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"It's no secret that teens across the nation are totally and completely stressed out. But in the midst of all the school/family/friend/relationship craziness, there just may be a super easy thing that can help you relax: meditation. No, we're not talking about some hippie dippy chanting ritual here. Meditating is simply a way to calm your mind while improving your overall health.\n\nResearchers recently discovered that meditation can help relieve anxiety, depression, and pain, as well as stress. In fact, doctors are now prescribing (yes, prescribing) meditation to their patients. \"In these times of intense multi-tasking compounded by daily challenges, teens are often sleep-deprived and malnourished, leaving their immune and nervous systems weakened,\" says Amy Shea, a yoga instructor in Santa Monica, California. \"Meditation is a great tool they can use to to find peace within, become more stable, and step into their own independence.\"\n\nIf you're looking to get in touch with your zen side, but don't know where to start, we've got all the answers for you\u2014read on!\n\nWhat is meditation?\n\nMeditation is a way to train your mind to be more conscious, self-aware, and tranquil. People have been meditating for thousands of years, and there are lots of different techniques, but mindfulness mediation\u2014the idea of being present in the moment and clearing your mind of negative thoughts\u2014has become the practice of choice.\n\nIt's been found to help a slew of ailments\u2014from allergies to pain to insomnia\u2014mainly because many medical conditions are worsened by stress, which meditation reduces. According to Amy, practicing its relaxing techniques can improve your overall quality of life. \"Meditation can calm and strengthen the nervous system,\" she says. \"It can also help you become more focused and attentive and boost your self-esteem.\"\n\nDo you have to be religious to meditate?\n\nAbsolutely not! Though meditation is popular among many religious groups, meditating itself is not religious. It's purely a mental activity.\n\nHow does it work?\n\nMeditation is insanely simple and starts with breathing. \"One of the most effective ways to begin a meditation ercise is to become aware of the breath,\" Amy explains. \"Performing deep breathing ercises helps the mind become focused and clear and eases feelings of stress and anxiety.\"\n\nDo your best to block out distractions (put down that phone!) and concentrate on the act of meditating. Amy suggests sitting in a comfortable position, closing your eyes, and taking notice of your breathing patterns. \"Take a long, slow, deep breath through the nose to fill the belly and lungs up with air, hold it in briefly, and then exhale it all,\" she says, noting you can repeat this as many times as you like. Yep, that's really all there is to it.\n\nCan I do it anywhere?\n\nYes! You can mediate wherever and whenever you want: inside your car, on a break between classes, at the gym\u2014wherever you feel the most comfortable.\n\nHow often should I meditate?\n\nAs often as you want. Start with taking just five minutes every day to sit, breathe, and focus, and then gradually work your way up to 10, 15, or even 20 minutes. Meditating for just a few minutes a day has shown to significantly impact overall health.\n\nAlso, a good rule of thumb is to practice when you're feeling out of sorts, regardless of what kind of meditation schedule you've set. \"This is a great tool to use when you feel anger or negativity,\" Amy explains. \"Before reacting to someone or something, pause, and try the simple breathing technique.\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.teenvogue.com/story/meditation>