Meditation for teens is not talked about enough. All teens should practice meditation! As a teen myself who practices meditation, I want to share my expertise on meditation for teens. So without further ado, here is the Beginners Guide to Meditation For Teens!
I went to my first meditation class at 15. Before this, I was already an avid yoga-goer and had been practicing mindfulness for many years. But after that first meditation class, my life changed!
Benefits Of Meditation for Teens:
Meditation activates our Parasympathetic nervous system, which is the state of mind that allows us to rest and not our fight or flight state. What does this mean? By activating our “resting brain” we can…
- Digest our food better. (Meditation helps us calm down our internal organs to receive food)
- Sleep better. (Meditating makes us feel calmer)
- Activates our creative brain with more ease
- Decrease our stress & anxiety
- Be more focused in our day
- Strengthen our immune system
- Increases our positive emotions
Free Mindfulness For Teens PDF!
How Long Do I Have To Meditate For?
As long as you want! A 5-minute meditation is still meditation. The important part is that whatever amount of time pick, you maintain.
According to science, it takes about 7 minutes for us to fall into our meditative state. So to start, I would meditate every other day for 9 minutes. Then progress to 15 minutes. And eventually, a daily 15-minute practice will be the most beneficial while being maintainable.
From then on, listen to what YOU need and decide what your consistent practice will be. The point of meditation for teens is to become mindful, we don’t get an award for meditating the longest.
Can Teens Make Mediation Fun?
Meditation may sound appealing for some teens but for a lot of us, we sit for 5 minutes and want to gouge our eyes out. Here are some tips and tools that I used and recommend for teens to utilize in their meditation practice to make it fun.
Tools and Tips for Meditations For Teens
1. Find a good meditation playlist
Ambient music might be nice but often when starting off, you’ll want something more engaging. Find interesting guitar instrumentals, piano pieces, instrumental sounds that leave you feeling focused and engaged.
2. Use breathwork
The breath is a great thing for teens to utilize when starting off in meditation. Check out my YouTube channel for guided meditations and Breathwork videos.
3. Try meditating with crystals
Crystals can seem a bit like hippie ju-ju (, and they probably are) but crystals can be a great focal point in meditation for teens! My favorite crystals to use are Rose Quartz for self-love, Blue Lace Agate or calming, and Opalite for manifestation.
Get them off of my favorite website, Sagegoddess.com
4. Get a diffuser or incense
According to science, when you repeatedly meditate to a certain scent, your brain will associate that smell with the state of mind it is in! This will make it so you can fall into your meditation easier the longer you do it.
5. Use Prompts
If you decide you don’t like guided meditations, you probably will still want some direction. Find some fun meditation prompts to use in your practice. Some simple ones are …
- “What are you grateful for?”
- “What’s bothering you?”
- “Imagine yourself flying in a calming sky.”
6. Try Mudras
Mudras are hand symbols with meaning or messages tied to them. They are often used in yoga and can be a great focus tool in meditation for teens. Find a mudra that speaks to you and try using it!
B.S “Rules” in Meditation For Teens
There can be a lot of stigma behind meditation for teens that dissuades us from wanting to try meditation. THERE ARE NO RULES IN MEDITATION. Here are the common “rules” I hear teens have that keep them from trying meditation.
Common B.S “Rules” To Not Listen To…
1. You aren’t supposed to have thoughts
Meditation for teens and anyone else isn’t about having no thoughts. It’s about bringing awareness to our thoughts and having no attachment to them. As you meditate, practice noticing what you are thinking about and say “huh, there’s a thought. That’s interesting. I am going to let the thought go now.”
2. You have to sit a certain way:
As far as I know, there’s no reason you can’t lay down and meditate when starting off! The point is that you find a comfortable position that allows you to maintain a gentle focus in your meditation.
Free Mindfulness For Teens PDF!
3. You have to feel enlightened after meditation:
Um, no. To have any sort of “end goal” in meditation defeats the purpose. Meditation teaches us to release the need for goals and just be present in life.
4. You have to be spiritual to meditate
Meditation is for everyone! Meditation doesn’t ask you to change anything about yourself, just show up and be you.
5. You have to start with guided meditations
Guided meditations have a lot of benefits but so do non-guided meditations. Decide for yourself if guided or solo meditations are the best for you.
6. You can fail at meditating:
15-year-old me was mind blown when I realized that I can’t fail at meditating. As long as you are showing up. that’s all that matters.
What About Guided Meditation For Teens?
If you want some guided meditation for teens, check out my guided meditations for teens on my Youtube channel, Making Mindfulness Fun.
Want more mindfulness? Click here to get my Mindfulness Journal Prompts for FREE!
Thank you for reading this blog! I hope this helped you get pumped to start your meditation practice for teens.
Related Blogs:
- 15 Best Meditations For Teens
- Best Mindfulness Activities For Teens
- The Complete Guide To Mindfulness For Teens
- How To Overcome Stress & Anxiety As Teens Using Mindfulness
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