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 meditationMeditation’s effect on Susan’s sonInspiration for writing The Mindful ChildVolunteering in schoolsCreating the Inner Kids programThe importance of storytellingThe playful approach for young agesThe positive effects of mindfulness in schoolsThe “Pink Bubble” compassion exerciseMindfulness for family dynamicsSusan’s UCLA research findingsSusan’s most recent book, Real World EnlightenmentThe 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.