Teens find stress reduction and self awareness. Two benefits of meditation.

If only I had understood the benefits of meditation when I was a teen. All those hormones, all that fear running rampant through my veins. Everything seemed like the end of the world. Heartbreaks cut deeper, frenemies were meaner, all before you had acquired any sort of self awareness. It’s an awkward stage that can result in far too much stress. That’s why the benefits of meditation would be all the more important at this life stage.

Now, a breadth of new research has led more teens to give meditation a try. In fact, seasoned meditator, comedian and author Russell Brand, recently led a meditation at Sala Burton Academic High School in San Francisco. Officials at the high school said that thanks to teen meditation, teen violence has been reduced and academic performance has improved, reported on ABC News.

A 2011 study by a team of researchers at Harvard found that first time meditators were able to grow gray matter in the areas of the brain responsible for self awareness and shrink gray matter in the areas of the brain responsible for stress.

Elisha Goldstein and wife Stephanie developed the Connecting Adolescents to Learning Mindfulness (CALM) program which uses mindfulness to give teens a crash course in how to deal with life’s stress and disappointments. The program takes into account a teen’s shorter attention span by including activities like hiking and music.

“So there’s this incredible opportunity to lay the foundation to experience a sense of personal control, so you cultivate a sense of emotional intelligence and to learn how to connect with people in meaningful ways and that lays the foundation for the adult years that follow,” he said to ABC News.

In the past decade we’ve become so engrossed in our devices and social media. These two distractions along with televisions and working too many hours takes us away from the present moment. We’ve got so much going on that we hardly stop to take a breath, let alone be mindful. But at the same time, there’s also a sense of rebellion against our device-driven world. Meditation is just one aspect of this response. And I can’t think of a more exciting trend.

I can’t even imagine being a teen today in the age of social media. One misstep and it ends up online for the world to see. Bullying has become virtual and as a result, that much more vicious. By providing teens with the tools to deal with their emotions in a thoughtful way we’re setting them up for a much happier existence later in life. It’s difficult for teens to deal with the severity of their emotions. Meditation provides perspective and self awareness for adults and teens alike. I only wish I had known this 15 years ago.

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New research shows the health benefits of meditation both physically and mentally. Publishing in the journal Pschoneuroendocrinolgy, researchers from Wisconsin, Spain, and France have found that mindfulness meditation can cause molecular changes.

I am proof positive of the benefits of meditation. Before I started meditating seven years ago I spent little time in the present moment. I was stressed by the future and hurt by the past, constantly worrying what people thought of me. Meditation has reduced that weight dramatically. It’s made me feel lighter and more engaged in the present moment. And scientists are backing my experiences up with more and more research that shows the health benefits of meditation.

The study followed a group of practiced meditators and a control group of untrained subjects who engaged in quiet non-meditative activities. After eight hours of mindfulness meditation, the meditators showed a range of genetic differences in levels of pro-inflammatory genes.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that shows rapid alterations in gene expression within subjects associated with mindfulness meditation practice,” says study author Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Most interestingly, the changes were observed in genes that are the current targets of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs,” says Perla Kaliman, first author of the article and a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spain (IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS), where the molecular analyses were conducted.

Specifically, the genes in the meditating group showed less inflammation and faster recovery from stressful situations. At the beginning of the research when the two groups were studied, there was no difference in the two groups. However, the study did not look at the longterm impact of mediation, just changes in the two groups after a lengthy period of mediation.

“Our genes are quite dynamic in their expression and these results suggest that the calmness of our mind can actually have a potential influence on their expression,” Davidson says.

It’s all the more reason to add a meditation practice to your life. And it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Consider setting aside 10 minutes each morning. Find a secluded space to sit quietly. Set the alarm on your cell phone, close your eyes, and begin to watch your inhales and exhales. Commit to just a few minutes each day and as you feel comfortable, you can add five minutes. Over time you may even look forward to your meditation.

Meditation doesn’t stop you from thinking, so don’t get aggravated if you can’t stop the slew of thoughts that pop into your mind. Instead, watch your thoughts like a movie, without getting involved in them and attaching emotion. Over time, the relaxation you cultivate during meditation will carry over into your life, reducing stress and its impact on your body.

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Here’s a lesson in how to forgive.

A few months ago I was on the beach with some friends, one of which starting talking about a woman whom I had known in college. She had formerly been a friend who had been so cruel to me I nearly transferred schools. In the midst of the discussion, I realized that the same anger that bubbled up a decade ago was still present. Resentment was like poison flowing through my veins. I needed to forgive her.

We all have the people in our lives that wrong us. In fact, entire societies are wronged on a global level. Recently, I was watching a news show that told the story of a woman who had forgiven the man that murdered her husband in the midst of ethnic genocide in Darfur. She didn’t do it for him, she did it so she could let go of the resentment and her community could begin to move on from the devastation. She knew how to forgive.

Refusing to forgive someone can become the defining feature of your life and it can hinder healthy relationships because you think that everyone is going to wrong you like the person who wronged you in the past.

One of the best ways to let go of resentment is through mindfulness meditation, specifically a form of meditation called loving kindness meditation. The meditation walks you through different people that you need to develop loving kindness towards:

• a respected, beloved person – such as a spiritual teacher;
• 
a dearly beloved – which could be a close family member or friend;
• 
a neutral person – somebody you know, but have no special feelings towards, e.g.: a person who serves you in a shop;
• 
a hostile person – someone you are currently having difficulty with.

The key is acceptance of the person that you’re having difficulty with at the time. Jack Kornfield offers a great loving kindness meditation as part of his beginner meditation audio session.

In the final stage, begin to pray for that person that wronged you. Forgiveness heals and it’s the only way to get over the pain that someone has caused you in life. Learn how to forgive.

“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.” ― Steve Maraboli

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First off, there’ s a distinct difference between being alone and loneliness. After all, you can feel lonely in a crowd full of people. But you’re no longer lonely when you learn the art of solitude. In today’s constantly connected world, being alone can be difficult, but it’s worth making time for this forgotten art.

4 Reasons To Schedule Time for Being Alone

1. It helps you find focus.

I lived at an ashram for 5 weeks and during that time I was by myself more than I had ever been in my life. I was alone in meditation and I was alone in the woods, but I was no longer lonely in life. When I returned to my normal life, I was taken aback by my new found focus. I had a wealth of ideas and knew which direction I wanted to take my writing. Being alone helps you find the focus you need to get the most out of this life you’ve been given.

2. You don’t say things you regret.

How often are you sitting with friends filling conversation with nonsense? I know I’m guilty of it. I say things I don’t mean to fill space. But when you spend ample time by yourself, you miss your friends and family and have worthwhile things to say when you do see them. Basically, when it comes to socializing, we can have too much of a good thing.

3. You practice the art of non-attachment.

When we’re attached to people and things, we’re unhappy when they’re not there. Even when they are around, we’re shaken by the fear of them leaving. But by practicing non-attachment you’re content in both instances–when people are present you’re content, but when they’re not, you’re also content.

4. You can find happiness in the present moment.

In order to find happiness you have to learn to live in the present moment. Lasting happiness cannot be found by living in the past or the future. Learning to live in the present moment means reducing distractions, slowing down, and spending some quality time in solitude. Truly understanding yourself helps you find peace and reduce anxiety.

Schedule solitude in your life–whether it’s a hike, dinner, or movie all by yourself, solitude is a worthwhile proposition. You’re alone, but no longer lonely.

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Nothing could prepare me for living at an ashram.

Here I was, a freelance writer living a few minutes from the beach, with an adoring husband and two lovable cocker spaniels. Yet, even as my life unfolded beyond my expectations, I couldn’t seem to find happiness. Constantly trapped in the past and planning for the future, I found no peace in the present moment. One night in the midst of my insomnia, I decided it was time for a change.

Yoga had always been my way out of a mess. It was the crutch I leaned on when everything else was amiss. But even yoga wasn’t working anymore. I needed to recharge the practice I had long depended for sanity.

So I applied for a Living Yoga Training Program at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville, a yoga community in rural Central Virginia. With few clues of what this journey would entail, my expectations were nil. But in the end, the experience shaped me in ways that I’m only now uncovering.

4 Ways Ashram Living Transformed My Life

1. You can learn a lot about yourself from the way you interact with others.

Ashram living is curious in that it promotes solitude and relationships all at the same time. I lived with two other women, who on the surface, couldn’t have been more different from me. Both were ten years younger, just setting foot into the real world after graduating college. I hadn’t had a roommate beyond my husband for eight years and the thought of bunking with people I had never met before seemed fraught with peril. But the journey would have been vanilla without them. I learned when to shut up and when to talk. I learned when it was worth having an opinion and when letting a conversation pass was key.

2. It’s usually better not to say anything.

I tend to fill space with needless conversation, which means I end up saying things that I don’t mean and things that may hurt those around me. At the ashram you were for the most part shunned for talking bad about others. Of course, it’s not a perfect world, but needless gossip was largely absent from the conversation.

At lunch, daily speakers made mealtime chatter minimal. You could sit at silent tables if you didn’t want to talk at all during meals. I’d be lying if I said that I sat at those tables and I’d also be lying if I didn’t admit that I was a little put off by the mealtime silence at first. But over time I learned to chew instead of chat. I found peace in reading my book instead of talking to my roommates before bed. And more than anything else, I learned that clouding conversations with unnecessary negativity makes you feel as bad as it would the person you’re talking about in the first place.

3. A life without red wine and coffee isn’t a bore.

Living at an ashram means no booze, no coffee, and all vegetarian eats. I’ve long been comfortable on a vegetarian diet. Truth be told, meat isn’t appealing to me–minus a few shrimp and oysters now and then–the texture makes me feel like a dog gnawing on flesh.

But I do dig a glass or two of Old Vine Zinfandel and the thought of life without my whole milk cappuccino each morning seemed daunting. But five weeks later when it was time to go home, I felt blissfully free from my dietary crutches. After having returned to my “normal” life, sipping a happy hour glass of wine doesn’t always feel so authentic. And the impact of caffeine on my body means my intake has been drastically reduced.

4. Living in the present moment takes practice.

At the ashram, we had the option of meditation three times per day. And most days I took advantage of all three sessions. Staying present and enjoying this life you’ve been given, takes work. While animals and babies are well versed in the art of living in the present moment, us adult humans seem to avoid it at all costs. But if there’s one thing I took with me on my journey home, it’s that meditation is a cure-all, and it’s more important than any other aspect of my day. It’s practice for living mindfully in all of my daily pursuits.

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‘Quiet Time’ sounds like disciplinary tool for toddlers, but several San Francisco schools prove that daily meditation can make a world of difference for teenagers as well.

Visitacion Valley Middle School deals with issues common to many inner-city educational institutions: gang activity and shootings are common in the area, and students suffered poverty, unrest, lack of support, and the behavioral issues that come with the territory. School officials tried all the usual tricks to combat truancy, slumping grades, and disrespect for teachers and property, but to no avail. Then, in 2007, they tried something different.

VVMS became the first school in America to implement the Quiet Time program. Launched by the David Lynch Foundation, Quiet Time uses daily meditation to help students improve academic performance while reducing stress and violence in the school environment.

Through this daily meditation program, students and teachers participate in two 15 minute sessions of Transcendental Meditation each day. It’s a ‘quiet time’ during which they simply sit with eyes closed, reflecting on themselves and their day. It does not involve any religion, philosophy, or change in lifestyle. And it’s been a smashing success.

“In the first year of Quiet Time, the number of suspensions [at VVMS] fell by 45 percent,” reports SF Gate. “Within four years, the suspension rate was among the lowest in the city. Daily attendance rates climbed to 98 percent, well above the citywide average. Grade point averages improved markedly.”

No fancy educational consultants. No threats of punishment or bargaining for academic performance. Just daily meditation–giving kids who have very loud, chaotic lives the chance to be quiet and reflective–and the level of stress reduction was palpable. “…in the annual California Healthy Kids Survey, these middle school youngsters recorded the highest happiness levels in San Francisco,” continues SF Gate.

In the years since, three other schools in the San Francisco Bay area have adopted Quiet Time. This daily meditation practice has resulted in student reports of significantly less stress and depression, and greater self-esteem. When compared with schools not participating in the daily meditation program, students have demonstrated rapidly accelerating English and math skills, while teachers report they’re less emotionally exhausted and more resilient. Similar achievements have been reported by school systems in other states as well.

Would your child’s education benefit from daily meditation? Share your thoughts on this program in the comments.

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Image: David Lynch and Russell Brand meditate with students during Quiet Time via delightmakers

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