How To Meditate While On Your Commute

Meditation is a great way to calm your mind before and after work. Believe it or not, your commute is the perfect place to do this.

It’s fair to say that it is impossible for the average person to go through their working life without experiencing stress in some shape or form. Unfortunately, mediation may not be the first stress relief they turn to.

However, the best way to combat this stress is by utilizing the time you have before and after work. In the mornings, you can get yourself into a calm headspace, meaning that you’re entering the day refreshed and ready to work. After work, destressing allows you to leave the working day behind you so that you can remain present in the evenings.

If this sounds good to you, then meet your new best friend: meditation. We have all heard about the positive impacts that meditation can have on our physical and mental wellbeing.  Meditating during your commute before or after work means you can devote time to stress-relief without cutting into your precious time with kids and family or general day-to-day tasks.

Listen to a guided meditation

If you have never meditated before, the whole idea can be
quite daunting. It’s difficult to know where to start, how to do it or if
you’re even doing it right.

Guided meditations are perfect for beginners. There is absolutely no hard work involved – all you have to do sit back, relax and follow the instructions. There are plenty to choose from on YouTube, or you can download a specific meditation app directly onto your phone. It’s that simple.

People sitting on a bus
A busy bus or train may not seem like the ideal place to meditate, but it can be done.

Do a body scan

If a guided meditation isn’t your thing, body-scanning is a
very simple form of meditation. As well as this, a body scan allows you to
check in with your body and give yourself the attention you deserve.

To do a body scan, simply close your eyes and gently bring your focus to different parts of your body. Start with your feet and move all the way up to your neck, jawline and scalp. Imagine the different parts of your body relaxing as you focus on them.

This is a very simple technique which is easy to do no
matter where you are.

Listen to the sounds around you

This is a very effective mediation technique if you are in a
noisy environment. When on a bus or train, it can be hard to sit and focus on
your breathing and quieten your mind.

The best way to overcome this obstacle is to simply utilize the sounds around you. To do this, close your eyes and draw all your attention to the sounds you can hear at that moment. This could be someone turning the page of a book, idle chatting or faint music playing out of someone’s earphones.

The point is, when you’re focusing so much on the sounds around you, you are less likely to be thinking about things which might be worrying you.

So, there you have it. Mediation isn’t always done in a dimly
lit room with ocean sounds playing in the background. By using these techniques,
a peaceful mind can be achieved just about anywhere and everywhere.

Sophie Gavin

Sophie is the Junior Content Executive at Family Friendly HQ.

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