FOREWORD REVIEWS INDIEFAB BOOK OF THE YEAR
GOLD MEDAL WINNER FOR EDUCATION—2016!

Teaching from the Heart of Mindfulness approaches life as a laboratory for practicing mindfulness as a way of being—from the heart, in presence and as a teacher. When this is magnified for teachers it becomes a mindfulness-based teaching approach. This approach is exemplified in ten real-life classroom vignettes through the lens of a Mindful Teacher Lesson Design. This practical design can be adapted to any subject, curriculum or school setting.

Each chapter begins with a mindfulness practice because, above all, mindfulness is heart-centered and Teaching from the Heart of Mindfulness invites teachers into its warm-hearted nature. In the West wisdom is thought to rest in the mind, which is considered to be in the head. While in India, where the author has lived many years, the seat of wisdom is considered to be in the heart rather than the head. In Sanskrit, the word describing the energy of the heart is anahata—literally, “unstuck.” For at the very heart of our lives, including typical teaching days, beyond limiting thoughts and emotions, there is an inner dwelling of the heart. It brings with it a feeling of expansion that is always unstuck, always whole. The practice of mindfulness cultivates this unfolding process. By teaching from the heart of mindfulness, teachers—and, by direct consequence, their students—are welcomed into this spaciousness of heart. In touching our student’s lives from this warm-hearted core of who we are, we become true peacemakers.

Reviews
“In this book, Teaching from the Heart of Mindfulness, Lauren Alderfer explains how it is possible to cultivate warm-heartedness through the practice of mindfulness.” —His Holiness The XIV Dalai Lama

“Teaching from the Heart of Mindfulness is an invaluable resource to nourish heart and soul in teachers and their students. At a time when many in education are losing heart, this book will help teachers take heart, reclaiming the inward source from which all good teaching flows.”
—Parker J. Palmer, author of The Courage to Teach

“For the sake of this next generation, and the wellbeing of our world, my prayer is that this beautiful book reaches teachers world-wide.”
—Tara Brach, PhD., author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

“Dr. Lauren Alderfer is a pioneer in the field of mindfulness in education. Teaching from the Heart of Mindfulness shows us what a truly mindful teaching practice looks like.”
—Meena Srinivasan, author of Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom

“Lauren Alderfer writes from deep personal practice and wise experience, providing meaningful anecdotes and resources that educators around the world will find both useful and inspiring. This book reminds us to start with ourselves in order to be of most benefit to others as we widen our circle of care.” —Krysten Fort-Catanese, Director of Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness, Phuket International Academy, Thailand

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About the Author
Lauren Alderfer blends her unique background as an international educator and consultant, mindfulness practitioner, yoga therapist, and professor to bring mindfulness—for greater wholeness of body, mind, and heart—to diverse settings. She is the author of several children’s books including Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda. Lauren holds a Ph.D. in Global Educational Leadership.

Find audio recordings of mindfulness practices from this book and much more at: www.laurenalderfer.com

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Nonfiction
$19.95 for print and $9.99 for e-book
Paperback  |  224 pages  |  5.5 x 8.5
ISBN: 978-0-9960872-7-8
Pub Date: May 27, 2015

Bookstores can order via Ingram, Baker & Taylor, or directly from Midpoint Trade Books

Contact the publisher at info@greenwriterspress.com or 802-380-1121
to request an advance reader copy as print or PDF.