Here’s a secret. Before I was ‘The Hostel Girl’ I wrote blogs on every topic under the sun and one of those blogs was about yoga and meditation. It’s actually the only one left on the old internet (I think) and I was recently reminded of it by attending a meditation evening run by a local group who have helped me put together some tips on meditation for travellers.
Southsea Sangha describes themselves as ‘a peer led, open access meditation community which supports those willing to expand their contemplative fitness’.
What that basically means is that they’re a group of people who welcome all other people from the local community to come and hang out with them and practice meditation. Whether you’re a buddhist or a skeptic doesn’t matter, you’re welcome none-the-less.
The group is local to my hometown but I’d never heard of them until I was invited to attend their ‘Evening with Noah Levine’ by Russ. Russ is one of my new buddies on the Photo Walkshops I’ve been attending and said at the end of the evening that joining the Southsea Sangha meditation community has completely changed his life.
And despite the fact that I used to meditate, and used to sell homemade meditation beads as a business… I was still skeptical. Any practice I do I tend to do in private.
But after just a few minutes listening to Daniel’s introduction (he’s the founder of Southsea Sangha) and the keynote speaker Noah Levine, I was reminded how beneficial the practice of meditation is.
Noah Levine (left) and Daniel (right) – Photo by Joe Watson
“Mindfulness works much better if you bring an element of friendliness and compassion” – Noah Levine
My only issue now with meditation, and anything that requires routine, is how to meditate while travelling? So I reached out to Daniel who offered the following tips on meditation for travellers for those of you reading this who are intrigued.
Tips on Meditation for Travellers
Daniel’s Tip #1: Load your iPod or smartphone with dharma talks & meditations
Southsea Sangha were prepared for this! They offer a range of free dharma talks to download and listen to on the go.
And as I enjoyed listening to Noah Levine speak, I decided to see if he had any free dharma talks and meditation podcasts to download. It turns out he does! You can recreate your very own evening with Noah Levine at the following links:
- Noah Levine on Dharma Seed
- Dharma Punx
- Practice as a Rebellion on Audio Dharma
- Noah Levine on Against the Stream
I also found the following sites that offer free dharma and meditation downloads:
- Audio Dharma (I noticed one Redditor describe this as “one of the best Buddhist podcast series out there”)
- Dharma Seed
- This list of Top Podcasts on mindfulness, meditation and Buddhism from OurBusyMinds.com is a great reference
Daniel’s Tip #2: Take a decent dharma book on the road with you – “Heart of the Revolution ain’t bad!”
Heart of the Revolution was written by Noah Levine and is all about the ways in which you can apply Buddhist practices in your every day life.
And not only does Daniel recommend this one, an Amazon reviewer wrote “Have started reading it again I liked it that much.”
Daniel’s Tip #3: Pack a foldable meditation bench – lighter and more compact than a cushion and seconds as a seat around the campfire!
If you’re roadtripping or carrying a big backpack then a folding meditation bench like this one can definitely come in useful for more than just meditation.
But I also thought this inflatable meditation cushion might come in handy for those of you wanted to travel with less space and weight!
Bonus Tip from Me: Carry meditation beads
Despite not having had a meditation practice for years, I still travel with my homemade meditation beads. These ones to be specific. Neither Noah nor Daniel mentioned these on the evening I attended, and I didn’t see anyone with them at the event. But I find them a bit of a comfort (perhaps it’s the influence of my Catholic school education and rosary beads!) and at the very least a lucky charm.
I used to sell mine on Etsy and that’s still the best place to find beautiful unique beads to practice with.
And if you’re still worried that travelling might interfere with a regular meditation practice, here’s one of my favourite quotes from the night:
“I’ve been practicing consistently half-arsed for 28 years and this shit works anyway” – Noah Levine
Do you have a meditation practice? Can you offer more tips on meditation for travellers? Let us know in the comments!
Also, huge thanks to Russ for inviting me, and Daniel for having me along to the event. If you’re local to Portsmouth and Southsea, definitely check out the Southsea Sangha website and join in one of their weekly Sunday practice sessions! I’m travelling a lot this month but I’ll be attending soon…!