The commute to and from work may be just about the least meditative place in the world.
Now here I'm not going to pretend that you're comfortable.
I'm not going to pretend that your mind is clear.
Many people will say that the commute is the least happy time of their day.
But what if we could alleviate even a fraction of this?
What if we could make the worst part of your day just that little bit better?
What if we could make the body just a little bit more comfortable?
Maybe you're clenching your jaw or furrowing your brow.
Maybe you're holding around your middle so the breath isn't expanding fully.
If you're standing,
Maybe you've locked your knees.
If you're sitting,
Maybe your shoulders are hunching forward.
What adjustments can you make,
However tiny,
To give yourself just a little release?
A little ease?
You can pick up that tension again whenever you want,
But what if,
Just for now,
You simply put it off to one side?
Start to observe your breath.
As you exhale,
Just imagine you are expelling any of that tension that you can.
It may not release quickly or easily.
That's okay.
Just do what you can.
With every exhale,
Any holding softens.
Any tightness releases.
Breathe in.
Imagine you are creating space.
Breathe out,
Soften and release.
Start to follow the trajectory of your breath with your awareness.
Where do you feel the expansion when you inhale?
Where do you feel the falling with the exhale?
Wherever you feel that movement in the body,
Can you start to bring it just a little bit deeper?
Now,
Start breathing exclusively in and out through the nose.
You may have been doing that before.
Or just bring awareness to that fact.
Continue to lengthen the inhale and extend the exhale.
As you continue to slow the breath,
Notice,
Does this bring about any changes in the rest of the physical body?
In your thoughts and feelings?
Now,
Try to follow the trajectory of 10 rounds of breath.
If the mind starts to wander,
Let it go and start back from one.
Get as far as you can with the full appreciation that you are in transit and that the mind wandering pretty much goes with the territory.
Be kind to yourselves.
Letting that go.
How easy or difficult did you find it to keep the mind trained on just one thing?
The world provides us with no shortage of distractions.
Today,
Observe how many times your mind wanders while focusing on a task.
Thank you for listening.
This has been your morning commute meditation and I hope you didn't miss your stop.
