07/ 03/ 2015
I’ve been meditating pretty consistently since the spring. The hard part is finding time to meditate, so I’ve been doing so mainly on my morning commute. So, yes, I’m getting my zen on while riding public transit.
I battled with this at first. I mean how would I ever truly be able to create a peaceful mindset on a crowded, loud, sometimes pungent in an awful way train? But I loved the challenge of it—if I could find my balance in this sort of environment, I could find it anywhere.
A couple months ago, a friend told me about a meditation teacher she really liked. I listened to one of his recordings and one metaphor really stuck with me. He described a sporting event, one that you’re watching on TV. He talked about the commentators and how they can become so overbearing that you miss out on the action. Basically he was explaining the importance of blocking out the commentary so you absorb what’s actually occurring. The voices can become so overbearing that you glaze over, unable to take in the action. Ignoring the commentary. I haven’t mastered this skill by any means, but through meditating on the train, I’m getting a lot of practice.
Why is this so important? In my case, by tuning out the commentary — or the judgements I cast in my own mind — I’m getting closer to being grounded, to listening to myself.
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