Mindfulness/ Meditation

What is Mindfulness?

The Definition of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses, it’s not something you have to conjure up, you just have to learn how to access it.

While mindfulness is innate, it can be cultivated through proven techniques, particularly seated, walking, standing, and moving meditation (it’s also possible lying down but often leads to sleep); short pauses we insert into everyday life; and merging meditation practice with other activities, such as yoga or sports.

When we meditate it doesn’t help to fixate on the benefits, but rather to just do the practice, and yet there are benefits or no one would do it. When we’re mindful, we reduce stress, enhance performance, gain insight and aware ness through observing our own mind, and increase our attention to others’ well-being.

Mindfulness meditation gives us a time in our lives when we can suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness—to ourselves and others.

Mindful.org

Video- How mindfulness Empowers Us

Mobile Apps

Breathr: Dr. Vo helped to develop this mindfulness app for youth with the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre (British Columbia, Canada). Free for Apple and Android mobile devices!

Stop, Breathe, and Think: Web and mobile app for youth, with meditations for mindfulness and compassion.

Calm.com: Free website and mobile app with guided meditation and relaxation exercises.

Insight Timer: Free mobile app with virtual “bells” to time and support your meditations, and access to lots of guided meditations by many different meditation teachers (including Dr. Vo).

Plum Village: Zen Meditation. Free app for iOS, loaded with beautiful meditations and teachings in the Plum Village / Thich Nhat Hanh tradition.

MindShift: Free mobile app for teens developed by AnxietyBC, with mindfulness and other coping skills for anxiety.

Smiling Mind: Free mobile mindfulness app for young people, from Australia.

Headspace: “Meditation made simple.” This app has a free introductory period, after which it requires a paid subscription to continue to use.

Guided Mindfulness Meditation Recordings

In addition to mindfulnessforteen.com’s free guided meditations, here are a few more recordings:

Mindful.org’s “Audio Resources for Guided Meditations” collection: Online, free guided meditations.

Breath counting meditation.  https://www.mindful.org/a-mindful-breath-counting-practice-for-teens-and-tweens/

Great resource page with multiple links  Guided Mindfulness MeditationsGrades:9-12