Loving-Kindness Meditation for Teens
Meditation is a huge component of the anxiety therapy we provide at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis.
It’s a tool that helps you focus in one what’s important and find a deeper sense of peace, rather than focusing outward on your huge to-do list, the stressors in your life, and all of the things that are keeping you anxious. Our brains can get incredibly caught up in what’s going on and what’s coming up next. Meditation allows us to take a step back and really focus on a bigger picture.
The Loving-Kindness meditation has been around for awhile.
It’s primarily attributed to a pre-Buddhist India, and was most recently popularized by Jon Kabat-Zinn as part of his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction work. But you’ll find lots of versions by lots of people. And like all other meditation practices - or, really, any relaxation practice at all - you can try lots of different versions until you find the one that works best for you.
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
How to incorporate meditation for anxiety:
The best time to meditate is before you’re feeling anxious. It’s like building up your stress reserves. By taking the time to regularly practice meditation, ideally every day, you’re more able to handle the stressors that will inevitably happen to you.
Want more coping skills? Check out Kelseys book, When Anxiety Makes You Angry.
Meditation can also be used, of course, when you’re already feeling stressed and anxious, as a way to take the heat out of the emotion. But this is a big reason why we encourage you to have a robust coping skills toolkit, so that you can have lots of tools at your disposal.
Loving Kindness Meditation Script
Loving Kindness is focused on turning your energy outward rather than inward, cultivating your compassion, and sending out good vibes to the people around you.
While a lot of guided meditations, including the scripts on our blog, are focused on you as an individual, this loving-kindness meditation is focused on the bigger world around you.
Anxiety can get you stuck in your own head. This meditation is a great way to instead focus on helping people around you.
Start in a comfortable seat, or find space to lay down on the ground.
Move some pillows around you, or even cover yourself up with a blanket, and get comfy. You want to check in with all of your muscle groups and let them all soften and sink into the ground, so you can be fully present on the energy we’re creating here.
(Once you review the script, go ahead and gently close your eyes - or, give me a listen, right here)
Take a few deep breaths, breathing deeply in through your nose, and out through your mouth.
We’re going to be bringing loving-kindness to the people around you, just as you want to bring loving-kindness to yourself. Right now, we’ll start with you. May you be safe. May you be calm. May you be content. May you be at ease.
I want you to think of someone who is important to you.
Someone who you hold in your heart. Who you want good things for. Who you’re happy to know.
Hold this person in your heart, and to that person, gently share with them, may you be safe. May you be calm. May you be content. May you be at ease.
Next, I want you think of someone else. Someone who maybe you’re not so close with, but who you still appreciate.
Hold them in your heart. And to that person, gently share with them, may you be safe. May you be calm. May you be content. May you be at ease.
And then, think of someone who you barely know at all. Maybe someone you saw in the lunch line. Someone who is two chairs down from you in band.
Hold this person in your heart. And to that person, gently share with them, may you be safe. May you be calm. May you be content. May you be at ease.
Finally, think of all the people you see around you, every day.
To all of them, I want you to radiate this from your heart. May you be safe. May you be calm. May you be content. May you be at ease.
….
Meditation is a great tool for anxiety management
But it doesn’t mean you have to just deal with anxiety on your own. You can always reach out to a therapist or counselor to talk more about your anxiety, figure out what else is going on underneath it, and build a really robust coping skills tool box, including meditation.
Looking for more guided meditation and anxiety therapy posts?
Further reading:
Spotlight on: Attachment Therapist Brandi Wilson
Brandi provides virtual therapy for teens and young adults, and specializes in work exploring your relationships with others. Learn more and book a call here.
Compassionate Counseling St. Louis provides specialized anger management and anxiety therapy in St. Louis for kids, teens, and college students. We love helping with thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We work in Clayton, MO and serve kids, teens, and college students throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Ladue, University City, Town and Country, Webster Groves, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood. You can set up your free phone screening to see if we’re a good fit for your needs right on our website.
