“iBme helped me focus more in school and strengthen my relationships with my family. Becoming more mindful has allowed me to have control over my actions and emotions. I even wrote my college essay on my experiences at iBme and how it helped me become a more empathetic person. If everyone in the world could meditate the world would be a happier place. I live a happier and more productive life today than I did before iBme and I am forever grateful for my experiences at the retreat.”

— Lillian, attended Virginia Teen Retreat

“When I was a teen struggling with the lonely and tumultuous experience of adolescence, meditation retreats were a refuge. For a week at a time, I found a sense of belonging, acceptance, and safety I so rarely felt in my everyday life. I learned how to hold myself with kindness and to give myself space to feel challenging emotions. I connected with like-minded teens, and came to understand the universality of human suffering. I also received guidance and support from staff members who served as role models as I questioned my identity and my path. These social and emotional skills built up my resilience to trudge on during those difficult years.

After graduating college and starting full time work at an eating disorder treatment center for teens, I find a renewed and transformed gratitude for my time on iBme retreats. Every day at work, as I encourage teens to sit with uncomfortable emotions, as I guide them to ground themselves in their bodies, and as I ask questions and hold whatever suffering is expressed in the responses, I think “iBme was the best education I’ve ever gotten.” Those tools I gained from my teen years at iBme now serve far beyond my own well-being, and have a tangible impact on the work I do. I feel, in a way, that I am continuing a cycle. Years ago, iBme helped me navigate the unique suffering of adolescence. Now, I am honored to apply what I have learned to support the next generation of teens.”

— Hannah C, attended Colorado and Northern California Teen Retreats