The Art of Mindful Origami ─ Soothe the Mind With 15 Beautiful Origami Projects and Accompanying Mindfulness Exercises

The Art of Mindful Origami extends the concept of mindful, art-therapy coloring using 15 origami projects, ranging in difficulty from basic to complex, as tools to develop mindfulness. In recent years, interest in mindfulness has exploded and it is now a part of popular culture. Increasingly, creative pursuits such as coloring are being used as a way for people to focus and enter a mindful state.

Each project starts with a brief description and background to the model. Subsequent pages give instructions for folding the particular model. For difficult exercises, the book details ways of staying focused and calm and using mindfulness to deal with frustration or distraction.

This is an important part of mindfulness and leads to a range of benefits for wellbeing and performance. Once each model is folded, the book then outlines various related exercises that can help to further develop mindfulness. For example, after folding the paper boat, readers are encouraged to lie down and place the boat on their belly and watch it rock up and down on the "waves" as they breathe.

This helps them develop mindful breathing, which is a powerful tool for relaxation and focus. High-quality patterned origami paper and coloring sheets, which can easily be torn from the book, are included to make this the ultimate gift for anyone wanting a calmer, more stress-free life.

Dr. Richard Chambers is a clinical psychologist in private practice, specializing in mindfulness-based therapies. He is also an internationally recognized expert in mindfulness. Dr. Chambers is pioneering a university-wide mindfulness approach at Melbourne's Monash University and consults to a growing number of educational institutions, businesses, sporting clubs and community organizations. He is a developer of the Smiling Mind app and co-author of Mindful Learning.