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Happiness Doesn't Come from Headstands

Published by Wisdom Publications
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

Trying—and failing—can be a path to happiness too.

Leela loves to do yoga. She could do all sorts of poses, but there was one pose she couldn’t do. Every time Leela tried to do a headstand…KERPLUNK!

This book explores the themes of acceptance, resilience, and self-compassion and offers the message that just because we may experience a failure does not mean that we are a failure. Written as a counterpoint to the message of The Little Engine that Could, Happiness Doesn’t Come from Headstands is a story about a girl who tries her best, but still falls down. Through the process she learns that happiness is not determined by external achievement. Through accepting our limitations and celebrating our efforts, even in the face of failure, peace can be found.

About The Author

Product Details

  • Publisher: Wisdom Publications (April 4, 2017)
  • Length: 38 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781614293897
  • Ages: 4 - 8

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Raves and Reviews

“Through simple dialogue and stellar line drawings, Tamara Levitt has created an exceptional read that returns us to our basic sanity while letting go of impossible fantasies, most especially, thinking happiness comes from outside of our own lives. If you are 3 or 93, you need the lesson this book artfully conveys.”

– Michael Stone, author of Awake in the World: Teachings from Yoga

“Brilliant! In a whimsical tale facing childhood challenges, Tamara Levitt examines the hidden assumptions in the adage that practice makes perfect. She tells a different story that every child should hear—of self-acceptance and resilience—and it does so with dazzling simplicity.”

– Sharon G. Horne, PhD, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, UMASS Boston

“An artfully crafted and inspiring tale. I wish this charming book had been around when I was younger. Simply told and illustrated with inspired whimsy, the story has ring of truth to it that will appeal to readers young and old. I look forward to Leela’s next journey…”

– Andrew Larsen, author of The Imaginary Garden

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More books from this author: Tamara Levitt