We all know how stressful driving can be. From the unpredictable traffic to other drivers’ recklessness, it can take a toll on your mental health. Fortunately, there are ways to meditate while driving safely and beneficially. With the right techniques and preparation, you can learn how to use your time behind the wheel as a chance to relax, improve your focus, and stay alert without compromising on safety. Here are some tips for meditating while driving safely and beneficially:
Many people spend an enormous amount of time behind the wheel. Standing for hours in traffic, yelling at a careless pedestrian, accidentally getting a fine for a metropolitan driver is a familiar thing that leads to serious stress, at best. Hence the logical question arises: how to spend this time with maximum benefit and stay sane and safe?
If you are interested in developing concentration, calm and inner strength, your car can suddenly replace your yoga mat! Try, before jumping behind the wheel and rushing off to run errands, to sit quietly and trace your sensations in your body and mind: get comfortable in your chair, relax your muscles, take a few deep breaths and exhales to calm your nerves and be in the moment. It’s a job for a few minutes, but the outcome of your trip depends on it.
It’s important to be both attentive and relaxed on the road, but it’s not easy to achieve. To help drivers began to produce a kind of audio-meditation type “Conscious Driving”, which with the help of unobtrusive melodies and pleasant voice of the instructor, help to tune in to the relaxation and awareness. So if you’re interested, you can try it.
How to do it
There are other ways available. First of all, instead of the radio, turn on calm, beautiful music. Concentrate on the sensations: your breathing, the pulsation of your heart – look for the silence inside you. Of course you will occasionally indulge in daydreaming, remembering what you need to buy, or scrolling through the events of the past day. So choose a sign beforehand: let it be a traffic light or a speed bump, which will serve as a reminder that you need to return to concentration.
As you travel, also scan your body and keep track of excessively tense places. These could be your hands gripping the steering wheel, clenched jaw, or hunched back. Relax them and remember to pay extra attention to them during your yoga practice. Scan the thoughts that arise in your unpleasant driving moments, work on your reactions and try to kind of observe the negativity rather than respond to it, don’t reflex.
Breathe deeply and measured, calculate how long each of your breaths and exhalations lasts, try to lengthen them. Observe the surroundings, slow down, tune in to find something beautiful. Do not necessarily seek out by all means the beauty of the world, but be prepared to see it.
A separate point – conflict situations on the roads. Be that on whom the vicious circle of road aggression is interrupted: do not respond to insults and harsh attacks, be lenient to people and their weaknesses, smile, give way. Perhaps you will be amazed to see that drivers and pedestrians will also start smiling back at you! Read also about jeep gunrack.
Over time, you’ll notice that driving is again a pleasure, and your skills of calm and concentration will go beyond the car and carry over to your whole life, making it happy and harmonious.
Conclusion
Meditating while driving can be a great way to feel more relaxed and productive behind the wheel, even if you’re stuck in rush-hour traffic. To meditate while driving safely and beneficially, start by focusing on your breathing. If you find yourself losing focus, gently refocus your attention on your inhales and exhales. You can also try visualizing peaceful scenes to help distract yourself from external stressors or listen to calming music or a guided meditation podcast. Finally, remember to stay aware of your surroundings at all times by glancing up from the road every few seconds. By making these simple modifications, you can make any car trip a mindful journey of self-discovery.
