How should I teach meditation to my anxious 15 year old son?
Filed Under (Religion & Spirituality) by admin on 28-12-2009
CommanderCrusty asked:
Meditation is easy for me. I grew up with visualization, body scans, guided meditation, counting, breathing, naming thoughts (probably what he needs most) and more. I just don’t know where to start with my son. Any suggestions on teaching or introducing meditation to a teenager? Books? Courses? Videos? Where to start with good old dad? Thank you.
Meditation is easy for me. I grew up with visualization, body scans, guided meditation, counting, breathing, naming thoughts (probably what he needs most) and more. I just don’t know where to start with my son. Any suggestions on teaching or introducing meditation to a teenager? Books? Courses? Videos? Where to start with good old dad? Thank you.
There are plenty of amazing meditation books out there, and im sure you’ll be able to find one that explain things in an easy-to-understand way
If he doesn’t want to learn, you won’t be able to teach him at this stage.
Most martial arts teach focus, so if he’s interested sign him up for a self defence course and he’ll learn it without any pushing.
I also found a cool game(star wars force trainer) that uses a head band to measure your brain waves and by focusing and relaxing, you can raise and lower a ball in a tube.
There’s tons of resources out there for beginner meditation techniques. Heck, even youtube has some decent stuff on meditation you could show to him for free.
Make sure it’s something he’s interested in, though. If he’s anything like me, he just might not be able to get into it that much.
I know the benefits of it, but I just can’t commit to a session and I get bored easily sitting quietly with my eyes closed for more than 5-10 minutes, lol.. Gotta keep my mind and attention on something external. Meditation isn’t for everyone.
Well, I’m not sure what religion you are, but there are a few good ideas in Silver Ravenwolf’s books (they are for Wicca), but the meditations can be done by anybody, and they don’t include having to do witchcraft.
I think that the best way to start is with the observation of the breath, is easy to do, easy to understand and is something that doesn’t need any additional material to read.
If you have done it for some time you can explain to him how to do it.
Also by observing the breath is very easy to deal with anxiety, is very easy to notice, so he can be motivated to continue doing it.
Another option is checking if there’s a center near your place and take him to a one day Anapana course for teens, I added the page to the sources so you can check when are they going to be.
good place to start. Probably best to let him do it by himself. Often15 yr old boys don’t view the guidance of their parents as being as helpful as it is intended to be. It’s tricky.