By Robert Schrader | Published on February 28, 2022
A cruise means days away from the office and nights with your family or partner. One way to ensure you're able to recharge and rejuvenate after you set sail is to download some relaxing audiobooks. You can try self-help books that teach you about the art of relaxation or works of fiction that will put your mind and body at ease.
Why Audiobooks Are A Great Way To Relax
When you take a guided meditation or yoga class, the instructor will tell you to focus on just one thing (usually your breathing). It makes sense, then, that listening to a book without having to consciously concentrate on the pages would allow you to find peace and calm. An added benefit of audiobooks is that your headphones will block out ambient background noise, especially if you have a good pair of noise-canceling ones.
Audiobooks have the ability to transport you away from stressors in your life, if only for a few minutes or hours. Whether you can't let go of a trying work situation or you've had a disagreement with a friend or family member, losing yourself in someone else's words (or world, if you choose to listen to a work of fiction) occupies your mind in a productive way.
One way to ensure you're able to recharge and rejuvenate after you set sail is to download some relaxing audiobooks.
How To Meditate In Just 2 Minutes
When you see that "How to Meditate in Just 2 Minutes" was written by Phil Pierce, you might ask why a fitness coach would venture into writing relaxing audiobooks about meditation. As it turns out, Pierce became interested in the subject while studying mixed martial arts. The techniques here focus on quieting the mind and spotlight actionable steps you can take to relax. The suggestions range from simple to more advanced, so if you've tried methods in the past that no longer work, listening to later chapters of this book could be just what you need. Meditation isn't just for Zen aficionados!
How To Relax
The very name "Thich Nhat Hanh" has become synonymous with the mindfulness movement, so it's not a shock that the famous Vietnamese monk's book "How to Relax" is a natural choice to download before you depart. Each section of the book includes a meditation based on Buddhist teachings but explains it in a way that anyone can emulate — even people on cruise ships! If you fully absorb the lessons from this book, it might end up feeling like you've had two vacations in one.
Deep Listening
Its subtitle describes the book as "a healing practice to calm your body, clear your mind and open your heart," and "Deep Listening" harnesses the lessons that revered restorative yoga expert Jillian Prasky has learned over her decades of experience as an instructor. There are 10 steps that you can take to awaken the relaxation within you. Keep in mind that some of the steps are only suggestions — for example, journaling might be helpful if you have the tools available to do so, but you can choose to just sit back and listen.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
The concept of "being present" is now so much a part of the lexicon it's practically cliche, but when University of Massachusetts medical professor Jon Kabat-Zinn published "Wherever You Go, There You Are" in 1994, it was nothing short of revolutionary. When you listen to this audiobook once you retreat to your cruise room (or to your room in a given port of call) after the day's festivities, you'll learn both novel techniques and simple reminders about how to live blissfully in your own body. This might simply be a matter of feeling the rhythm of your own breathing or reminding yourself to be aware of and grateful for your surroundings, which is especially valuable as you explore amazing cruise destinations.
Relaxation Revolution
The brainchild of renowned Harvard Medical School researcher Dr. Herbert Benson, "Relaxation Revolution" includes four decades of Benson's work that have been transformed into one of the most relaxing audiobooks you can find. The central thesis of the book is that a so-called relaxation response exists within the human body in opposition to the more commonly understood fight-or-flight stress response. Fast-forward through any of the science if it bores you but make sure to listen to the later chapters, whose mind-body techniques can help you alleviate a variety of stressors in your life. Even if you aren't particularly stressed, the book can help you proactively cultivate relaxation.
Relax With Fiction Audiobooks
More commonly referred to as "Alice in Wonderland," this 19th-century Lewis Carroll classic follows a young girl named Alice through a strange world filled with talking cats and meter-high mushrooms. Chances are good you're familiar with the story, which is part of why it's one of the more relaxing audiobooks you can download before you cruise. Rather than having to stay fixated on what's happening, you can follow Alice through the looking glass and descend into her world of madness. It's sure to make whatever's got you stressed out in your own life seem a lot tamer, or at least more normal!
The Little Prince
Of course, you don't need to take a fantastical journey in order to relax when you travel. If you listen to Antoine de Saint-Exupery's timeless "The Little Prince," you'll embark on an emotional one instead. Among the wisdom you'll learn from the titular prince, who travels around the universe in search of knowledge, understanding and love, is a piece of advice you can use every day of your life, even if you're simply out on the Seven Seas instead of in the cosmos: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." If you have kids, this could be a good choice for listening together — this book touches hearts of all ages.
Emma
Rather than transporting you to a fantasy world, Jane Austen's 1815 classic "Emma" simply takes you back in time. The novel follows its title protagonist, who is an exuberant young woman navigating life and love during the Georgian period in England. In addition to providing social commentary and a glimpse of life more than two centuries in the past, it's a funny and relatable tale. After all, the best way to relax is often just to laugh!
On The Road
It might seem redundant to listen to an audiobook about travel when you're traveling yourself, but since you'll be on the sea instead of "On the Road," you can make an excuse for this Jack Kerouac classic. The book, which is as much about the journey as the destination, follows a somewhat uptight writer on a journey across late 1950s America with a free-spirited drifter (and his even freer-spirited girlfriend) and is notable for the almost musical form its prose takes, which Kerouac says was inspired by the jazz and be-bop songs of the time as well as by beat poetry. The ending isn't necessarily a happy one, but it is meaningful and moving.
Lord Of The Rings
As is the case with "Alice," J.R.R. Tolkien's seminal tome is a great choice for those in search of relaxing audiobooks because of the unique world (Middle Earth) it depicts. The total length of this audiobook is more than 36 hours, which makes it perfect to listen to for an hour or two each night during a long cruise. The story involves mythical characters like hobbits and dwarves and their quest to destroy the mystical One Ring. If you're taking a shorter cruise, you could consider listening to "The Hobbit" instead.
Other Ways To Relax On Vacation
Other techniques can help you enter a more restful state from the moment you set sail. Maintaining a normal sleep schedule, staying hydrated and eating plenty of nutritious foods are always good ideas. Even if you pull the occasional all-nighter or have a grand family feast, healthy habits keep your body and mind balanced during your cruise, priming you for rest and relaxation.
Audiobooks are only the beginning of how your smartphone or tablet can help you sleep. Apps like Calm, Pacifica and Breathe to Relax were created using research and insights from sleep scientists. Also try to avoid using your device late at night, whether you're on the open sea or enjoying a perfect day at Coco Cay. The "blue light" of a phone or tablet can impact the circadian rhythms that control your body's sleep cycles.
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