Description

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Origami becomes a form of art therapy in these 15 projects that will calm your mind and soothe the soul. In recent years, interest in mindfulness has exploded and it is now a part of popular culture. Increasingly, creative pursuits such as origami are being used as a way for people to focus and enter a mindful state.

Each project includes a brief history of the tradition of the model, such as the Japanese tradition of folding a thousand cranes to be granted one wish. Subsequent pages give instructions for folding the particular model. For difficult exercises, the book details ways of staying focused and calm and using mindfulness to deal with frustration or distraction. This is an important part of mindfulness and leads to a range of benefits for well-being and performance.

Once each model is folded, the book then outlines various related exercises that can help to further develop mindfulness. For example, after folding the paper boat, readers are encouraged to lie down and place the boat on their belly and watch it rock up and down on the “waves” as they breathe. This helps them develop mindful breathing, which is a powerful tool for relaxation and focus.

Beautiful, high-quality patterned origami paper and colouring sheets can be torn out and used to make the designs even more splendid. The Art of Mindful Origami is the perfect gift for anyone wanting a calmer, happier more stress-free life.

About the Author

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Dr. Richard Chambers is an AHPRA-endorsed clinical psychologist and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness. His published books included Mindful Learning, with Shambhala, and Mindful Relationships and The Art of Mindful Origami with Quarto/Exisle, and numerous journal articles. He is regularly interviewed by mainstream media and consults for a growing number of businesses, sports clubs, healthcare organizations and educational institutions. Richard is spearheading a world-first, university-wide mindfulness initiative at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He also provides mindfulness coaching sessions to help people cope with pressure, anxiety, conflict, improving their work/life balance, and other ways to make life more enjoyable. As a mindfulness consultant, Richard works with businesses, institutions, and communities who want to enhance well-being, productivity, leadership and learning. He is also one of the developers of Smiling Mind, a free mindfulness app with nearly 4 million downloads.

Praise For…

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"Chambers brings valuable expertise to the mindfulness element of this book, and both the guided exercises and the origami projects themselves are ideal for crafters exploring mindful living.”—Library Journal

"This is more than a book. It is a many-layered offering from a person who has put a great deal of thought and care into something he obviously feels deeply about ... Friends and family were as equally enamoured of the contents, a fact that means that the book will make a well-received gift ...”—Booksellers NZ

"Dr. Richard Chambers proffers the Japanese art of paper folding as yet another avenue for being fully present and engaged in each moment. It includes 15 different projects ... along with tear-out origami paper featuring images of nature as well as sheets you can colour in.... Accompanying each project is a related exercise to help you develop mindfulness. It’s a simple, fun dose of old-fashioned creativity.”—Wellbeing Magazine