Mindfulness resources for teens

Have you been thinking of trying mindfulness exercises to help calm you but aren’t sure how to start? Or maybe you have no idea what mindfulness is but are curious what all the hype is about.

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, aware of our emotions, and not overreact to what may be going on around us. Mindfulness has lots of scientifically proven benefits, like better sleep, lower stress, improved attention, healthy weight maintenance, chronic pain management, and helping mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

Given the unusual times we are living in, we could all probably use some of these benefits. We went searching to find the best free and low-cost mindfulness tools that are great for newbies. You don’t need to be a mindfulness expert to feel the benefits.

Happy relaxing!

Morning MeditOceans — Guided Meditations with the Jellies from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/stories/guided-mindfulness-meditations
Sometimes, the world can feel overwhelming. In times like these, taking a few minutes to breathe can be just what’s needed to return to a centered state of mind. We’re sharing this series of guided meditations so you can join us for relax-ocean anytime you like.

Free Audio Resources for Mindful Meditation
https://www.mindful.org/audio-resources-for-mindfulness-meditation/
Interested in mindfulness, but not sure where to start? There are many meditation apps, audiobooks, and programs available to you — before you get lost in the pile of choices, explore these three basic mindfulness meditations.

Guided Meditation for Teens
http://mindfulnessforteens.com/guided-meditations/
You can practice with these guided meditation recordings from this website, or download them onto your portable device. To get the hang of it, you may wish to try practicing with a particular recording at the same time, every day, for a week. 

13 Minutes Body Scan Meditation For Teens and Adults
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X462QPGZQt4
Body scan meditation is a great way to bring mindfulness to the body. Through practicing the body scan, you can begin to understand how stress and anxiety affect you. 

8 Meditation Apps to Try Now
https://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/meditation-apps-to-try-now
During one of the most stressful times in our recent history, TeenVogue took the task of testing out the most effective apps on the market very seriously. All of them are free to download, and have a solid amount of free meditations to use.