Where do you sneak in moments of meditation when life is crazy busy and you can't get away?
karasti
BreathingMinnesota Moderator
This weekend myself and my husband and our 3 kids AND my dad are going on a 10 day vacation. Some of the days will be really busy and filled with crowds, and others will be more laid back and relaxed.
I do quite well meditating in my daily life. Waiting for kids at sports, standing in the checkout line, and so on. But all those things are built into my routine and it's easy to know I will have those times.
This vacation will be something else. Yes, I know all about staying present and mindful. But being quite introverted I am going to need moments that I can stop and breathe just to myself. I will not have much chance other than showering to take myself out of the bustle of our day. But I will need to be able to do it mentally if I am going to survive such a long period of time with so many people in fairly close quarters.
There will no doubt be quiet moments to steal in the car, or walking to the ice machine. But we are doing Disney and Seaworld and some other things where quiet moments will be hard to come by for the entire day. How do you manage situations like that? A few weeks ago we were at the Mall of America, and within 4 hours, I was completely done and needed out before I started punting small children out of my way. The constant echoing and lack of fresh air and natural light really got to me, so thankfully that wouldn't be the case at least during our vacation. But I want to maintain my balance as best I can so I don't lose it and start kicking my children 
(Yes, I am kidding, but I will lose it and snap at them and I don't want to do that on our one dream vacation as a family if I can prevent it).
Comments
@karasti
Most importantly don't worry about it, just check in every now and again...Be present...Use your portable meditation kit (Your lungs and breathing)... Also a quick body scan will help ground you
You and your family enjoy the break....( Remember...There are 24 hours in a day)
when the coffee is brewing is a big one over the years for me. at disney i did sitting waiting for shuttle buses.
Hey @karasti - just remind yourself that right now, you're sort of planning to run up against difficulties finding time to be mindful / meditate, and that like many of life's daily moments, you have to catch as catch can.
Sounds full on @karasti! Good luck.
You may very well be like me when I am out somewhere with my kids. I feel like I have to be keeping an eye on them all the time (they're 5 and 2). No time at all for meditation I'm afraid.
My older ones at least are 18 and 12, so they should be alright. The 6 year old and his diabetes will be a battle the whole time I'm afraid, but we're as prepared as we can be! I will probably find myself doing a lot of body scan meditation at night when everyone falls asleep, lol.
@Shoshin true, yes, thank you. I probably am expecting problems where they don't even exist! It's an overwhelming prospect for me, but I am excited to go and I am sure we will make many memories, even if some are too similar to National Lampoon's style vacation...Even my husband has never seen the ocean, so it'll be a lot of firsts for all of them
That'll make me smile a lot, I am sure.
Wow that's some special vacation...And truly a beginner's mind experience/adventure for your husband and the children...Enjoy (I'm sure you all will)...Why not make enjoyment your meditation practice....
At times like these, the most important quality is to remember(sati). While standing in a queue note standing in queue. When feeling hot, note feeling hot. Whatever is most prominent in the moment whether physical or mental should be noted before taking action.
The process of noting gives space so that one acts instead of reacts to a given situation. Eg. I am getting angry or better still "there is anger" allows the feeling to subside so that one is not getting blindly caught up in the emotion.
Don't need to call this activity meditation. What it is is just mental training (bhavana) on the job called life.
No matter where one goes in New Zealand they are never more than 120 kms from the sea (about one and half hour drive away) In my case I live on a tiny island so I'm surrounded by water (Within 5 minutes walk)....But places like the US, Australia, some live out in the wop wops and might never get to see the sea...Which is hard to fathom ( Excuse the nautical pun)
Also at dawn you could wake up an hour before the kids wake up.
Just an idea. Even 20 minutes to yourself would be so beneficial to you.
Right now.
I know I know . . . there are days especially lately (and even more especially since I began working straight night shift) that a 'good' meditation (ie, I didn't fall asleep in the middle of it) doesn't happen. Then I remind myself I may be missing the point. The point is (for my particular practice) stillness. Just beingness right nowingness
. It's not particularly intense or ritualistic or any of that. But it's interesting that I can sort of just 'do it' right now, even while writing this post.
I can't agree with myself that this is a replacement for formal meditation, but I can't allow myself to get too rigid about it, either.
Mindah Lee Kumar
@karasti Here's your 10 day package of 'on the spot' meditations... You now have no excuse
I personally don't try to wait for quiet moments but try to do the practice right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. It's more difficult than doing it in a quite place all by yourself but I think that's why it's called practice! For example, when you're walking through a crowd of 1,000 people all trying to get on the rollercoaster, instead of focusing attention on breathing in and out, attention is focused on the act of "walking through a crowd of 1,000 people all trying to get on the rollercoaster." which is neither good or bad, it's just a bunch of people trying to get on a rollercoaster. "Quiet" is more a function of your own mind more than it is of the external environment. My teacher calls it "mind sitting" which isn't dependent on what your body is doing.
Thank you, everyone. So grateful for you all! Thanks for the video package @Shoshin!
@Hamsaka LOL "beingness right nowingness" That's great and I will totally remember that!
@seeker242 I will try! I can do that at home pretty readily, I guess I am expecting (darn it!) it to be different without my routine and familiar surroundings. But perhaps it will not. I'll try to stop expecting it'll be harder than it is!
Also, I admit i feel some anxiety and stress over going to Seaworld. It is not a place I really want to give so much money to, but I am the only person that doesn't want to go. My dad has reservations, and has decided we will not see their Shamu show. My oldest son knows of the controversy and actively refuses to watch or read any of the information just because he knows how he will feel. So we will compromise and enjoy the creatures we'd never see otherwise (perhaps rightfully, we don't have a right to get entertainment from them, I don't think) and not give extra money to extra shows or dolphin swimming or our attention to the killer whale shows.
Theory and [gulp] practice ...
One of the reasons to use associations with your formal practice is to bring the symbols into the chaos.
mala: check
mantra playing MP3 player: check
small pocketable Buddha: check
dharma sunglasses: check
sniffable piece of incense: check
Bring on the Mouse
OM MICKY MOUSE PADME HUM
How about simply telling the adults in your situation that you need a little alone time now and then? No need to go into detail: Almost everyone needs a break from everyone else.
I'm sure we will all need breaks, for sure. Getting them might be difficult though. We are traveling in one car, all 6 of us and staying in shared rooms as well. There will probably be more moments than I can think of now as I'm pretty frazzled with all the planning, lol. I would like to just get up a bit earlier than everyone else and take my time in the morning, so I am hopeful I can do that. After 3 days in Mouseland though, we are going to the keys, so that'll be an improvement in environment for me.
@lobster, LOL! I only saw the picture at first and just now saw what you wrote above it. Good idea, it did not cross my mind to bring any of those things. I can wear my mala for sure, and shall find myself a pocket Buddha
Actually, i just looked and they sell the most adorable little pocket Buddhas. I wonder if Buddha will like to ride in my purse with my other good luck tokens: Maggie Simpson lego mini figure and a mini wonder woman, both gifts from my kids. He'll be in good company, lol.
You're bound to be distracted...I mean that's what vacations are all about, right? We go on vacations to distract ourselves from the normal frustrations and hum-drum of our day-to-day existence in this world. So, you're right to expect a challenge in finding the time and impetus to meditate or even be mindful! Best wishes.
When I used to work in very close quarters with other people (think airplane in the sky) I would sneak off into the restrooms and sit for a while and just breathe. Being balanced was more valuable to me than yielding to impatient people pounding on the door
Highly recommend it. At theme parks and stuff you can probably find a nice bench to sit.
"Hammocks are great! You can go lay down in one and close your eyes, and nobody knows you're _not _sleeping!" -Rich Hickey
Very much enjoy the terminology employed by @seeker242 's teacher: "mind sitting" .. will have to remember that one.
Oh and if you have a pair of headphones you can wear them pretty much anywhere. You don't need to play music, but just muffling the external sounds often helps me focus on the inner-space. Musician's trick ;D
"If you have time to be mindful, you have time to meditate." - Ajahn Chac.
This one always works for me. One mindful breath at a time.
That's why fishing is so popular! Astronomy is good too actually.
I just pretend to fall asleep.
"Is fede awake...?"
"No, I think she's sleeping...."
"Shhh! Don't wake her, she must be exhausted....!"
( An inward little smile, and i carry on 'watching my breath'.....)
Ha! That's great @federica I will have to remember that. My husband staunchly supports my napping and ensures the kids find something quiet to do, so I can pull that one off!
I'm going to try this for the next week........
I may well do the same, although I have noticed a discernible shift, since beginning timed, regular meditations.... It's all good....
When you get done worrying all about you...please bring me back a key chain...not one of those thimbles or spoons....and not a T- shirt...oh, and no I don't need another state shot glass...lololololol
Have fun and relax!!!! Afterall, your hair looks great..
...
well there goes the idea of a shot glass with Mickey Ears...hmph!
LOL
It's interesting you said what you did about worrying about me. Today I was walking back from my grandma's and decided my only goal on the trip is to generate happiness and fun and whatever happens, happens. Sometimes the worst moments on vacation are the very best memories later
I worry I will do something to ruin everyone's good time. So, I simply have to not do that. Easy peasy. How silly to think that I have so much control over a trip that has 5 other people going!
Thanks
What about me ? "Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche" (All happiness is, is the heart being free)
May you be happy