If you’re planning a visit to Iceland, you doubtless have plans to go to the new springs, some waterfalls and perhaps a volcano or glacier. However, one factor that you just may not have in your itinerary simply but — however that you must actually add? Meditation.
Whether you’ve by no means meditated earlier than otherwise you’re a long-time meditation practitioner, meditating in Iceland might be an enriching and rewarding expertise. Here’s why, and how one can go about experiencing Iceland meditation each throughout your journey and later (or now!), at residence.
What Makes Iceland the Perfect Place to Meditate?
Meditation provides a spread of advantages, each bodily and religious. Meditation helps you to relieve stress, loosen up the physique and reframe the thoughts to be able to higher strategy the struggles and challenges of day-to-day life. And the place higher to expertise that rejuvenating influence than whereas in Iceland on vacation?
Iceland is already extraordinarily well-suited to disconnecting from the concerns of on a regular basis life. A visit to Iceland is commonly stuffed with communion with nature. The dramatic landscapes and surroundings, pure and untouched, unpolluted and clear, from the volcanoes to the ice fields, the Midnight Sun to the Northern Lights — all of it makes for a spectacular spot to cease and actually replicate on what’s vital to you. And past the pure environment, Icelandic society is simply extra geared towards mindfulness and a extra fulfilling lifestyle. In truth, Reykjavik has its personal Mindfulness Centre, which works carefully with the Directorate of Health to implement mindfulness in Iceland’s college methods and different areas, offering assets and coaching to Icelanders who need to reside a extra conscious life.
So, all this thought of, would you agree that getting away to Iceland for some time will enable you to really, deeply loosen up, and are available away refreshed and energised, prepared to tackle no matter life throws at you sooner or later?
Where and How to Meditate in Iceland
If you agree that the concept of meditation in Iceland sounds, frankly, nice, the place and how are you going to truly go about it?
First, you’ll want to come to Iceland (and in the event you can’t simply but, no worries; now we have an at-home answer for you, too). From there, you’ll be able to both select to meditate by yourself or meditate with the assistance of others.
If you are a long-time meditation practitioner, you may certainly need to meditate by yourself, at any time when the temper strikes you throughout your go to. There are quite a few lovely locations to meditate all through our island nation. Whether you need to meditate close to a waterfall, on a seaside, throughout a hike or whereas bathing in one of many Icelandic sizzling springs, there are plentiful choices for you to select from. Some of our favorite meditation spots embrace close to the Skogafoss Waterfall in southern Iceland, on the seaside of Raudasandur within the Westfjords, on a Highlands hike in Landmannalaugar and within the Reyjadalur sizzling springs, not removed from Reykjavik.
If, nevertheless, you’d choose to meditate with the assistance of meditation specialists, you could find particular occasions and workshops that target meditation, led by native Icelandic leaders. Flow provides a few of these such occasions and workshops, together with customised and curated in-person meditation workshops that cowl what precisely meditation is and the way attendees can make the most of meditation to handle stress, enhance focus, get pleasure from higher relaxation and construct stronger relationships.
Flow additionally hosts a particular, yearly retreat that’s open to the general public. This particular retreat features a tour all through Reykjanes that takes you to a number of the greatest and most lovely meditation places in Iceland, with meditation periods held all through the day, in these spots. Beyond the meditations periods, we additionally encourage attendees to pair the occasion with a go to to one of many many Icelandic well being spas, for an much more enjoyable expertise.
Flow even hosts in-person, specially-curated workshops for company teams and firms, for an academic and interactive expertise that focuses in on the subject of your group’s selecting. (You can both select an current workshop program that we provide to your group, or request one thing extra customised.) Beyond the handpicked matter of the day, although, the company workshops additionally embrace a guided meditation and ideas that your workers can use effectively past the one-day occasion, in order that they’ll start training meditation on their very own, of their private lives and likewise at work. We’ve discovered that these workshops are a wonderful addition to a gaggle’s team-building day or outing.
Learn extra and e-book the workshop expertise to your group, right here.
But What if You Can’t Go to Iceland Right Now?
While travelling to Iceland for an all-encompassing meditation retreat amongst a number of the most lovely surroundings on Earth sounds wonderful, we additionally recognise that it’s not possible for everybody. If you’ve already used up your journey funds for the yr, or in the event you simply can’t take the time away from actual life, there are methods that you could replicate the Icelandic meditation expertise with out ever leaving residence.
Here’s how one can expertise meditation in Iceland by way of digital actuality
For people, experiencing meditation in Iceland by way of digital actuality is extremely straightforward. If you could have a VR headset, you should utilize the Flow VR app to immerse your self in lovely Icelandic surroundings and sounds, whereas having fun with guided meditations. You can discover the Flow VR app on Oculus, for Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR; on AspectQuest, for Oculus Quest and Quest 2; and on Steam VR, for Oculus Rift.
However, in the event you don’t have a VR headset, you’ll be able to expertise Icelandic meditation in different methods, from Flow’s cellular app that permits you to take the meditation expertise on the go. It empowers you to meditate at any time when, wherever, so you will get the fast hit of rest and rejuvenation if you want it most. At residence, whereas on public transit, earlier than you go to sleep — there are limitless methods to expertise meditation, all out of your telephone.
Flow’s cellular meditation app options:
- High-quality guided meditations in English and Icelandic
- Stunning nature scenes from throughout Iceland
- Video and immersive 360° footage
- 28-plus meditations to make you’re feeling higher in as little as 4 or 8 minutes
- Hand-picked music and soothing nature sounds
- Customisable experiences by size, music, steering and language
- Ability to observe your progress
Download the app and meditate proper now, through both the Google Play retailer or Apple App retailer.
Find peace of thoughts at work – teleport to Iceland for a meditation retreat in calming nature
If you’re fascinated about introducing the Icelandic meditation expertise to your crew or a gaggle, although, you’ll need to make the most of Flow’s wellness-focused company meditation program, which helps firms increase workers’ psychological well being by way of meditation and Icelandic practices. Flow’s wellness program for company teams comes with:
- VR meditation programming accessible through VR headsets supplied by Flow and shipped to your workplace
- Online workshops accessible to every worker
- Meditation assets accessible to every worker through their private cellular gadgets
- Meditation assets accessible through an internet portal, to be used throughout in-office group periods
Our company companions report a large number of advantages, together with higher stress administration within the workplace, elevated worker focus, elevated productiveness, strengthened collaborative partnerships, larger resilience and higher particular person self-development amongst groups.
Learn extra about how Flow may also help your company atmosphere, with one in every of our wellness packages for work.
What Makes Flow Different?
Whether you select to use Flow’s VR, cellular app or net portal, you’ll get pleasure from a spread of advantages that you just’ll solely discover with Flow.
Pure Icelandic surroundings incorporates volcanoes, lava fields, the Icelandic Highlands, waterfalls and plush inexperienced valleys — all of the scenes that you’d see and expertise throughout a visit to Iceland. As you retain your eyes open throughout this one-of-a-kind meditation expertise, you’ll be able to see all of it. The distinctive surroundings is enhanced by Icelandic music from artists resembling Sigur Ros, GusGus, Of Monsters and Men and Ólafur Arnalds. Guided meditations are even accessible in Icelandic, for an much more genuine expertise, as you hear to the island’s language because it lulls you and guides you thru a meditation like none different you’ve skilled earlier than.
Meditate in Iceland (Either For Real, or Virtually!)
Ready to meditate in Iceland? Whether you’re planning a visit to the island and wish to meditate in particular person, with or with out the assistance of a educated information, otherwise you need to see what all of the hype is about earlier than you e-book that airplane ticket, you are able to do so with Flow’s help. Let us understand how we may also help you meditate in Iceland. Reach out, at data@movement.is.