How can you help children meditate without them losing interest?
Children, you tell them something to do, pretty much guaranteed, they will do the opposite. And even if they do as you ask, it’s only a matter of seconds, they will move on to the next stuff. Honestly, this is okay. actually, you want this; this is what really means to be children. But meditation is a gift that you want them to learn. It is more important than giving them a holiday ticket to Paris, a Mustang, or anything like that. Meditation will stay and guide them entire their life. So what to do? Below are a few things that are proven to help:
- Don’t tell them the moon is shining; show them the glint of light on broken glass: Don’t tell them to do meditation. Do it WITH them. It takes 10 minutes. Start there. Do it with them.
- Kids are outward-focused, so make a small ritual out of it: Fix a place in the house. Fix a time. burn some candles or light some incense sticks, and get some plants or meditation pillows. And do it together.
- Keep it short: Children have shorter attention spans than adults, so it’s best to keep meditation sessions short and simple. Start with just a few minutes and gradually increase the time as they become more comfortable with the practice.
- Start with Stories: Maybe engage them first with the stories. Give them 5 to 7 minutes of stories, with meditation music in the background, and then do meditation with them for 10 minutes. Stories transport the soul, they have the power of narration. Do that and then start the meditation.
- Use props: Children may be more engaged in meditation if they have a special object or prop to focus on. For example, you could have them hold a small stuffed animal or a special rock while they meditate. If they are older (12 years or older), they can focus on the flame of the candle. Breathe in, hold, breathe out. Keep the candle at chest height at about 3 feet of distance.
- Be consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to meditation. Try to establish a regular meditation routine with your child, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. This will help them develop the habit and see the benefits of meditation over time
I wish you all the very best in giving your children the best gift of their life.
Is Meditation or Mindfulness Practise Suitable for Teens?
Meditation is when you sit quietly, in the stillness, and disconnect from the ever-changing craziness of the world. And when you come back you are more centered, have clarity of thoughts, able to see thru what is important to focus your energies on and what is not. It is a practice that is around for thousands of years. However, many people wonder if meditation is suitable for teenagers. The answer is yes; a big Yes. It is not only suitable but also needed for today’s teens. Meditation brings along a plethora of benefits.
Never before in history Parents and teenagers have been so disconnected. Call it technology, busy schedules, overburden on individuality, choice overload, or a cut-throat capitalistic environment, Meditation is that silver bullet that connects teenagers with their deeper Selves and not futile comparisons to tik-tok models or peer groups.
The teenage years are a time of immense change and growth, both physically and mentally. If instilled, the habit of meditation at this age, it will help them entire their lives. Teenagers often face a lot of pressure, whether it is from academic expectations, social pressure, or simply figuring out who they are as individuals. Meditation can help teenagers cope with these pressures and navigate the challenges that come with this phase of life. Research has shown that meditation can improve attention, focus, and concentration, which are essential skills for academic success. Additionally, it can help teenagers manage stress and anxiety, which can have a significant impact on their mental health. Meditation has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve overall well-being.
Meditation can also improve emotional regulation, which is particularly important during the teenage years when emotions can be intense and unpredictable. By practicing meditation, teenagers can learn to identify and manage their emotions in a healthy way, reducing the risk of impulsive behaviors or other negative outcomes.
If you are above 12 start meditating; and parents, teachers, and caregivers should encourage teenagers to give it a try. Esp for parents, do it with them. 10 minutes a day and you will see you are connecting with your child on a much deeper level. By helping to incorporate meditation into their daily routine, parents and teachers will lay the foundation for a healthier, more balanced life
Mindfulness retreats for young adults
When you are on a retreat, you get away from the hustle and bustle of the world, follow a certain routine, and be with nature. Depending on what kind of retreat you go to, you will have different experiences; you will learn self-reflection, meditation, spiritual advancement, yogic techniques, or physical relaxation approaches. One common theme all the retreats have is they bring a pause in busy life and give a perspective on your life, work, and journey. When you really get in the weeds of life, getting a pause, a mindfulness retreat is uniquely valuable. Think of it this way: you stop rowing for some time, come up to the deck of the ship and decide the direction where you want to go before you go down to row. Mindfulness retreats are valuable for everyone but more so for teenagers.
Teens are the future of our civilization. Full of energy, hope, and strength. They think differently, big, and limitless. With them, they bring the power to change, the courage to do things, and the determination that it can be done. I for one see the Sunrise of a better future in our teens. However, teens are also under a lot of pressure to succeed in academics, extracurricular activities, and social relationships. They are constantly bombarded with information from their smartphones, social media, and other digital devices, making it difficult to focus on the present moment. Mindfulness retreats for teens offer a way for young people to take a break from their hectic lives, connect with themselves and others, and learn valuable life skills.
Mindfulness and its benefits
Mindfulness is a way to bring the mind, awareness, and sense of engagement to the present moment. One of the great Yogis of the past said, whatever happened has happened, and what hasn’t happened yet, why worry about it? Life only exists in the present moment; Mindfulness takes you there.
Regular practice of mindfulness helps in the overall development of teens’ personalities. From the lens of academics, Mindfulness designed for teens helps in better memory, problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and time management. There is another article I wrote explaining the benefits of Mindfulness for teens in detail.
What do Mindfulness Retreats for Teens include?
Every mindfulness retreat is different based on the size, location, focus, duration, theme, and staff it has at the venue. Some retreats are set in nature such as the ocean, rivers, mountains, forests, etc., some retreats are silent retreats and some are more adventurous. Retreats can vary from a 1-day retreat to all the way 10 days (or even longer). You have to pick the ones that align best with your current stage and goals.
Mindfulness retreats for teens can include immersive experiences, group activities, meditation, breathing, self-reflection, activity with nature, manifestation, etc. Love, empathy, and compassion are other important elements that are included in the retreats for teens.
Benefits of Mindfulness for Retreats for Teens:
- Reducing Stress, and Anxiety: Teens today are under a lot of social and academic pressure, which can lead to stress and anxiety. Mindfulness retreats offer an opportunity to disconnect from the heaviness of daily life and bring clarity to life and purpose, which can reduce stress and anxiety levels. If there is an accomplished teacher, teens will learn a lot about ancient yogic stories and lifestyle that brings abundant meaning to life.
- Promoting self-reflection: Mindfulness practices can help teens develop self-awareness and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, without any judgment. The ability to reflect on themselves without any judgment brings about creative and problem-solving skillset. This is very valuable for personal growth and development.
- Improving attention and concentration: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation, have been shown to improve attention and concentration. These skills can be valuable for teens as they navigate their academic and personal lives.
- Developing emotional regulation skills: Mindfulness practices can help teens develop skills to regulate their emotions, such as identifying and labeling emotions, accepting emotions without judgment, and responding in a constructive way. As teens grow up in the real world, working with others in collaboration is an extremely critical skill set. Ability to not only understand your own thoughts but also of others will set future leaders apart.
- Building connections with others: Mindfulness retreats for teens offer an opportunity to connect with other young people who share similar interests and values. These connections can be valuable for building a sense of community and support.
- Promoting self-reflection: Mindfulness practices can help teens develop self-awareness and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This can be valuable for personal growth and development.
How to choose the right mindfulness retreat?
If you are interested in attending a mindfulness retreat for teens, there are a few important elements to consider while choosing a program:
- Length: Consider how long the program is and whether it fits with your schedule and needs.
- Location: Think about where the retreat is located and whether it is accessible to you.
- Content: Look into the retreat’s content and whether it aligns with your interests and goals.
- Instructors: Research the instructors who will be leading the program and their qualifications and experience.
- Language: It’s always good to make sure that language aligns with what you are comfortable with. If the instructor speaks your first language, it’s always a plus. The concepts when understood in the native language, really sink in.
- Cost: Consider the cost of the program and whether it fits within your budget. Most expensive does not necessarily mean the best.
- Reviews: Look for reviews from past participants to get an idea of their experience and whether they would recommend the program. Depending on how important is this for you, have a chat with previous attendees.
Conclusion
Mindfulness retreats for teens offer a valuable opportunity to take a break from the stresses of daily life, connect with oneself and others, and develop valuable life skills. I will highly suggest schools, NGOs and community centres shoulder some responsibility to arrange and organize Mindfulness Retreats for teens in their area. These retreats can be a powerful tool for promoting mental health and well-being and can help teens develop skills to navigate the challenges of adolescence and beyond. If you are interested in attending a mindfulness retreat, be sure to research different programs and choose one that aligns with your interests and goals.
How the academic performance of teenagers improves with mindfulness practice?
Mindfulness is a way to bring the mind, awareness, and sense of engagement to the present moment. One of the great Yogis of the past said, whatever happened has happened, and what hasn’t happened yet, why worry about it? Life only exists in the present moment; Mindfulness takes you there.
Teens are at that stage where they are growing in all facets of life: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They are learning to navigate relationships, academics, parental and family expectations, and cultural norms. The rise in Social media, the overwhelming news, and choice overload are other challenges that they are going through which the generation prior did not.
When faced with all these growing difficulties, focusing and excelling in academics becomes challenging. Mindfulness is proven to help teens to perform better in many different dimensions of academics. In this article, I will bring forward the benefits of mindfulness on various aspects related to academics and I will touch upon a couple of simple yet effective mindfulness practices for teens.
Memory
Memory is an essential aspect of academic success for teenagers. The ability to remember and retain information is crucial for learning, and comprehension. However, many teenagers struggle with memory issues, which can be caused by stress, anxiety, or lack of focus. When teens practice mindfulness, they learn to focus their attention on the task at hand, which improves their ability to remember and retain information. The mind can only do one thing at a time, and when done with full attention the information is comprehended. Once any topic is properly digested, it stays with you.
Problem-solving
Mindfulness brings the ability to look at things as they are. It enables a holistic view of the problems. When the mind learns to be a witness, it sheds the prejudices and judgments. This in turn brings about a state where teens break free from any limiting beliefs or preconceptions that may be blocking their ability to generate new ideas or perspectives. Many a time in the real world, problem-solving, happens in collaboration with others and not in a silo. More on it in the next section.
Collaboration
Mindfulness practices help teens develop empathy by encouraging them to be more aware of their own thoughts and emotions, as well as the thoughts and emotions of others. When teens practice mindfulness, they learn to be more present and attentive to their surroundings, which can help them better understand the perspectives and needs of their peers. This helps them become more empathetic and supportive collaborators, which leads to more effective teamwork.
Critical Thinking
Regularly practicing Mindfulness develops the ability to go deeper into the topics. Ability to stay engaged with the topic for a longer duration. Mindfulness gives teens the ability to focus their minds. This opens up all the facets of the topic, understanding the first and second derivates that arrive from the topic and comprehending the pros-cons related to it. And As a great yogi once said, “The power of minds is like the rays of the Sun, the more focused they are more they illumine. This Universe is ready to give its secrets if only you know how to knock. The power of knock comes through focus and ability to stay engaged”.
Communication
Mindfulness is a very powerful tool to increase communication skills. Teens are always on the go, sometimes it is the assignments, classwork, sports, friends, or family functions. And when life is in this mode, the communication aspect of life can not remain untouched by this. Mindfulness brings that pause, it makes you more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, which helps you communicate more effectively. It brings the pause before the conversation, the engagement during the conversation, and reflection post-conversation. It also helps tremendously to become a great listener and generate genuine empathy. All of the above results in effective communication with classmates, friends, teachers, parents, and career coaches. Another aspect of communication is to express; it may be through presentations, seminars, talks, articulating an argument in class or just talking with friends. Because mindfulness helps to deeply understand the topic the art articulation starts springing up on its own.
Time Management
For time management, there are a plethora of tools and techniques out there. Teens can pick and choose what works for an individual. But Mindfulness addresses more fundamental psychological and behavioral aspects of managing time. When the mind gives undivided attention to one task, it gets done efficiently. When the mind has the clarity of the task/s, the time it will take, and the expected outcome of it, the task is accomplished in a more holistic way. Mindfulness also brings a sense of respecting oneself. This element of self-respect brings about routine and discipline in life. It is this discipline that makes adhered to any sort of time management technique that you follow.
Creativity
Among all the benefits of mindfulness, creativity has its own mystic place. Creativity is a process that involves imagination, innovation, and generating novel ideas. Mindfulness practices such as visualization and guided imagery can help teenagers develop their imagination and creativity. By imagining new possibilities and exploring different perspectives, teenagers can expand their creative horizons and generate fresh ideas. It also helps develop a more experimental mindset that is open to trying new things and taking risks. By embracing the uncertainty and ambiguity of the creative process, teenagers can explore new ideas and approaches without fear of failure.
Overall, there are many types of research that suggest that mindfulness practice can be a powerful tool for improving academic performance in teenagers. One study conducted by the University of British Columbia found that mindfulness practice led to significant improvements in academic performance among high school students. The study involved a group of 95 students who were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness-based stress reduction program or a control group. After eight weeks, the students in the mindfulness group showed significant improvements in their grades, compared to the control group.
Two Mindfulness Activities for Teens
Every morning sit down for 10 minutes for deep breathing. Each breath should take you 30 seconds. Inhale, hold, and exhale. Be as Gentle, as slow, and as deep as possible. so in total 20 breaths. 20 breaths a day will do miracles in life. Within two to three weeks, you will start seeing above mentioned benefits trickling in.
Spend time in nature. All of the existence came from the stillness and will merge back into the stillness. Nature reminds us of the stillness. Spend an hour a week or an afternoon every weekend in nature. With the sky, forests/trees, rivers, lakes, ocean, or mountains. They have been there for thousands of years and will stay there for many more to come. This experience connects with the deeper self.
Daily Mindfulness practice improves attention, memory, and cognitive abilities; it reduces stress and anxiety and develops important life skills. Mindfulness can help students achieve their full potential in and out of the classroom. I wish you all the very best.