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.

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Ep. 272 – Kid’s Series: Susan Kaiser Greenland

Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg