Going to the Beach: Figuratively and Virtually

Inspired by our first virtual field trip, we decided to head to the beach for some good ole R&R. Listen to the waves, clear your mind, let the sounds of kids playing fall to the background. I never thought it would happen, but I’ve started practicing mindfulness meditation. Inspired by my husband and the fact that Dan Harris’ 10 Percent Happier app is free for 3 months, I thought, if not now, then when?

This was not my first time at the meditation rodeo. My prior attempts were met with frustration that all I could focus on was how uncomfortable I was, how silly it seemed to focus on breathing, how impossible it seemed to focus on breathing, and my general discouragement and feeling that this wasn’t for me. So what was different this time? First of all, I gave up on sitting. I recline in my bed, and I let myself spend a minute or two adjusting pillows and my body until I’m sufficiently comfortable. Second, Dan Harris confirms most of these prior thoughts and beliefs at the beginning of “The Basics” series of meditations, so they seem like they are necessary and normal, rather than problematic and impossible to overcome. Third, each session of “The Basics” walks you through well, the basics of meditation, and goes seamlessly into a short meditation that lets you practice that idea. And fourth, at the end of that short meditation, the instructor says he’s looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, and you get a check mark, and you see stats of how many sessions, minutes, and days in a row you’ve practiced. This was huge for a numbers gal like myself. And I love check marks! Plus, the instructor is so nice. I don’t want to let him down.

I’m one week in, so there is plenty of time to fail my imagined self, but something seems to be happening. Instead of meditation being something to add in or feel like I should do, I’m actually looking forward to practicing. It’s just like Dan (we’re now on a first name basis) says, when you feel the results, you’re motivated to continue. I can literally feel myself becoming calm and feeling like I have some space* (virtual or figurative or whatever one might call it right now) from the beautiful chaos that is my life and home right now.

And for those of you who are thinking about a literal beach, here are some options for a virtual trip from Kidvision or a 1st grade teacher. Or if you prefer variations on this, you might consider visiting a National Park or Zoo, or glancing at beautiful lake destinations.

Not quite feeling like you’re at the beach? You could break out that sand box, or make some kinetic sand inside, and get inspired to build some castles. If you need some tips, here’s a video!




You might take a soak in a bath, perhaps in a bathing suit for ambiance. Depending on your commitment and bath size, you could add bubbles, wear goggles and search for things at the bottom. Bonus points if you have your kids serve you some special beverages or actually get a chance to do some pleasure reading!

Or maybe you’re more into media making. My friend and her daughter made an awesome stop-motion video about dreaming of summer and pretending to swim under a blue blanket.

And don’t forget about your favorite beach games! Even if you can’t be on the sand, many of these can be played on grass. So grab something and toss it, whether it be a ball, frisbee, or those strings with balls for a ladder toss!

* Space right now is hard to come by. If you’re my neighbor and have been worried that I’m slowly dying on my driveway, just know that I’ve found that the warm driveway, with the sun on my face and headphones in my ears, is a delightful place to find quiet, still, peacefulness… at least for 5 minutes!