Teaching Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga to Teens
published 7/1/18; updated 3/13/23
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
by Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org
I've discovered a pretty wide range of perspectives on issues like what should and shouldn't be included in a mindfulness class and how much training teachers should have.
However, there appears to be consensus among experienced mindfulness teachers on the following points:
It's essential to practice what you teach.
The presence and authenticity of the instructor are far more important than finding the right 'mindfulness script' for a particular student population.
Given the level of hype and misinformation about mindfulness, it's not unusual to get some pushback from students or their parents.
They may be skeptical about whether it really works or worried it might conflict with their religious beliefs. Be prepared to calmly discuss these types of concerns.
It's important to show compassion and flexibility with resistant youth.
You don't always know the trauma histories of your students or what might be stressful or triggering for them. They might have good reasons for not wanting to close their eyes, discuss personal information, or engage in some other part of the lesson.
Best Practices in Teaching Mindfulness to Teens
Amy Edelstein of The Inner Strength Foundation explains their trauma-informed, culturally-responsive mindfulness program, which is integrated with academic content:
Tips for Teaching Adolescents
The following articles have good suggestions for introducing mindfulness to adolescents and engaging those who might be reluctant to participate.
Eight Principles of Teaching Mindfulness Meditation to Adolescents by Dr. Sam Himelstein of the Center for Adolescent Studies
Eight Tips for Teaching Mindfulness in High School by Patrick Cook-Deegan at Greater Good
How to Support Your Teen's Meditation Practice by Gina Biegel at Tricycle.org
Mindfulness in High School: A teacher shares how she implements daily mindful moments and their positive impact on classroom culture, by Mary Davenport at Edutopia.
What's Going On Inside the Teen Brain by Barry Boyce at Mindful.org
The Teen Brain: How Schools Can Help Students Manage Emotions and Make Better Decisions by Sarah D. Sparks at Education Week.
Teaching Mindfulness to Teens: 5 Ways to Get "Buy-In" by Sarah Ruddell Beach at Left Brain Buddha. (There are some great resources on this site that are entirely appropriate for secular contexts. However, if you teach at a public school, be very cautious about any mention at all of the Buddha, as it could raise red flags for certain students or their parents. See Can Christians Practice Mindfulness? That's the Wrong Question.)
The Benefits of Mindfulness for Teens
As I mentioned in a post on Three Challenging Questions about the Benefits of Mindfulness,
“One issue with the research is trying to compare results when there are there are so many different understandings of what is being measured and how. Are we talking about a brain scan of a Buddhist monk with decades of different types of meditation experiences, or are we talking about a survey of teens enrolled in a mindfulness program at their school?”
Peace in Schools has a moving series of videos with teens from different backgrounds explaining in their own words how they've benefited from their Mindful Studies classes. (Do keep in mind that this is in the context of an established program with culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed instructors. Peace in Schools director Caverly Morgan discusses their approach in an interview on Teaching For-Credit Mindfulness Classes.)
If you'd like to know how your own students are benefiting from mindfulness:
The Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure, developed by Dr. Ruth Baer, is a research-based self-assessment;
Survey Says… Mindfulness Works! Quick and Easy Ways to Collect Data to Support Your Program, by Jana York, provides useful guidance on how to show stakeholders the impact of your program.
Yoga for Teens
In 5 Things to Remember When Teaching Yoga to Teens Kate Reil writes that:
"The practice of yoga offers adolescents a discipline for discovering who they truly are... If you have experience teaching yoga to adults and are interested in learning how to teach teens, I would encourage you to let go of what you think you know. Yoga for teens is quite a different experience."
In an interview on Calming Young Minds, psychotherapist Sherri Snyder-Roche discusses how yoga can be integrated with mindfulness, art, and other approaches to help youth recover from anxiety and self-criticism.
How is Teen Yoga Different from Adult Yoga, by Abby Wills at Shanti Generation
My Goal in Heart, Mind, and Body: How Yoga and Mindfulness Can Support Life Goals: a lesson plan by Abby Wills designed to
1) help students set positive, conscious goals for their lives; and
2) help them discover how their yoga and mindfulness practice can support them through the inevitable obstacles life will present.
Integrating Mindfulness with Academic Content
Ira Rabois, author of Compassionate Critical Thinking, shares the strategies he used while teaching English, Philosophy, Drama, History, and Psychology:
5 Improvisational Mindfulness Activities for Academic Classes
Mindful Listening: Only If You Listen Can You Hear (teaching students how to participate respectfully in a discussion or a debate)
Using Mindfulness and Empathic Imagination in Teaching Myths
The following posts have discussion questions that might be appropriate for your students:
Mindful or Mindless? analyzing characters in books and movies
THINK Before You Speak 1 and THINK Before You Speak 2 are worksheets with brief examples of skillful and unskillful speech
Mindfulness and Happiness and The Power of Forgiveness are collections of quotations with suggested discussion topics.
Trauma-Informed Teaching
Fortunately this has been changing in recent years, but when I got my MA in teaching there wasn't the slightest mention of trauma. After listening to heart-breaking stories from my students and colleagues over the years, I believe that being trauma-informed is one of the most important qualifications for teaching any subject.
The following articles are a good place to start:
Eight Principles of Trauma-Informed Yoga and Mindfulness Teaching by Robyn Hussa Farrell, E-RYT
Teaching Yoga and Mindfulness to Students Affected by Trauma and Violence (interview with Danielle Ancin of the Niroga Institute)
Training Compassionate Educators to Respond to Childhood Trauma by Dr. Jennifer Parker of the Child Protection Training Center
A Very Brief Introduction to How Trauma Affects the Brain by Dr. Sam Himelstein of the Center for Adolescent Studies
Dr. Himelstein also has a book and online course on Trauma-Informed Mindfulness with Teens: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals.
Additional Resources
Teaching Meditation to Teens Who Have the Giggles ('Still Chillen' Game) by Dr. Sam Himelstein at the Center for Adolescent Studies blog
Dr. Dzung Vo has a List of Mindfulness Resources at MindfulnessforTeens.com, including apps, books, recordings, retreats, and websites.
Dr. Vo also has a series of Guided Meditations for Teens
I think these are equally appropriate for adults; in fact, when I use guided meditations in my own personal practice I tend to choose the ones from this site.
Conclusion
This curated collection of resources is intended to give you a variety of activities and approaches to teaching mindfulness to teens. As with teaching mindfulness to adults (or really, with teaching anything to anyone), think carefully about your context and make whatever adjustments seem most appropriate to your specific group of students.
About the Author
Catharine Hannay, M.A., is the founder of MindfulTeachers.org and the author of Being You: A Girl’s Guide to Mindfulness, a workbook for teen girls on mindfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance. She was a teacher for twenty years, including a dozen years in the Intensive English Program at Georgetown University, and now works as a writer and editor specializing in mindfulness, effective communication, and mental health. CatharineHannay.com
Related Posts
There are many more resources on teaching mindfulness and yoga here at MindfulTeachers.org, including the following posts: