Meditation is almost on everyone’s minds these days. With stressful lives and a not so reassuring world, more and more of us are coming to terms with the fact that the solution to our well being isn’t necessarily going to come externally but rather internally. What if we could be the architects of our own happiness, or at least of our own welfare? This is one of the promises of meditation, even in its popularized acception.
Because, let’s face it, mainstream meditation techniques are a far stretch from what meditation used to be and still is for meditation experts, originally. Yet, it doesn’t mean that the takeaways of this watered-down approach to meditation for the body and soul aren’t worth the effort and dedication. Rather to the contrary, even if making time for meditation just means you’re taking time for yourself, it’s already a victory, in a day and age where sollicitations are plenty and self-neglect is undoubtedly widespread.
Which brings us to our topic of day, making time for meditation, and more precisely, why not make use of our daily commute time to do that? Sure, at first sight meditation and public transportation might sound like a mismatch. Public transportation tends to be associated with adjectives like noisy, smelly at times, crowded, stressful, you name it. But if you think about it, meditation could actually be the perfect solution to turn your vision of public transportation around. Sure it’s not going to make all the unpleasantness go away, but it might just help you cope with it, at least in a way that all of these annoyances don’t take a toll anymore on your mood and well-being.
Consider this, meditation is not a magic spell. It’s not meant to make all your troubles go away. In its right approach, meditation is here to help you face circumstances in a better or at least more detached fashion. And public transportation can definitely use this kind of perspective, right? Besides, rather than staring blankly at your smartphone like everyone else in the metro, trying to refresh—over a flaky network—your (anxiety-inducing) newsfeed or (comparison-inducing aka thief of joy) social media feed, why not use this forced downtime to unwind and meditate?
If you are already versed in meditation you can probably do it on the spot. Now, if you need a little push, you can consider using a book and even some music to block out the background noise. And for smartphone enthusiasts that really can’t do without their technology fill during their commute, why not switch news or social app habits for a meditation app? There are countless trustworthy candidates out there which are certain to put you on the right track for relaxation, whether they consist of podcasts, guided meditations, breathing techniques, it’s up to you to find what works best for you.
And, last but not least, remember that a little goes a long way. Even if you start a meditation routine, on public transportation or anywhere else for that matter, with just five minutes daily, consider it a start—pat yourself on the shoulder for it, and look at it as a step towards caring better for yourself. Don’t push yourself when it comes to meditation, this would be going against all the benefits it’s supposed to bring your way.
*this is demo content