For episode 273, we are continuing a new series on the Metta Hour, centered on kids, in honor of Sharon’s first children’s book, Kind Karl, coming out on December 9th!

Co-authored by Jason Gruhl, this illustrated picture book is for 4-8 year-olds and is a new children’s adaptation of Sharon’s beloved book Lovingkindness.

For this podcast series, Sharon speaks with educators, caregivers, and researchers about the ways meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can impact children of all ages and the family systems that support them. For the second episode of the series, Sharon speaks with Dr. Christopher Willard.

Chris is a clinical psychologist at Harvard Medical School and author of numerous publications for children and adults. An internationally sought-after speaker and mindfulness educator, his books include Growing Up Mindful, Raising Resilience, and Alphabreaths.

In this conversation, Sharon and Chris speak about:

• The benefits of mindfulness in family systems
• Chris’s personal journey with mindfulness
• How mindfulness can be accessible for kids
• Emotional growth and connection at any age
• Simple at-home practices
• Modeling calm compassion
• How kids can emotionally regulate
• The benefits of meditation in schools
• Challenges of technology in family life
• How self-compassion prevents burnout
• Nurturing empathy, presence and resilience
• The goal of presence, not perfection

The episode closes with Chris leading guided practice. You can learn more about Chris’s work on his website, right here.

To learn more about Sharon’s forthcoming children’s book, Kind Karl, and pre-order a copy with a special pre-order gift, you can visit Sharon’s website, right here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode 272, we are launching a new series on the Metta Hour, centered on kids, in honor of Sharon’s first children’s book, Kind Karl, coming out on December 9th!

Co-authored by Jason Gruhl, this illustrated picture book is for 4-8 year-olds and is a new children’s adaptation of Sharon’s beloved book Lovingkindness. To learn more about Sharon’s forthcoming children’s book, Kind Karl, and pre-order a copy with a special pre-order gift, you can visit Sharon’s website, right here.

For this podcast series, Sharon speaks with educators, caregivers, and researchers about the ways meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can impact children of all ages and the family systems that support them.

For the first episode of the series, Sharon speaks with Susan Kaiser Greenland. Susan is a mindfulness educator and bestselling author, specializing in distilling global wisdom traditions and scientific research into straightforward everyday practices. In the early 2000s, she helped pioneer the introduction of secular mindfulness into classrooms through her Inner Kids model. After decades of working with children and adults and writing two widely translated books, Susan’s latest book, Real-World Enlightenment, was published in 2024 by Shambhala.

In this conversation, Susan and Sharon speak about:

• Susan’s journey with meditation
• Meditation’s effect on Susan’s son
• Inspiration for writing The Mindful Child
• Volunteering in schools
• Creating the Inner Kids program
• The importance of storytelling
• The playful approach for young ages
• The positive effects of mindfulness in schools
• The “Pink Bubble” compassion exercise
• Mindfulness for family dynamics
• Susan’s UCLA research findings
• Susan’s most recent book, Real World Enlightenment

The episode closes with Susan leading guided practice. You can learn more about Susan’s work on her website, right here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode 271, Sharon sits down with poet, author and Zen master Henry Shukman.

After a spontaneous spiritual awakening at the age of 19, Henry embarked on a long journey of healing and deeper awakening through meditation. Since then, he has been leading a growing number of practitioners in Europe and the US. He is the Spiritual Director Emeritus of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Henry has also created the app, The Way, and is the author of several books, including his latest 2024 release, “Original Love.” This is Henry’s first appearance on the podcast.

In this conversation, Sharon and Henry speak about:

• Henry’s challenges in early life
• Discovering Zen teachings
• Henry’s new book, Original Love
• Mindfulness, Support, Absorption, Awakening
• Original Love versus Original Sin
• Mental health in spiritual practice
• The power of community and connection
• Henry’s meditation app, The Way
• How to microdose lovingkindness

The episode closes with Henry leading a guided meditation.

You can learn more about Henry’s books and teachings on his website right here. You can also learn about his app, The Way, right here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.