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I really enjoyed this book. I have always wanted to meditate but really just couldn't relax enough to get the full benefits. I have now promised myself that I will try it again over the summer. I knew it was good for you but didn't know the extent of the benefits. I had heard of Dan Harris but did not know anything about his journey. There are so many parts that are so relatable. I would really like to read the next book!

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I appreciated Harris’s approach and perspective toward meditation and mindfulness. It was refreshing to hear him speak so candidly about his own struggles and level set with a diverse audience. Harris did a beautiful job of taking out the technical jargon thereby making the entire practice more approachable to the masses. One of the major takeaways from the book came from his speaking about the necessity to express gratitude and kindness in all aspects of life.

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I absolutely loved reading this book. I was nice connecting with colleagues over something so important and meaningful that also allows us to focus on our own self care. Meditation is so powerful! This book gave me several reminders of things that I know and often lose sight of. This also reminds me how important it is to provide my own daughter and students the opportunities to reset via meditation. This class was a much needed relief during an extremely stressful time in the year. Thank you a million times!

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"I’d been sleepwalking through much of my life – swept along on a tide of automatic, habitual behavior.” Many times, I find myself getting stuck in a routine, and beginning to go through the motions. This book has motivated me to really take a step back, find time for myself, to practice mindfulness/meditation so I can be more present in the moment.

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I really liked the message of the book.  I am very interested in trying to incorporate more meditation into my life and my class.  I think the book helped me see the possibility of what you can achieve if you approach things a little differently and with a calm mind.
I had never heard of Dan Harris before reading this book so I thought that I would take advantage of my commute and listen to the audiobook.  I really don't like his voice so it was a little hard to maintain focus but I liked hearing about how he tackled the voices in his head and I think that he introduced a do-able way to respond to people and situations when one feels overwhelmed.
I have a super challenging group this year and just introduced them to meditation.  There was a bunch of giggling in the beginning but many students did give it a try.  I feel with a little more practice, more students will find it beneficial in their school day as well.
I also am relieved that it is "okay" to just let some things go and not worry about everything that you can't control. I hope that it will help me separate my work and home life a little more successfully.

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I really enjoyed this book. I never realized all of the amazing health benefits as a result of meditation. I always thought the sole purpose of meditation was to relieve stress but it is so much more than that. I know that this is a practice that I should most definitely incorporate into my life a little at a time so that it becomes a healthy habit. Usually after spending hours in some of these TTT's I am left feeling exhausted and drained..... not with this one! I feel lighter and enlightened. Thank you! Would love if another book talk was offered by this author. Great job!

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I enjoyed the message and understand the purpose of the book. I am not sure I would have picked this up to read while walking through a bookstore. I do appreciate how he was brave enough to share his life story and experiences. Takeaways from this book, class, the past two years and especially this past week is that life is way too short. Slowing down and taking in the moment is something I have been trying so hard to do. I feel like I have missed out on so many moments with my family because I was worried about work and what I needed to get done for my students. I have learned a lot about myself during the last few years. Having the ability to be present in my own mind, recognize what I am feeling and being able to let things go have given me a sense of being free. I finally feel like the world is not so heavy anymore. Maybe meditation is the next step in my journey, maybe not? I never say never. . . Thank you Kathy and Kristin!!! I fully enjoyed finally be able to sit on the other side and take a class. You guys are fantastic teachers and I hope that more people join in to teach classes/book talks. We all have something to offer because we are doing amazing things in our classrooms! I have the privilege of visiting classrooms in all three elementary buildings and I am constantly floored by the amazing work that is being done for our students. Enjoy the week off!!!

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I have always been a bit of a skeptical about meditation in the pat, although now that I teach mindfulness I trust the process more.  But I still have many of those thought and feelings Dan so accurately described to us when he was first trying to understand it.  He too found some of it a bit "silly" but if I continue to try to incorporate it and work it into my daily life, I too may be able to grasp it as he did.
Also, hearing him talk today during the first video about the few things we can do to help with stress was nice to hear. They were just simple things hat we can implement into our daily lives to help alleviate some of the stresses in our lives, I will try to incorporate them and more importantly, remember them in the first place.

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I really enjoyed reading this book.  First, you really never know what someone is going through.
Everyone says you need to take care of your self before you can take care of others.  I have never believed that more than after Covid.  It is easy to help others, but to help yourself takes an extra  step and more thought.  We must take that step. Take the mental health day if you need. I would love to try meditation and be successful at it. I do try to use the mindfulness with my class.  They enjoy it!  It is time to reduce stress and be patient with yourself.  I would enjoy reading part 2!

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This was a nice read. I enjoyed learning about different aspects of meditation and how beneficial they are. I know its always those who preach to others about self care and taking care of your mental health that don't engage in it nearly enough! I am so guilty of this. This book has reminded me of its importance and how easy it really is to incorporate into your daily life.

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I really enjoyed reading this book.  I have tried meditation many times and have not found success.  I appreciate the way Dan shared his struggles and gave suggestions to overcome the difficulties.  I enjoyed learning about all the benefits to your health this practice can offer. I look forward to using the meditations and mindfulness strategies with my class as well.

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I loved the book and pan to use meditation on a daily basis. I never knew all of the benefits that it had. I think that Lynn and I may be doing it at lunch time...LOL Thank you for for introducing me to this strategy for reducing stress etc.

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I really enjoyed reading this book. I have been interested in meditation and mindfulness for a while now and this book has given me more motivation to try incorporating these practices into my life. I am going to try to add meditation to my daily routine - at least 5 minutes! It is so interesting to me how meditation has so many health benefits and a direct impact on our brain's health. I plan on incorporating many of the shared resources for meditation and mindfulness with my K students! I would love to read Dan Harris' next book and join you in a future book talk. Thank you!

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I really thought this book was easy to relate to because it took you from Dan's beginning to how he transitioned into meditation. I feel like meditation is a wonderful thing that I would like to try daily. However, it's how do you make it part of your daily life that I think is the challenge. I'm definitely going to try to fit it into my life consistently.

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I really enjoyed how Dan incorporated the aspects of his life and job into the book. Talking about his own life experiences made it very relatable and also showed how things like negative thinking that I would normally brush off as not a big deal can eventually lead to harm to your physical and mental health. What I will take away the most from this book is Dan's emphasis on "being obsessed with the past and the future at the expense of the present" This is something I personally do in my personal and professional life. Even if I have difficulty meditating, I will take away that I need to stop and be present in the moment :)

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I appreciate the message of this book- but I really did not enjoy it. : ( Maybe because I'm not familiar with Dan Harris? I was intrigued by his conversations with Tolle, Chopra, and the Dalai Lama- I may get a book of theirs to read. But, I am happy I was able to participate in this TTT! It rejuvenated me to give meditation another try- I will renew and continue a meditation practice! My focus will just be consistent at first- not worried about how much time or how I do it. Need to form the habit. I am looking forward to a new sense of self and well-being!

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I really enjoyed learning about meditation and how easily it can be incorporated into my everyday schedule.  I'd really like to begin meditating as often as I can.  I love Jon Kabat-Zinn's quote "Meditation is not about feeling a certain way.  It's about feeling the way you feel."
Kath and Kristin did an amazing job and I'd love to take their next TTT :)

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I really enjoyed reading this book and the perspective it provided. Before reading this book I was skeptical about meditation. However, I will incorporate meditation into my daily routine to reduce stress, reflect, and relax.

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My takeaway from this book is that no matter how difficult it has been to try to meditate in the past, I can start slowly and not think about being so perfect at it.  I learned how meditation can help me not only heath-wise but it can help me to pause and not react but respond when things get tough. The RAIN technique and the question to myself... "Is this useful?" will help me to stop the unnecessary daily worrying. (with practice). A wonderful book and discussions with colleagues made me feel that many of us struggle with the same thoughts but now know how to begin to move forward in a positive way!
Thank you!...Terri

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After reading this book and taking this class, my biggest takeaway is the importance of meditation- both for children and adults. In the book, I love when Dan wrote, "Mindfulness represented an alternative to living reactively". This quote resonated with me because we all seem to live reactively at times, responding the moment something happens. Another statement from the book that left an impression on me was, "Taxonomically, we are classified as Homo sapiens sapiens, 'the man who thinks and knows he thinks...We can do more than just think; we also have the power simply to be aware of things." During the beginning of class meditations, I took this quote into consideration. It was then that I was able to actually be aware of where I was, not the other silly things plaguing my mind (dinner, grading, laundry, etc). I was able to be aware that I am a being, breathing, and sitting. Just by doing that, I was able to relax.

Application to the classroom --> Prior to taking this class, Beth and I would typically use calming music with nature scenes as a form of mindfulness. While this proved to be effective for the first half of the year, we noticed it was not working as nicely once the second half of the year began. After the first or second session of your class, we started using meditation videos. We are noticing that some students are really attempting this/enjoying it. Others are still in that giggle phase, but are trying out parts of the videos that pique their interest. I also found myself sitting in my chair and doing it too- giving myself that 10 minutes to regroup and recognize myself as a being. It is helping me take on the second half of the day better, given this difficult year.

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I really enjoyed this book and I am happy that I finally had the time to read it. I have tried meditation multiple times and I was relieved to hear that all of the "noise" in my head and random thoughts while trying to focus on breathing are normal. I especially appreciated the appendix where he answered a lot of questions I had. Dan Harris connected with me as well as made me laugh, when he said he still thinks he won't make it to the timer to stay still to meditate! My take away from this book is that Dan Harris did a good job explaining to his readers that meditation takes practice and persistence but in the end it seems like it has a lot of benefits. I now have the motivation to keep trying. In addition to trying meditation, I would like to see what other books he may have put out. I feel that this has been the most incredibly stressful year in all of my teaching and anyway that I can become 10% Happier is welcomed!

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I really enjoyed this book and the real life
perspective it bought. I have started adding meditation to my morning routine and my classroom. The padlet with all the resources yesterday was great and I already used a new resource today. I would love a part 2 book talk this summer!

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My take away from this book is the importance of meditation to one's life. I like how Dan compares training your brain to mediate with working out at the gym, or training for a race. I never saw mediation as a skill that you can achieve, I always saw it as something out of my league. I like how he talks about his experiences in his job, it makes a special connection with the reader. And yes! I would really like to do another book talk if offered this summer.

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Linda Lemak  Keeping up with a consistent meditation routine can be a challenge. With the demands of daily life, and when you finally do sit down, you realize you haven’t eaten all day, or maybe your cat, dog or kids find their way onto your lap. Needless to say, it can be difficult to concentrate. I used to feel like I wasn’t “doing it right” when I sat down to meditate and couldn’t seem to quiet my mind. Sometimes, I’d even come away from meditation more frustrated than when I started.  However, after taking this class I feel more like the purpose of meditation is to help us learn how to arrive in our situation as it is. It’s not about creating the perfect atmosphere or waiting until the perfect moment. In fact, when we’re right in the thick of it can be the richest, most fruitful time to practice.

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Linda Lemak  Keeping up with a consistent meditation routine can be a challenge. With the demands of daily life, and when you finally do sit down, you realize you haven’t eaten all day, or maybe your cat, dog or kids find their way onto your lap. Needless to say, it can be difficult to concentrate. I used to feel like I wasn’t “doing it right” when I sat down to meditate and couldn’t seem to quiet my mind. Sometimes, I’d even come away from meditation more frustrated than when I started.  However, after taking this class I feel more like the purpose of meditation is to help us learn how to arrive in our situation as it is. It’s not about creating the perfect atmosphere or waiting until the perfect moment. In fact, when we’re right in the thick of it can be the richest, most fruitful time to practice.

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I enjoyed reading this book.  I liked Dan's perspectives and felt he was very relatable.  He broke down common Buddhist and meditation techniques in basic to understand language.  In terms of techniques, I liked the suggestions on turning off the doubt talk and perseverating.  It also reinforced my reasoning of attempting to meditate on my own, especially for sleep. I enjoyed how he would frequently talk about what was happening on his job, it made the book feel less like a "self help" book.  YES I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO DO ANOTHER BOOK TALK if offered.

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After reading this book, I have turned from a critic of meditation to believing the positive effects it can have in one’s life- whether it be helping one focus, de-stress, or just the few minutes a day to reflect, I plan on implementing this into both my daily schedule and my classroom.

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My take away on this book is that meditation can really be helpful after you get used to doing it. I think that the stigma it used to have has changed and more people now actually use it. I liked the book more towards the end when he really got into things not so much about the beginning and him. I'm sure his next book would be great for another book talk! Even if I start using just the breathing to help calm me down in times of stress and anxiousness it would be a benefit. Definitely will start there and then when I have time to close my eyes and relax I'll do that too!