People perceive traveling differently. Some prefer to visit the most popular tourist attractions in a country while others would rather enjoy places that are less known. A part of people travels simply because they want to escape from their daily lives for a while, to enjoy what’s beautiful and worthy of admiration in the world. If you find yourself among the latter category, you should learn more about mindful traveling and how it can change your view upon people, cultures and historic places entirely.
Mindfulness has been in the attention of people for a while now, and it holds numerous meanings and definitions. Although it is perceived in so many manners, the principle that is based on remains the same – enjoying the present moment instead of worrying about what happened in the past or what’s about to happen in the future.
In a world that is governed by stress, constant worries, and time-consuming careers, mindful traveling can be the sweet escape everyone needs. Practiced regularly, this activity could help you find a balance between your day-to-day life and your moments of rejoice. Traveling can be tiring instead of relaxing as long as you perceive it as a task, an activity on your everlasting must-do list.
This article will teach you how to enjoy traveling as a mindful experience, based on the advice of people who observed the behavior of thousands of people while they visited another country: the experts from Shaza Hotels. This hotel chain built a reputation for itself through the high-quality services and professionalism that it never ceases to offer to their clients. In time, they’ve learned what mindful traveling really means and how it can be mastered. The best tips from these travel experts were carefully selected and included below. Read this thoroughly and rethink the goals you have for your next trip.
Learn to live a minimalist life
You probably noticed that there are people who carry a lot of luggage with them during holiday vacations. They end up using half or less than half of all the things they’ve carried. The only aspect that should determine the quantity of luggage that you carry with you on a trip is the type of travel you decided to do. In this case, it’s mindful travel. During such trips, you will want to carry as little luggage as possible to your new destination.
Besides the convenience it offers you in terms of saving storage space in the means of transportation that you use, it is one less thing to worry about. People stress over losing their luggage or having it damaged. It would be best to pack lightly. Bring with you the items that you know for sure you are going to use during your trip. Mindfulness is all about focusing on your feelings and experiences instead of thinking about material objects.
Set up a mindfulness practice routine
In order to transform mindfulness into an actual habit, you can’t skip any meditation rounds or write in your journal. Fortunately, mindfulness is easy to practice while you are away. Take advantage of the new places you are visiting to practice your favorite mindfulness activities – praying, yoga, meditation, reciting mantras, making a new entry in your travel journal and so on. Even though your mindfulness routine might not be just as consistent as it would be at home, it’s important not to skip these practices entirely.
On a side note, you should check whether your destination has any spiritual tourist attractions that align with your beliefs and visit them. If you find it difficult to squeeze mindfulness practices in your travel itinerary, you should know that the internet is full of 5-minute mindful activities that you can practice anywhere, even on the go. There’s no excuse for leaving mindfulness at home.
Choose your locations wiser
Some locations will encourage you to enjoy the moment while others might keep you distracted. In certain places, the accent falls on spirituality and discovering your inner self. These places are often selected for pilgrimages or holy events. You should choose the destination based on what you believe in, what you want to achieve on a spiritual plan and so on. Avid yogis usually choose India or Indonesia to reconnect with nature and find their inner peace.
For those who worship Islam and would like to get closer to its founder, visiting the holiest region of Saudi Arabia could be the biggest achievement of their lives. For mindful travel, the experts from Shaza Makkah recommend choosing a location that fits your purpose. Visiting a country that doesn’t mean anything to you or stirs your interest is not worth the investment. Take your time to select destinations that will make you feel like you’ve achieved something important after visiting them, that have the power to change your perception.
Learn how to observe
Instead of planning every little aspect about your trip, take your time to observe. Notice what happens around you – pay attention to the people, to their habits, their culture and so on. Stop assigning each hour to a certain activity. Focus on the excitement of seeing something with your own eyes. Leave your phone and camera aside for a minute and enjoy what you are experiencing in that very moment. Because of how the society dictates how traveling should be, people started to feel pressured to include these steps in their own holidays: taking as many pictures as possible, filming, visiting every existent monument, eating at fancy restaurants and other. When you choose mindful travel, everything changes.
You should focus on the local culture, on what other people can teach you through their various customs and beliefs. Learn how foreigners interact with each other, how they spend their time, how they dress. All these aspects make the experience unique, thus impossible to replace. Leave yourself carried by the beauty of newness and only then you’ll be able to understand what mindful traveling feels like.
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