It is once again Monday, which for many people means it is time to hit the ground running as we head into a new work week and/or school week. It is also of course time for another installment of Meditation Monday, the weekly series that examines some of the types of meditation, as well as some of the common issues associated with meditation. And being that it is the start of yet another busy week, I figured I would talk about meditation on the go.
And this is an important topic. Many people argue that they don’t have time to meditate. I was once one of those people. In my previous job I thought this was especially true since I regular worked 45-50 hours a week and had two and a half hours of commuting time each day. Yet just because your days are long and tightly scheduled, doesn’t mean you can’t find the time to meditate. You can find the time when are in the shower, mindfully recognizing the sensation of the soap and the water on your body. You can meditate in the car on the way to work, mindful not only of the other cars on the road, but of the people in those cars, people who might be in just as much of a hurry as you. People who might be dealing with just as many struggles as you.
Being mindful about this in my own commute has helped me be more compassionate, reinforcing the idea that you don’t know the battles the other person is facing, so the easiest thing is to just be kind.
And if you take public transportation, that is an even better opportunity to meditate. Sure, you might argue that it is hard to meditate in a crowded, noisy, and sometimes smelly public transit car, but it is merely an opportunity for you to practice your focus. For me, one of the easiest ways was to shift my focus from the noise or the crowd to my reaction, my feelings about the noise or the crowd. By examining my own feelings, questioning them, exploring them, it offers me the opportunity to learn about myself.
And sometimes you won’t be able to block out the distraction and that is okay too. No one expects you to be perfect in each and every meditation session you undertake. It is okay to get distracted, it is merely an opportunity to begin again, either in the next minute, the next hour, or even the next day.
Meditation and mindfulness are things that need regular practice, but that doesn’t mean you have to book yourself an empty room for hours on end, just a few minutes walking into work can help keep you on top of your meditation game. Realizing this has helped me greatly, and now, hopefully it can help you too.
The Dark Tales Project 