On Mindful Travel

Travel is, and for a long time has been, one of the greatest tests to my meditation practice. If there has ever been a single place where Murphy’s Law that anything can go wrong, will go wrong is most true, it has to be the airport. But more and more I have been working on changing my perspective to think of travel as one of my greatest teachers. I tell my clients that the meditation on the mats is just practice for real life. We must find a way to maintain that peace of mind and flow in the real world. And I try and also remind myself of this whenever I can!

 

Travel teaches us the important lesson of staying infinitely adaptable. We never know what surprises will occur on our adventures, but it is up to us to decide how the disturbances affect our zen. The path of least resistance: letting go and finding trust in the universe, always helps.

 

To help with the uncertainties of travel, maybe we just need to have the awareness to change our perspective when things go pear-shaped, and the strength to maintain our balance. I hope that you enjoy these mindful travel tips!

 

• Remind yourself, it is meant to be. Whether you miss your flight, your baggage cannot be found, your vegetarian meal request was lost, etc., find the silver lining and laugh at the universe’s wicked sense of humor.
• Join the cloud appreciation club. Challenge yourself for the flight, particularly if it is a short one, to gaze out of your window and come back to the awe that you are flying. You can fly!
• Smile and be kind! Many people who work to make your travel possible have long days and sometimes unpleasant ones. Smiling, even if it is forced, lets your own happy endorphins flow and helps uplift others. So crack a smile and wish the gate agent a great day!
• If you can, travel light. But if the stress of second-guessing yourself becomes overwhelming, it is okay to pack a little extra.
• No laptops before 9AM. Take this time to close your eyes and relax. Set an intention for upcoming business meeting and/or holiday.

 

I hope that these travel tips allow you to stay in the infinitely adaptable mindset. Give yourself the opportunity to grow when you get tested during travels, and hopefully the universe will not give you a repeat test since you already passed it. Or maybe just tuning into this new mindset, the universe will give you a break.

 

As Buddha said, “Learn this from water: loud splashes the brook but the ocean’s depth are calm.”