A Handful of Quiet ─ Happiness in Four Pebbles

A playful, illustrated guide to one of the best known and most innovative meditation practices for young children experiencing stress, difficulty focusing, and difficult emotions
 
Developed by Thich Nhat Hanh as part of the Plum Village community’s practice with children, pebble meditation is a playful and fun activity that parents and educators can do with their children to introduce them to meditation. It is designed to involve children in a hands-on and creative way that touches on their interconnection with nature. Practicing pebble meditation can help relieve stress, increase concentration, nourish gratitude, and can help children deal with difficult emotions.

A Handful of Quiet is a concrete activity that parents and educators can introduce to children in school settings, in their local communities or at home, in a way that is meaningful and inviting. Any adult wishing to plant seeds of peace, relaxation, and awareness in children will find this unique meditation guide helpful. Children can also enjoy doing pebble meditation on their own.

Born in Hue, Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk, poet, scholar, and human rights activist. In 1967, he was nominated by Martin Luther King Jr., for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is author of more than one hundred books, sixty in English. His previous books for children include, A Pebble for Your Pocket, The Coconut Monk and The Hermit and the Well. He lives at Plum Village, his meditation center in France, and travels worldwide, leading retreats on ?the art of mindful living.”
Illustrator Wietske Vriezen was born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands. She met Thich Nhat Hanh during a retreat in Holland in 2000 and was touched deeply by his mindfulness teachings and practices. Since then, she has illustrated a number of books based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh most recently Planting Seeds and Mindful Movements. She lives in Rotterdam, The Netherlands where she works as a psychologist with gifted children.