In recent years, mindfulness has gone mainstream, reaching many adolescents through school programs and smartphone applications. Yet there is little empirical understanding of what mindfulness practice is like for adolescents. In this talk, I will share the findings of a mixed-methods study that captured adolescents’ experiences as they embarked on a period of intensive mindfulness practice. Implications for adolescent development and contemplative science will be discussed.

Twenty-three youth participated in a 6-day mindfulness retreat and completed self-report surveys, daily diaries, and discussed their experiences during mindfulness practice in focus groups. Qualitative data were analyzed to categorize common patterns of experiences and quantitative data were examined for subgroup differences.

Adolescents reported an array of experiences of distress from cognitive, to emotional, and physical distress during mindfulness practice. They also described a range of well-being experiences from cognitive, to emotional, and to social well-being. The frequency of experiences of distress and well-being reported were relatively balanced overall, yet girls and experienced meditators reported greater distress.

This study paints a descriptive picture of adolescents’ experiences during mindfulness practice and suggests that their experiences might reflect core developmental concerns.