Welcome to April! As we enter a new month in these strange times, many have begun adjusting to new daily routines as best they can. Some students have restarted school via online learning, and certain companies have been fortunate enough to resume business via video conferences and working remotely from home. For other people like healthcare workers and employees at essential businesses, their daily routine may be somewhat similar to before- just with extended hours, added protocols, and new procedures that significantly increase the challenge and stress associated with their jobs.
It's helpful to remember that all of our changes, added stress, and daily inconveniences serve a very crucial purpose: it is our best method to reduce the spread of the virus, and also to protect the most at-risk people in our lives (and society at large). At the same time, however, it's equally important that we keep track of our own well-being and take appropriate steps to sustain our personal wellness as we all continue adapting to this unprecedented situation.
Coincidentally, April 7th was World Health Day and the entire month of April is National Month of Hope, both of which seem particularly fitting for this year. For all of these reasons, we wanted to share two book trailers we made that are particularly relevant to the topic of wellness.
"Just Breathe" Book Trailer
Written by wellness expert Mallika Chopra, “Just Breathe” is a fully illustrated meditation guide specifically made for kids ages 8 to 12. The book teaches the basics of meditation and mindfulness in fun, accessible ways. While it primarily focuses on the day-to-day obstacles younger people face, the guided meditation exercises and tips for a healthier, happier life within can benefit people of all ages. To capture the peaceful tone of Mallika and her book, and emphasize the beautiful colors of Brenna Vaughan’s illustrations, we created a series of “paintbrush” transition effects to seamlessly cut back and forth between excerpts and artwork from the book and interview footage with Mallika.
In her follow-up book “Just Feel,” Mallika Chopra focuses on assisting kids in building and harnessing inner strength, while also expanding their own emotional self-awareness. Combining insightful advice and wellness practices with the beautiful full color illustrations of her previous book, “Just Feel” provides an excellent tool in building healthy behaviors and practices that can improve the emotional IQ and well-being of kids and adults!