creating space for meditation when you have a young family
5 September 2016
Last week we got back from an amazing 3 week family holiday in Vietnam. It was such a treat and it gave me just the break I needed. It was also great to have some real quality time with our 4 year old, Noah, before he starts school.
Every day on holiday I made sure I took my usual 20-30 minutes out to Meditate. I knew with 3 weeks away it was essential that I kept it up. for me it was key to a successful and enjoyable family holiday.
At times It was a struggle to fit it in. For some of the time we were all in one bedroom. My husband likes a lie in and my 4 year old loves to get up early with me. Sneaking out of the room early on to get my meditation fix was nearly impossible.
I had to be flexible about when I fitted my session in, often I would wait until later in the day when Noah and Martyn were playing happily in the pool and then sneak off for 30 minutes.
A couple of times I attended a Sunday morning meditation session run by a Buddhist monk, it was 90 minutes long and so gave me a complete reset!
A few times I also made it to yoga classes and the meditation at the end set me up well.
Every time I decided to fit some meditation in it felt like a challenge. Being on holiday meant that my natural inclination was to want to be together. I didn't want to miss out and I didn't want to be selfish. I love my family and part of me felt that perhaps I should just fit in rather than seeking an escape.
However, once I had done my Meditation I valued the time that we had together so much more! I felt relaxed and happy and I could really focus on what was going on. I had some of the best games with Noah and some great times with Martyn. Perfect.
Trying to fit your Meditation in daily is a huge challenge, especially when you have a family. Sometimes you can feel torn, or even guilty taking time for yourself. The thing to remember is that the payback that you and your family feel afterwards really does make it worth it.
