Hello.
This is a 10-minute meditation to help you travel lightly.
Travelling,
Or being in transit from one destination to another,
Has many moving parts and experiences out of your control.
This,
Combined with sometimes sterile-feeling,
Brightly-lit,
Busy environments,
Can busy the mind and affect the nervous system.
You may be a buzzy,
Excited,
Or impatient traveller.
You may be weary,
Sad,
Or resentful to travel.
Either way,
This is what's happening right now,
At this moment.
This meditation will help you to ground,
Notice,
And accept the parts of travel that you cannot control or change,
And bring curious awareness to what is around you.
As best you can,
Sit up straight.
If you're on a chair,
Feel your back nestled at the angle where the chair back meets the seat.
Feel the back of the seat supporting your spine to stay straight,
Yet not tense.
Feel the seat of the chair supporting the backs of your legs.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Push your feet into the ground and breathe.
Let us take a few breaths,
In and out together,
To really arrive at this place.
You are welcome here.
Are you ready?
Breathing in and out through your nose,
To the count of four.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Briefly hold your breath at the top of the in count,
And then breathe out slow and steady.
Let us repeat that three more times.
In.
That's it.
No one even need know that you're doing this meditation.
Now,
Bring your attention to where you are at this very moment.
You may be in a bus station waiting for the connection to your destination.
You may be starting out on your journey for the day,
With the whole day laid out ahead of you,
Without knowing what will happen or where events will take you.
You may be tired at the end of the day,
Having travelled across land,
Air,
Or sea.
However you got here,
Take in your surroundings to help ground.
Notice.
Tell yourself,
I am here.
Bring your mind to where you are and be here,
Now.
Allow your eye to travel around your location,
And let it be drawn to rest on one thing.
What is that thing?
Exquisitely notice every detail.
For example,
If it is a sign,
Notice where the sign is positioned.
Its location,
Size,
Shape,
Colour—notice everything you can about it.
And once you've done it,
Try to notice something you didn't notice the first time you looked.
What is that thing you didn't see the first time?
Label it,
Without analysing it,
If you can.
I'd like you to continue to do this twice more.
Allow your eyes to move on from the first item and see where they're drawn to.
Where would they like to rest?
Rest on that item or thing,
And notice.
Take a little time.
Next,
If you feel comfortable,
Close your eyes,
But if this is not available to you at the moment,
Soften and lower your gaze.
I now invite you to listen to what noises are going on around you.
Can you hear the steady hum of activity of people passing through on their way to their own destinations?
Is it a quiet corner,
Or a room away from the main hustle and bustle?
Can you hear the announcements?
Just notice.
You don't need to tune into the content of what is being said,
Or identify the detail of the noises you're hearing.
Simply name them and move on to the next sound.
Do this for two further things that you can hear.
I'll wait for you.
Lastly,
I invite you to think about the energy that's surrounding you,
And by this,
I mean what feel you get of the place that you're in.
Perhaps it's an airport lounge—high energy,
High chatter,
Excitement as people embark on a new adventure.
Or perhaps you're on a plane,
Or a boat,
On a night passage with the steady drone of the engines in your subliminal consciousness.
What is the energy like?
Are people sleeping,
Or quietly watching films,
Or listening to their phones?
Just notice,
And notice if you can,
As if you were an observer,
As if you were watching yourself,
Noticing the energy.
Rest your mind for a while and watch yourself.
Watch the energy.
Breathe.
If your mind gets distracted,
You always have your breath to come back to.
Breathe.
There.
Now,
We are going to bring ourselves back into our bodies.
Start by taking a long,
Deep breath in,
And releasing.
Let us breathe deeply,
Twice more.
Release.
Release.
Wiggle your toes and fingers.
Stretch and yawn,
And if you close them,
Gently open your eyes and look around at your surroundings.
Safe travels.
