With the surge of online activity and social media notifications, people have grown accustomed to daily disruptions from cell phones. Conversations and media come in quick jolts in today’s soundbite society to grab attention before the reader or listener moves on to the next tab or text message. Mindfulness meditation therapy strives to bring our attention to the present. From intentional breathing to tuning into the task at hand, when we calm our minds and focus our attention, we more fully experience our lives. HillsideCares can help you discover how mindfulness meditation techniques may be incorporated into therapy when looking for behavioral health services for teens in Los Angeles, California.
Holistic Therapy
Mindfulness meditation is a holistic therapy or wellness practice dedicated to mind, body, and spirit. Treating the whole person, holistic therapies acknowledge the interconnectedness of our experience. Often indicated for depression, stress, and anxiety, holistic mindfulness tools teach us to remain present and intentional. These tools can include:
- Deep breaths – By slowing racing thoughts and bringing focus to the sensation of breathing, we cultivate awareness of the moment and just being. Counting or repeating meaningful words can accompany simple breathing, giving the mind a different meditative tool to consider. Simply listening to our breath keeps us more grounded in our bodies and minds.
- Increased awareness – Mindfulness meditation hinges on observing thoughts and feelings as they arise, without attachment. Cultivating the ability to accept where we are and how we’re feeling at any given moment helps us detach from investing in any one mood or emotion.
- Equilibrium – Focusing on the here and now through increased awareness helps us manage overwhelming feelings and seemingly insurmountable life challenges. Anxiety often leads to preoccupation with the future, those “what-if” scenarios; in contrast, mindfulness meditation therapy encourages a connection with the present. By staying tethered to our breath and current experience, we reduce anxiety about things to come and regain a sense of emotional equilibrium.
Mindfulness Meditation Techniques
In addition to concentrated breathing and heightening awareness, there are additional tools for cultivating a present-tense mindset.
Live Life Through the Five Senses
A powerful literary tool, imagery involves describing experience through sensations. Similarly, experiencing our presence through taste, touch, sound, sight, and smell brings us further into the moment. By dedicating time to observing the world through our physical senses, we can become more attuned to our own unfolding experiences.
Body Scan Techniques
Increasing awareness of our breath and physical presence helps us feel grounded. A body scan helps further that connection. Focusing attention on the length of our body, either lying down or standing, cultivates more time spent in awareness. Notice any aches or pains, and acknowledge each limb and joint. When emotions or connections arise, observe them and continue to scan.
Timed Meditation
Setting a timer might seem disruptive, but a new meditation practice can benefit from a fixed time frame for focus. It’s tough to unplug and let go of distractions; knowing it’s for a set amount of time can help us stay more present. With mindfulness meditation therapy, we learn to let thoughts pass. Think them, note them, then return to our focus.
Walking Meditation
Like any timed or prone meditation, walking meditation also uses breath and awareness to connect us to our experience. Noting the sounds of birds or the smells of an outdoor market deepens our understanding of the world around us.
Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation Therapy for Teens
The adolescent years are rife with challenges, including grappling with peer pressure, academic demands, social anxiety, and hormonal fluctuations. Combine an addiction to cell phones, social media usage, and epidemic-related isolation. Behavioral health problems in youths may be severe.
Mindfulness meditation therapy has been shown to help teenagers cope with multiple issues in their lives. Greater attention allows teens to control their emotions. Focusing on developing concentration also serves as a practice of being present. Participating in mindful meditation therapy offers a teen better sleep, a regulated appetite, and more engagement at school and work, which are also natural byproducts of increased mindfulness.
Get Support with Behavioral Health Services for Teens in Los Angeles at HillsidesCares
If you’re looking for mindfulness meditation therapy for teenagers, look into HillsidesCares. Our behavioral health services for teens involve a variety of holistic therapies that build confidence, acceptance, and tolerance for shifting thoughts and moods. By becoming more grounded in the present, we become better equipped to deal with future uncertainty. Discover our mindfulness meditation therapy program in Los Angeles, CA, and some of our other effective treatments for your teenager. Call us at 323.641.4842 to speak to our team.