Wherever you go, there you are
With all the disrupted travel plans going on at the moment, it got me thinking, what is it we are seeking when we go on holiday?
Is it the sun, a sense of a new experience, or just a perceived need to have a break from our often-stressful routine life?
It’s no joke, that life in our modern world is a bit of a perpetual cycle of tending to other people’s priorities, and adrenaline filled commitments and deadlines at times. Juggling family, and work pressure, and always feeling overcommitted can leave us feeling a little glum, and uninspired. We find we are left with only a few scraps of time by the end of the week to relax. When we do get a window to ourselves, we tend to fall for the trap of scrolling away the gaps of any precious down time we do have absorbed in our ‘phone-based life.’
What is it we really are seeking in a holiday?
When we look under the covers at what’s really going on here, perhaps what we are really seeking is to get away from the stressful things we have to deal with.
We want to get away from people pulling on our cardigan tails, we want to get away from the everyday pressures in our household, we want to get away from the gnawing and draining cycle of the daily dysfunction we deal with at work.
A holiday near the beach, another country or wherever, gives us the external circumstances to get some relief, because we are ‘away’ from the environment that gives us stress.
But did you know we can create these conditions within ourselves, so we can get that ‘holiday feeling’ whenever we want?
We carry our baggage with us
In Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book titled “Wherever you go, there you are,” he emphasises that the key to meaningful life lies not in changing your circumstances, but in changing how you relate to them.
The irony of this concept is that, you guessed it - you are always stuck with yourself.
We cannot escape ourselves, our thoughts, or our underlying problems simply by changing our location, our job, or our relationship. The path to true inner peace and freedom is to face personal issues directly rather than trying to outrun them. We have to face them, by turning inwards.
To have inner peace and lasting fulfilment, whether on holiday or not, we have to build within us our own sense of an ‘inner sanctuary.' This sanctuary within, is something we can only find ourselves, within ourselves. We need to build within us a real experience of something that’s flourishing, so that we can meet what is happening in life and truly appreciate it.
“Real happiness is the ability to self-generate a sense of stability, presence and love. It’s the ability to find a source of happiness not dependent on external conditions. It’s our ability to build a sense of inner resource” - Sharon Salzberg, author and Buddhist meditation teacher
So how do we shut all that stressful ‘stuff’ off?
Practice finding your inner sanctuary.
Being able to focus on the here and now is key, being aware of your bodily sensations, thoughts, and external noises, without being attached to them. This can be quite tricky to do at first, so a meditation or mindfulness practice is recommended to help build this skill.
Building your ‘muscle of awareness’ is the practice of paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally - is a fundamental human capacity that we can all learn to develop and can lead to profound sense of healing and wellbeing - both mentally and physically.
We all have a place within us that is perfectly still, perfectly at peace – this is your inner sanctuary. When we practice meditation, we allow our thoughts to subside and we can connect to this place that’s deep within, that’s always with you, within the very core of your being.
Here, you experience true freedom. In your inner sanctuary there is no stress, no mental tension, no fear, no annoyance, no anger, no sadness, just pure self-born joy, deep contentment and inner peace. It’s the deepest part of us, and its all-knowing, caring and wise.
So, rather than longing for somewhere else, can you be fully present right now and enjoy the safety and serenity of your inner sanctuary?
If you would like to learn how to implement meditation and mindfulness in your daily life in this way, contact Jo to book a private yoga session.
Jo Jarden is a personal trainer, yoga teacher, and the founder of Heart and Mind Yoga studio 54 Holmwood Road, Merivale, Christchurch. She has 12 year's experience as personal trainer, yoga teacher, and workshop facilitator including working with:
Business executives
Gyms, group yoga & fitness classes
Farmers and rural settings
Workplace retreats, events, and conferences
Her approach combines both body and mind practices to help people boost their health and general feelings of positivity. She utilises the combination of ancient yoga wisdom and wellbeing science techniques to help people release tension and grow their inner strengths.
Qualifications include:
Certified Yoga Teacher Santosha Yoga Institute, Registered Australian Yoga Alliance 2017
Certificate in Advanced Personal Training, Fit College New Zealand, 2016
Bachelor of Science with Honours Public Health. University of Canterbury, New Zealand 2006
Bachelor of Arts Mass Communication and Psychology. University of Canterbury, New Zealand 2005
BOOK A SESSION WITH JO jo@heartandmindyoga.co.nz, 022 125 3011