Seven Spirals: A Chakra Sutra for Kids
Seven Spirals: A Chakra Sutra for Kidsis a wondrous book that is right for all ages. Authors Deena Haiber and Aimee MacDonald have combined fantastical and wildly colorful images with a simple story of seven kids through a seemingly normal day. Combining their pictures with an approachable story to enlighten children and their parents to the meaning of the seven chakras was a wise choice. The book is suitable for children of most ages from three to 10 years. Younger children may fascinate on the vivid and colorful imagery, while older children can engage in a conversation about the seven wheels of energy located along the spine. <P> Haiber and MacDonald tell a sweet story while tapping into the essence of each of the chakras. For example, root chakra is told as tree reminding a girl of her home base, her needs being met and her comfort. While younger children may not be able to grasp the idea of a chakra or internal energy per se --Hartford Yoga ExaminerSeven Spirals: A Chakra Sutra for Kidsis a kid-oriented explanatory book about the seven chakras and what they pertain to in daily life experiences. To illustrate each chakra, a different child describes experiences that reflect that chakra and its color. There are simple chakra explanations also at the end, and there is both the English and the Sanskirt term for each chakra on its page, with its accompanying color. Finally, there are simple suggestions for simple meditation exercises that kids can easily perform, general or specific to each chakra. Gently calming and positive in its message and outlook,Seven Spiralsmay be a key component to aid and assist children diagnosed with ADHD in learning and dealing with daily life stresses that interfere with learning and getting along with others.Seven Spiralsis beautifully illustrated with mixed media works that enhance the tranquil effect of the chakra teaching and the meditational directions.Seven Spiralswill be effective with a wide age range of young readers because of the depth of its content, combined with its simplicity in presentation. --Midwest Book ReviewSeven Spirals: A Chakra Sutra for Kids is a picture book by two stay-at-home moms from Florida. It is designed to introduce children to the seven chakras of the body, by illustrating the principles of each through short stories. Each story is loosely connected to the next one, and features a group of children. The first story, in which Tree explains human roots to young Rowan, is probably the easiest story to understand, as it is almost the most concrete of the seven spirals. The others will require much more thought, as they are increasingly abstract. I think that the stories and concepts are a little too abstract for young readers, but older, elementary-aged children would be able to glean some understanding through conversation about each one. The authors include a glossary of sorts in the back, which can help adults explain the meaning of each. Conversation with children can include brainstorming other ways in which each spiral can be used.  Children of all ages will fall in love with the gorgeous, colorful illustrations accompanying each story. The youngest can learn the most about the seven chakras through the associated colors. Red is root, orange is sacral, yellow is navel, green is heart, blue is throat, indigo is forehead, and violet is crown. Make it more concrete by doing a life-sized body tracing, putting the colors in the appropriate locations, or by putting stickers directly on the child's body. Also at the end of the book, following the glossary, is a paragraph explaining how to "tune up" the chakras by sitting cross-legged and breathing slowly to empty and calm the mind. This concept will be the easiest for the youngest children to understand, and can help lay the foundation for later chakra exploration. --BookPleasures.com