs regularly for The Huffington Post and the book has been heavily covered in the media, including The New York Times, National Public Radio, and CBS News, among others.
Watch the interview with Susan below to learn more about the book and how you can implement mindfulness practices with your children.
Interview with Susan Kaiser Greenland
Skip ahead in the video to hear Susan talk about:
0:31 How she defines mindfulness
1:28 Why it's important to teach mindfulness to children
2:12 How you can start practicing with your child
2:52 Special considerations for teenagers
3:32 A touching example of how this practice has worked for Susan's own children
4:32 How mindfulness can help a child manage strong emotions
6:17 Whether or not you should have your child adopt a formal meditation practice
7:24 Current research about how mindfulness affects children
8:08 The Inner Kids Program and how it works
8:50 Special advice for parents and professionals who are expanding their own mindfulness practice
For more information or to order the book, visit http://www.susankaisergreenland.com/.
