Stunning Benefits Of Mindful Meditation For Teenagers

“Mindfulness is not a religion but a way of being in the world”- Therese Connolly.

I found that mindfulness is very useful to me. Give this article a thorough read and who knows, it can change your life.

What is mindfulness meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is a form of meditation derived from a 2,500-year-old Buddhist practice called Vipassana or Insight meditation. It is designed to develop the skill of paying attention to our inner and outer experiences with acceptance, compassion and patience. Daily practice of mindfulness promotes the development of inner calmness, stability, and non-reactivity of the mind. These attributes allow us to face and embrace even the painful and unpleasant aspects of daily life.

Five steps to mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Meditation Master, teaches five exercises of mindful meditation.

1. Mindful breathing – This practice can be pleasant and joyful.
2. Concentration – In this step your breathing will be deeper, slower, harmonious and peaceful.
3. Awareness of your body – The peace and harmony will penetrate into your body and will relax you completely.
4. Releasing tension – You learn to let go of tensions that are bothering you.
5. Walking meditation – Mindful walking makes your every step enjoyable. Bring your mind home to your body, become alive and perform the miracle of walking on earth.

If you want to know more about mindfulness you can read the whole article here.

Benefits of mindfulness

1. Body and emotional regulation.
2. Insight – Helps to build positive social connections.
3. Increases empathy
4. Increases the ability to soothe, calm and even unlearn our fears.
5. It increases impulse control and response flexibility – the must-have skills for today’s teenagers.
6. Increases attention span
7. Intuition – It increases access to the wisdom of the body.
8. It enhances morality values.
9. Mindfulness increases attunement with others. When children are more ‘tuned into’ themselves, they become more ‘tuned to’ others around them.
10. This ancient meditation improves well being in young people.

How can you teach mindfulness to teenagers?

Science says that mindfulness can be useful to teens. This form of meditation can help youngsters to navigate the challenges of adolescence. You have to model mindfulness. Practice it and they will follow your lead. If you are excited about this meditation technique and your teen gives you a cold shoulder, just share these awesome findings with them.

1. Mindfulness can increase the scores by boosting memory and reading comprehension skills.
2. Mindful meditation can boost concentration.
3. It can reduce the symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. Youngsters usually contend with these negative feelings.
4. Make your kids aware of the workings of their brain and mind. Their curiosity may lead them to practice mindfulness.
5. You can also use this app – Insight Meditation Timer. Kids love the map graphic on the Insight Timer that shows all the locations worldwide where people are meditating.

Conclusion

Though it may be a Western practice, I feel that mindfulness finds its roots in India because our country was the birthplace of Buddhism. It becomes your duty as a modern parent to dive into the sea of time and give your child the pearl of mindful meditation.

Swarnam John is an experienced health and wellness writer. She writes the blog healthyhomosapien. She is also a contributor to a couple of prestigious online magazines.