Customer Reviews

Starbright--Meditations for Children

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I can't believe the review that cautions Christians against this book. I'm a Christian and if you're educated you would know there is nothing new about what is called new age. This is a wonderful book for Christians as well as anyone with half a mind. I use to be closed minded too until one day my heart opened up along with my mind. I now use Guided Imagery for myself, my grandchildren and those who come to me for assistance. It's a great tool for anyone who wishes to make positive changes in their life and health.

I've been learning and studying for over ten years now about the mind, body, spirit connection and anyone with any common sense would know it is a valid connection that helps us to heal in all areas of our life, health and relationships.

There is NO DANGER for anyone in reading or using these techniques, that is if you desire to help your children and yourself. My personal advice is read, learn and use it for yourself and see the results and miracles that occur in your life and that of your children. Don't close your mind to anything just because someone has their heart and mind based in fear. Fear will keeep you and your children from knowing God, knowing peace, the truth and the healing that comes with it.

Want some proof, read Dr.Herbert Benson's book "The Relaxation Response" or any books by Belleruth Naparstek. It's been proven for years now that meditation as well as guided imagery are beneficial for everone, just as prayer works... so does relaxation, meditation, guided imagery and hypnotherapy, all are one in the same in different forms. They can and will change your life! Go for it and experience the miracles for yourself. I did and so are millions of others around the globe.

This book has provided us unexpected help and relief. One of my children has suffered from nightmares for a long time. And then she became afraid to sleep, so she'd keep finding reasons to get out of bed long after the lights were turned low. We began reading this book for fun last week. The stories are carefully crafted to ensure a child feels safe as the author opens up a richly detailed fantasy world for the child's imagination to explore. On the very first night, my daughter fell asleep right on cue just as the story ended, much to my amazement. And all week it has been the same pattern. She is sleeping through the night, not having nightmares, and even waking easily and early in the morning. The change has been dramatic. We love our new nighttime ritual of reading these beautifully described fantasies and letting our imaginations run free. And I am grateful for the serenity and peacefulness the book is giving my daughter. This book is a treasure.

We bought this book when he was 2 years old and he has loved it from the very first day. He still loves it at 3 1/2 and begs to have meditation every night...it has even inspired him to create his own meditations(and mommy too). There is nothing evil about this book as the previous reviewer stated. The meditations are filled with compassion and love, what is evil about that???

Up until a few months ago, my ten-year-old daughter suffered from severe anxiety. In desperation, my husband and I took her to a therapist who recommended (among other strategies) that we use "Starbright" at bedtime.

I read the stories to my daughter and her twin sister, and they loved them! The meditations are so peaceful and relaxing, and they can be adapted to any belief system. With my daughters I add guardian angels, because that is my belief. At work (I'm a preschool teacher) I avoid Christian symbols and focus on the beauty of nature.

By the way, my daughter's anxiety is almost entirely gone. I know that's not entirely because of this book, but it certainly helped!

This is a FANTASTIC book for children and for adults. The meditations are short and effective. The meditations are magical and lull you to sleep. They even help those who tend toward insomnia. Highly recommended for anyone (parent, child or adult) who wants to experience more peaceful sleep.

I can imagine no more peaceful way to conclude evening reading time and enter the realms of sleep--Garth's ability to to capture one's imagination by weaving an innocent and whimsical landscape for the mind to explore is delightful! The simplicity of the language coupled with the richness of possiblities help these gentle, guided meditations become gateways to dreamland. I love to see my three and five year-old children snuggle-down and close their eyes, allowing themselves to be carried by their own imagery and curiosity. With so much external visual stimulation in our modern world, it is great to foster an inner vision. I feel so fortunate to have stumbled onto this book and am compelled to buy it as a gift for all the children I know!

I was really, really concerned about buying this book after reading the reviews on Amazon, but I have been very pleasantly surprised by this book. It has helped not only my 5 year old, but also me! The Worry Tree alone is worth the price of the book. I don't care if there is some Angel imagery involved, it is comforting to my child. The author gives suggestions in the book as to how to deal with any imagery that is offensive to you.

If you have a child that fights sleep and is a visual/auditory learner, you should invest in this series.

An introduction to the guided visualization form of meditation, with some background for adults and a two-part meditation to read your child (in your best soothing voice). The first part is the same every time, the second part gives the variations on what happens when you get to your secret garden.

This book helps our daughter child settle down, relax and unwind at bedtime. It would probably also be good in times of stress (big game, big test, public performance, etc.). And it only takes about 10 minutes, so even very busy families can fit it in (they probably need it the most!).

It fits a wide age range - we've used these meditations at several stages so far. We got the book around age 2 when there were "mon-ters in the closet," and pulled it out again the next time that sleep and nighttime separation issues arose, around age 5. Now we're revisiting it at age 9 when she requested that we go through it a chapter a night - and our total night owl often falls asleep before the end.

One thing you can be certain,this book has nothing to do with religion and new age is certainly no religion, but aside from that... you can find some wonderfull "stories" to tell your children in bedtime that offers them the possibility to expand their heart... I found them really interesting as an opportunity to express themselves as compassionate towards all kind of beings... people, animals, plants... learning how to love and respect all kingdoms. Looking at the world we live in, I think this is one the most important things to teach our children.

My nine-year-old daughter has always had worries and "scary thoughts" at bedtime. This book is now part of our bedtime routine. The first few nights we read it, we found it a bit corny, and we both couldn't stop ourselves from laughing, but we got used to the style of the book and read it every night. We are a Jewish family, so we skip the chapters on Christmas and Easter. I just ordered her other books: "Moonbeam" and "Earthlight."