Cool Mind ─ 11 Easy Ways to Relieve Stress, Boost Self-Confidence, and Improve Concentration in School, Sports, and Life

A concise but potent self-help book of easy, accessible meditation and calming techniques for teens and young adults to use when they are stressed, upset, or need to become more centered and focused.

In a very "cool," friendly, and accessible way, this small gem of a book introduces meditation, breathing practices, and visualizations to calm the mind, become more centered and focused, and be less emotionally reactive. The author draws from his experience as an athletics coach, a mindfulness counselor, and a qi gong practitioner, as well as from Zen, to address issues and emotions that young people stress about--exams, social situations, self-doubt, fear, feeling scattered or unproductive, and sports performance, among others. Using these techniques for as little as three minutes a day, he says, young people can learn to feel calmer, happier, more focused, and more able to achieve their goals.

DAVID KEEFE is co-owner with his wife of Trinity Health and Fitness in Sydney, where he is a mindfulness counselor and fitness coach. He runs Cool Mind workshops for middle school and high school students in the Australian public school system. He is also a practitioner of Zen, reiki, and qi gong.