Travel Meditation

For the past few years, I have been trying to incorporate meditation into my travels. It seems a little bit cliché to see paradisiacal images with a girl in meditation poses, but the truth is that it’s while traveling that I feel more open and available to do so.

I don’t know why, but there’s something that attracts me to be more connected with myself and with my surroundings when I’m traveling. Perhaps because it makes me more open to what I’m experiencing and helps me to take a good look into my life, how I’m taking it and where I would like it to go.

It has been a slow journey, and I’m far from being an expert on the subject, but in my own way, I have tried to fit meditation into my daily life. And the results haven’t been that bad:

I’ve managed to lower my stress levels, refocusing my attention on what really matters and coming to the conclusion that sometimes I make a storm in a glass of water with things that aren’t even worth it;

I’ve learned to listen to my body and to read the signals that it gives and that can often be important to avoid unpleasant situations;

I’ve been more attentive to my surroundings and enjoying the little things, giving thanks for being where I am, how I am and with whom I am;

I’ve (tried) to relativize fear, which helps me to face situations that are outside my comfort zone.

All of these benefits that I have gained from meditation can be carried into the context of travel.

For me, it has helped me a lot when I go to a different country to face challenges that I’m not used to, like surfing on a beach that I don’t know, in waves that are known for being difficult and dangerous.

Do I get less nervous? Maybe not, but it helps me to have the courage and to relativize (at least in a first approach) the feeling of “life or death” that plagues me in those situations.

As a friend of mine would say “here she comes with the talk about ‘taking that evil off you'”… it may even be just conversation, it may even be something that started as a healthy trend, but for me, it has worked, and with this, I wish to inspire you to also try.

As I began by saying, I have no training in meditation, and I’m far from being a pro in the matter. Quite possibly, I’m just like you, just a traveler trying to make the most out of her travels.

If you are looking for serious guidance, I advise you to look for a professional in the field, because here I can only leave you my own testimony.

In the end, you may find yourself silly and wasting time… or maybe not and end up doing a pleasant activity that brings you smiles and peace of mind.

That said, tell me your opinion about travel meditation, if you usually do it, if you’ve never done it before, if you think it’s just stupid. Everything is valid! Use the comment box below, I’d love to hear your opinion!