Boyz 2 Buddhas: Counseling Urban High School Male Athletes in the Zone (Counterpoints)

Is conventional masculinity hazardous to young men’s health? Boyz 2 Buddhas proposes that mindfulness meditation can help male teens deal with the unhealthy pressures of growing up today. After examining high school football – a popular activity that evokes troublesome aspects of male consciousness and behavior – David Forbes describes a meditation and discussion group he held with urban high school football players. The students meditated in order to play football in the zone, a state of higher awareness. Along the way they also learned to live their lives in the same manner, resulting in a more mindful, healthy way of growing up to be men. The counseling model illustrated in this book blends popular culture with contemplative practice, and addresses young men’s need for greater personal meaning.