With appointments, obligations, and emails galore, everyday life isn’t exactly a zen retreat. Luckily, your hot tub can be.
As if your hot tub wasn’t relaxing enough, you can easily take it to the next level with some simple meditation practices.
Here, we’ll share our top four tips for getting the most out of your hot tub meditation sessions:
● Get comfortable.
● Settle into a breathing rhythm.
● Let your thoughts pass you by.
● Don’t force it.
Let’s take a look at each tip in-depth.
1. Get Comfortable
You’re likely already familiar with the traditional meditation pose pictured above. In yoga, it’s known as the lotus position.
Despite its popularity, however, that isn’t the only pose you can meditate in. In fact, you can meditate in just about any pose, as long as you can relax and your body is comfortable.
In your hot tub, you can accomplish this by sitting in your favorite seat or reclining in the lounger. Whether you cross your legs or leave them floating freely is up to you — just go with whatever is most comfortable.
2. Settle Into a Breathing Rhythm
Although you may find it useful to take a few deep breaths to get started, don’t try to make yourself breathe deeply throughout your entire meditation session.
Instead, simply allow yourself to inhale and exhale naturally and effortlessly. As you do so, notice how each breath makes your body feels, from the expansion and relaxation of your lungs to the added buoyancy you’ll experience with every inhale.
You may find it helpful to place a hand on your chest as you settle into a natural breathing pattern, as demonstrated in the photo above.
As you feel your chest rise and fall in and out of the water, this can make it easier for you to notice the physical patterns that emerge with each breath.
3. Let Your Thoughts Pass You By
Thoughts are inevitable: Try as we might, we can never intentionally turn our brains off. With this in mind, it’s important not to get frustrated when you feel your mind starting to wander.
Instead, work towards achieving a meditative state by simply letting your thoughts pass you by.
You might try thinking of each thought as a wave rolling onto the shore before receding back into the ocean.
Or, you could picture each thought as a dandelion seed, blowing by as it’s carried along by a gentle breeze.
What’s important is not your ability to make your thoughts cease to exist. On the contrary, it’s how well you can let go of those thoughts once they’ve arrived.
4. Don’t Force Yourself
Meditation is about relaxing and letting go of your worries, not about forcing yourself to sit still for as long as possible.
So, if you can only comfortably meditate for a few minutes, don’t sweat it. Feel free to call it a day and go back to enjoying your hot tub, whether that’s by reading a book or sipping on a cold drink.
The more you practice meditation, the longer you’ll be able to last, and even a few minutes a day can make a big difference in the long-term.
Hot tub meditation doesn’t require a lot of effort, a big time commitment or even guided lessons.
All you need to do is hop in, enjoy the warm water gliding over your skin and let your worries melt away. What are you waiting for?
