Hammock Meditation: A Practical Guide

? @travelparade

What does Meditation mean to you?

What do you think that people do when they are meditating?

What about Hammock Meditation, do you believe it is an easy or a hard thing to do?

There are many myths around meditation, so this Practical Guide will first clarify those myths and then help you identify the best practice for your profile.

‘At a Glance – Our top picks’

By the way, have you ever considered that meditation might be a kind of art? Well, for me,

Meditation is the art of being present in the moment.

If you’re able to see it that way, practice meditation might become easier. Especially Hammock Meditation.

Isn’t it easy to be completely present in your Hammock once it starts gently swinging with the wind and waves, in that hammock over the water like in the picture, appreciating a beautiful sunset and hearing the sounds of the sea and birds around you?

Were you able to picture yourself there?

I’ll tell you a secret now: only by imagining this scene, you’re already practicing a type of meditation.

Do you realize what a powerful tool for meditating a Hammock is?

So, if you don’t have one yet, please, give yourself this blissful gift.

And don’t worry, I’ll help you to choose the best hammock according to your favorite meditation style!

First of all, let’s clarify something about meditation:

See this Buddhist monk sitting with legs crossed?

Well, yes, he’s probably meditating. But no, this is not the only way one can meditate.

So if you’re one of those people who expressly can’t meditate because you’re not able to be sitting still for more than 5 minutes, welcome to modernity!

Most importantly, do not worry: there is a meditation on the menu for you too!

It’s all about your state of mind.

Whenever you’re able to be with your mind present, without navigating by past events or floating over future possibilities, you’re meditating.

Some people also call that a “state of flow”. It’s like nothing else matters, just that one moment you’re living.

It is what happens when two people are in love, or when you are so determined by accomplishing something that you see nothing else but your target being reached.

Also, when you’re in Nature, don’t you feel it’s easier to be in that state?

Nature has this (natural) ability of reminding us that life is what happens in this unmeasurable fraction of time, in between past and future milliseconds.

• The tree changes when a single leaf falls;

• A butterfly starts its life in the exact moment that it abandons the cocoon;

• Your whole life can change in a glimpse of a moment.

Do you realize that life and death are happening all the time around us and that we are part of this orchestra of life?

Understanding this, without thinking about it, is meditating.

In summary, meditating is the same thing as living your life right here and right now.

Now, my dear hammocker friend, isn’t that exactly what you do when you’re hammocking? (if not, dude/sis, you’re wasting a lot of potential from your hammock and we’re fixing this now!)

For pedagogical reasons, I’ll divide meditation into three categories:

Intentional, non-intentional and active meditation. Let’s understand the different styles within them.

INTENTIONAL MEDITATION

This is when you expressly decide to take some time to meditate.

It usually includes the use of a tool to help you doing so, as most people are not able to just sit still like monks and meditate for hours.

Intentional Meditation does not require a minimum or maximum amount of time nor a specialization course.

If you’re able to take short pauses during the day for quick meditations, or if you decide to meditate for one entire hour, it is up to you and your lifestyle.

Intentional Meditation practices may include:

• chanting mantras or affirmations;

• listening to relaxing music or waves;

• visualization;

• guided meditation audios;

• meditation classes;

• insightful thoughts about one particular abstract subject;

• sit still and allow your 5 senses to feel what is going on around you;

• no matter what happens, don’t overthink and don’t judge any thoughts

Once you allow yourself to dedicate a few minutes of your day for calming your mind and actually practicing intentional meditation, you’ll notice improvement.

You may start experiencing some of these benefits:

• You realize that you have been wasting some precious time with unimportant activities (like social media and apps)

• You learn how to prioritize time and energy to what really matters;

• You learn that taking short pauses during the day is very beneficial for overall performance, as it helps you to have better focus;

• You start having insights and creative ideas;

• You start finding the answer for some questions you’ve been asking, and so on

My favorite hammock style for practicing Intentional Meditation is the Cacoon.

I particularly love this Cacoon Songo Moon Hammock model.

It opens in two sides, which will give you a much better view from wherever you are and still gives you the privacy to be in your own cacoon.

NON-INTENTIONAL MEDITATION

There is a very popular word for it these days, which I don’t like using very much for the same reason: mindfulness.

Some people give courses on mindfulness as if it was something hard to achieve and reserved to those who study it, just like meditation was (and still is) – considered something very difficult.

Well, in parts, they are right. Too many people have lost connection with the present and tend to live their lives nostalgic with the past or anxious about the future.

The missed point is: you don’t need to take a mindfulness course.

You already have everything you need to regain consciousness about the present by using the appropriate tools or by cultivating the right state of mind.

Here are some benefits from Non-Intentional Meditation, or Mindfulness:

• You get to actually pay attention to what you’re doing;

• Consequently, you perform better;

• You also become a better observer of yourself and your surroundings;

• You’ll know where you made mistakes, giving you the chance for self-improvement and correction;

• By observing other people, you’ll soon start noticing their needs;

• You’ll become more empathetic and altruistic;

• You’ll have the opportunity to become your better version every day.

Mindfulness is all about releasing your mind from external distractions and doing the one and only thing that you are doing this exact moment.

• If you’re reading this article, you’re reading it, and not navigating through dozens of other tabs, right? (that’s my dream!)

• If you’re hammocking, well, you’re either hammocking or not enjoying it at all!

This leads me to a thought:

Hammocking is the art of meditating in a hammock!

Philosophies aside, my favorite hammock style for mindful hammocking is the Camping Hammock.

It reminds me of when I was a girl scout. If you have ever gone camping, you know that you have to be present and observe things around you, especially if there’s the possibility of a bear approaching your camping site.

As I said before, life and death are happening all the time in Nature, and once you’re camping, you’re exposed to it. So it is an awesome way to explore mindfulness at its best!

My favorite hammock model for camping is this ETROL 2 in 1 Large Camping Hammock with Mosquito Net.

Tip: If it gets too hard to be present, just open the mosquito net, and the bugs will help you to be very present in the moment of being eaten alive!

ACTIVE MEDITATION

At last, but not least amazing, I present you the Active Meditation style

This is all about moving your body and exercising consciously. I’m not talking about some mechanical workout though.

Here are some tips on how to practice Active Meditation:

• Choose an activity that you really enjoy doing;

• Focus only on doing it the best you can;

• Observe your strengths and limitations;

• Accept your limitations, but do not resign to them;

• Challenge yourself to overcome your limits little by little;

• Stop when you feel like you can hurt yourself if you go any further.

Some benefits from Active Meditation are:

• Improves your health and body condition;

• Improves your mind focus;

• Exercises determination and perseverance;

• Teaches you self awareness and self-respect;

• Helps you to overcome your own limits without hurting yourself;

AERIAL YOGA

Meditation is what Yoga is all about, the reason why it has become the ultimate expression of meditation in western culture.

Through body movements that require strength, balance and focus combined with breathing exercises that challenge our misused lungs, we will be practically forced to be present at the moment.

Our senses are stimulated during the entire practice. It also allows you to be more relaxed for Intentional Meditation after you finish exercising.

Yoga is not the only exercise that can bring you to this meditative state of mind. Any exercise or sport that challenges you and brings you to the present moment is a good choice.

For our selection of Meditation Hammocks, I chose the Yoga Hammock or Yoga Swing.

Aerial Yoga is not only an awesome tool for self-awareness and gaining body strength and balance, but it also gives you a very attentive state of mind, as you risk falling over your head if you lose focus.

There are two models and the exercises vary a bit, so you can choose the one that is more appropriate for the kind of exercise you want to do.

You can go with this UpCircleSeven Aerial Yoga Swing with straps and hand brackets

Or this Aerial Silk Yoga Swing, similar to a circus swing that can also serve as a cocoon hammock

So, tell me: what type of meditation did you identify the most with?

Which Meditation Hammock are you buying to start practicing?

I am particularly excited about getting myself one of these Aerial Yoga Hammocks.

Did this quick guide help you to demystify concenpts around meditation and mindfulness? I’ll be happy to read your thoughts in the comments!