When we travel, our rituals and routines are often the first things we jettison. Perhaps traveling causes you to be too tired to meditate daily or you have a hard time finding your bearings. This while it can be immensely valuable to meditate while traveling. Not only can meditation help you get grounded in a new place, it also helps you to be present in the here and now. That way you enjoy yourself more and experience less stress.
It can be difficult to maintain your meditation routine while traveling, especially if your schedule is filled with travel days, trips or running after the kids. Still, it is possible to stick to your healthy habit when your environment changes. Here are five tips on how to maintain your meditation routine while traveling.
1. Make meditation a priority
When you're traveling, you can come up with plenty of excuses not to meditate. You're in a different environment, have to stick to a busy travel schedule or simply don't feel like "having" to do anything. This is why you need to be clear on why you want to meditate.
Your "why" should be more important than the excuses not to do it. After all, life is busy and there are always reasons not to do something. Therefore, make meditation a priority. Make a list of the things that are important to you. If this includes "rest" and "mental health," it will be easier to make time for meditation.
2. Meditate right when you wake up
For many people, it works well to meditate right when they wake up. In fact, if we tell ourselves that we will meditate "later" in the day, there is a good chance that it will not happen.
The nice thing is that you don't have to leave your bed to meditate. You can meditate sitting down or even lying down in bed. If you like, you can also put an extra pillow on your stomach to ground yourself.
3. Meditate on the go
If you don't have the time or space to sit in silence for a meditation, you can also meditate when you are on the road (for example, listen to positive affirmations while in the car). If you are on the road a lot, you can also experiment with active forms of meditation. Remember, there is no meditation manual. The only "failed" meditation is the one you didn't do.
Although many people associate travel with busyness and stress, these can actually be moments to pull yourself back and unwind. In the Meditation Moments app, you'll find all kinds of meditations you can do while on the road. Next time you are on the go, try the meditation Just be in the moment to ground yourself and feel content in the here and now.
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4. Create a nice place
If you are staying in a particular location for an extended period of time during your trip, it can help to create a nice place for yourself where you can meditate. For example, you can place a few items here that you brought from home (a meditation cushion, headphones or a candle that you can burn during meditation).
Creating a nice place will remind you to meditate. You can agree with yourself to sit on your cushion every morning before breakfast. Creating your own meditation spot also allows you to find peace in the chaos that may be there when you travel.
5. Be flexible
Traveling often creates unpredictable situations and sometimes it is not possible to create your own meditation spot. At those times, it is important to be flexible. If you are unable to do a meditation, you can also pause briefly before taking another sip of your coffee. It's important to look for ways that work for you and make you feel good.
