Book Review: The Secret of Saying Thanks

Author: Douglas Wood
Illustrated by Greg Shed
Interest Level: Ages 5 and Up

About This Book: With a gentle, assured tone and graceful phrasing, Wood shares a life lesson sure to inspire: that true happiness lies in giving thanks and appreciating all there is to be thankful for. Addressing readers directly, the author suggests that everyone learns this secret in their own way and own time. "Maybe you'll first find the secret/ in your own home/ sitting around a table with people you love..."; "You might discover the secret at dawn,/ a morning like all other mornings." In this same fashion he creates a descriptive catalogue of many of the simple gifts to be treasured, from a warm hand to hold, to a cool breeze or singing bird. The spiritual notes rung here, and a brief mention of "your bedtime prayer," should prove applicable to a broad readership of many faith traditions. Shed's airy oil paintings depict a girl and her dog exploring and experiencing their outdoor surroundings on a sunny spring day in the country. The skillful play of light and shadow in his work adds depth to the soft-edged portraits. -Publishers Weekly

Why It's On My Bookshelf: After I had taken my first Yoga Calm class, I wanted to find a book to help students find their own inner calm and have positive thinking. Somehow I stumbled upon The Secret of Saying Thanks and I'm so glad I bumped into it. 

Read this little excerpt:

"The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, 

for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time. 

The more we say thanks, the more we find to be thankful for. 

And the more we find to be thankful for, the happier we become."  

Wow! Aren't those the types of words and thoughts we want filling our kids minds throughout the school day!?! It is so APPARENT to me when their minds are filled with goodness you see the results during their day. I see more smiles, cooperation, and kindness.

I sort of winged an activity and asked students to find a comfortable resting spot. I used the Hoberman Sphere to help students find their breathing. Introducing the concept of gratitude before I read also helped kids focus their thoughts on being thankful. I just knew if I had everyone in front of me sitting "criss cross apple sauce", I would lose them. When we re-gathered to talk about gratitude - there was a really good calm energy in the air. Words revolved around who and what they were thankful for. And they weren't thankful for material stuff, their gratitude was aimed at what really matters in life, each other. If you are looking for a book to help kids meditate, relax, and have positive thinking - try this one. I absolutely love The Secret of Saying Thanks.

Book Review: Yoga Calm for Children: Educating Heart, Mind, and Body

Authors: Lynea Gillen, Jim Gillen
Interest Level: Grades K and UP

About This Book: The ultimate guide for parents, teachers and other adults who want to introduce yoga to children, as well as help kids manage stress, build social skills and create lifelong fitness habits! Lavishly illustrated, Yoga Calm for Children includes 60 practical, easy-to teach activities, as well as alignment and safety principles and "emotional first aid" tips. It shows school teachers and counselors how to integrate Yoga Calm activities with regular class work and modify them for specific classroom situations. And it inspires through stories from the authors own experiences of helping kids learn, grow and thrive with Yoga Calm. Specially designed for use in K-12 schools and therapeutic settings, Yoga Calms principle-based approach makes it effective in any environment and with a broad range of ages, populations and abilities, including children with ADHD, anxiety and other disorders. [This] beautiful book...offers a clear program for introducing educational activities and curriculum that address the whole child, rather than just the academic mind.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I've been practicing yoga off and on for years and have appreciated all of it's healing benefits for my mind and body. The emotional boost I feel afterwards is a great reminder of how important it is to have a wellness habit. So when I was given the opportunity to attend a yoga workshop aimed at helping children, I got my yoga mat ready!

Within the first hour of the workshop I began asking myself, 'How have I been working with kids for so many years and not discovered the power of using yoga as a strategy to emotionally strengthen children??' Over the course of the day, we learned how to combine simple yoga with effective counseling techniques to use in small groups or classrooms. There were so many 'a ha' moments I thought I might explode. I've been teaching kids how to breathe and get calm for years....counting to 10..taking breaks...blah blah blah. Apparently, I've been missing a few ingredients for a true calmness recipe. One of my favorite breathing techniques was -Volcano Breath (it's all in the book).

I returned to school today and did an activity called, The Mindful Walk with a 3rd grade class. Of course I had a few kiddos thinking this was silly time. But within minutes we were all walking peacefully around the classroom counting our breathing and clearing our minds for positive thinking. Afterwards, a student who often suffers from frustration asked me if they could come to my office during recess to practice the calm breathing. Um, how cool is that!?

Yoga Calm is a wonderful resource that enhances social/emotional skill building, breathing techniques, and simple EASY yoga poses. We all know how important movement is to help students in the classroom environment. Incorporating yoga into schools is a total NO brainer. I'm going to continue my journey and hopefully work on being a Yoga Calm certified instructor in the fall. It's that good!


Check out Yoga Calm's website for more information. I also love reading their blog. Watch this school in Minneapolis using Yoga Calm.

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful: