Meditation is an ancient eastern practice that has gained support as an evidence-based therapy to help treat a variety of disorders. The benefits of meditation are extensive, and including this practice in a holistic therapy program can support positive mental health outcomes and improve quality of life. If your adolescent child is struggling with mental health concerns, a mindfulness meditation therapy program at Imagine Nampa may be able to help. Contact our team by calling 888.503.4604 and help your adolescent get the care they need today.
5 Benefits of Meditation
1. Meditation Teaches Impulse Control
One of the core benefits of meditation is its ability to teach impulse control. During mindfulness meditation, patients are taught to observe their thoughts and impulses rather than acting on them. By recognizing these sensations as fleeting and not demanding your attention, you can learn to be an observer rather than a reactor.
2. Meditation Reduces Stress
The science of meditation and mental health has come a long way. One of the key areas of research where meditation has shown to be tremendously beneficial is stress reduction — an area that is key to an adolescent’s mental health.
Science has shown that mindfulness meditation can reduce the symptoms of stress. Meditation can:
- Reduce the body’s inflammatory response
- Lower cortisol levels
- Help people with stress-related conditions, such as IBS or post-traumatic stress disorder
Importantly, a regular meditation practice can also make you feel better despite outside stressors continuing.
3. Meditation Can Help with Anxiety
Anxiety can be a severe mental health concern that stands in the way of teenagers achieving their full potential. Anxiety affects everyone from time to time, but it might be a sign of an anxiety disorder when it gets in the way of the rest of your life.
Some of the symptoms of anxiety include:
- Racing thoughts
- Hyperventilation
- Elevated heart rate
- Feelings of impending doom
In contrast, meditation teaches a regular practice that produces calming effects. It shows people how to let their thoughts go without latching on to them, control their breathing, and lower their heart rates. Meditation doesn’t stop anxiety outright, but it can provide people with a foundation of calm they can return to while experiencing anxiety.
4. Meditation Can Be Continued Well After Treatment
One of the greatest benefits of meditation is that it requires no specialized equipment, no professional instructor, and is absolutely free. While it is helpful to start meditation with an instructor and learn how meditation and mental health are linked, you can take the practice of meditation with you far after you are finished with treatment.
5. Meditation Enhances Self-Awareness
Lastly, meditation is a holistic therapy that enhances self-awareness. This is actually what the word “mindfulness” refers to. It is a nonjudgmental acceptance of thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Meditation is, essentially, an introspective practice. It involves getting familiar with your body’s thoughts, feelings, and sensations. While many people imagine meditation as “zoning out” or not paying attention, the truth is the exact opposite. You cannot stop your thoughts from occurring, nor can you truly have a perfect focus. Instead, the emphasis is on recognizing each thought and feeling as it occurs, accepting it, and letting it go.
Get Started with Holistic Therapy at Imagine Nampa Today
If you have a child between the ages of 12 and 17 who is dealing with anxiety or other mental health concerns, the team at Imagine Nampa can help. We use several evidence-based treatments to help your child overcome these challenges and get back to flourishing. This includes meditation therapy, trauma therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and much more.
Start the road to recovery today by calling 888.503.4604. Imagine Nampa can help you and your child overcome it no matter the obstacle.