Mind the dog: Building presence and friendship in school and everyday life

Mind the dog offers a child friendly introduction to mindfulness with concrete suggestions for how to train presence and awareness and improve relationships and well-being for children in school and everyday life. The book is aimed primarily at school children between the ages of 8-12 and their teachers, educators, etc. It can also be used by other educational professionals, psychologists, therapists, mindfulness and yoga instructors and by parents together with their children. In the book, the main character is a dog. A dog has a fantastic ability to enjoy every moment, and it can remind us how we can be more present in the moment and treat each other with kindness. Through the use of themes, conversation topics, and 24 guided mindfulness exercises, the children, be it in a classroom or another group, are invited to explore what it means to become good at "mastering your life". "Rikke Braren Lauritzen has studied Buddhism and meditation for many years with myself and other Buddhist teachers. She has attended a number of my seminars and is also a trained therapist and Mindfulness teacher. At my request she taught mindfulness to the pupils and teachers at my nunnery's, primary school in Kathmandu in 2016. I think her work bringing mindfulness to children and schools is very valuable and congratulate her on the publication of her new book 'Mind the Dog'." - Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhist Lineage Master and author of Open heart Open Mind, Carefree Dignity and Fearless Simplicity."Here's finally a handbook that is needed in schools: Practical humanism for kids, teachers and parents." -Erik Pema Kunsang is an international well-known meditation teacher and one of the most highly regarded Tibetan translators and interpreters today with over fifty volumes of Tibetan texts and oral teachings."Mind the Dog is a truly wonderful book for children, parents, and teachers. It is filled with wisdom, hope, kindness, and fun and I love all the pictures too! I wish I had this book when I was a child and I am happy to read it now as an adult."- Bob Stahl, Ph.D. is co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook (1st & 2nd editions) , Living With Your Heart Wide Open, Calming the Rush of Panic, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook for Anxiety, and MBSR Everyday. "Mind the Dog is an excellent resource for understanding ourselves, our emotions and our world more mindfully ... "- Dr. Christopher Willard, PsyD, Harvard Medical School Faculty and author of Child's Mind, Growing Up Mindful, Raising Resilience, Alphabreaths and eight other books. "Simple lessons, powerful practices, and beautiful illustrations. I wish I had this resource in school when I was growing up."- Jud Brewer MD PhD, author of "The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love - Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits."