A meditation for the compassionate commuter,
Connecting with others.
This meditation can be done sitting or standing on the tube,
A train,
Bus,
Tram,
Or any other mode of public transportation,
And can be done with eyes open or closed,
Whichever feels most comfortable and safe.
Begin by simply noticing the sensations of pressure and movements where your body is in contact with the seat or floor,
Through the legs,
Feet,
Back,
Or bum.
Can you get a sense of stillness even as you're moving through space?
Connecting with the breath can help you here.
On the in-breath,
Just imagining the whole body relaxing into the space.
On the out-breath,
Allowing the body to drop further into the ground through those points of contact.
For a few moments,
Just allow yourself to gently open to the sounds all around you.
Perhaps you can hear worrying,
Buzzing,
Humming,
Screeching.
The sounds of people all around,
Sharing this space with you.
Also including in your awareness,
Physical sensations.
Vibration,
Movement,
Energy in the body.
A gentle tingling,
Perhaps where your body is in contact with the seat or floor.
In the hands,
Belly,
Around the heart,
In the throat,
Or the head.
Allowing also for any thoughts or emotions that are present just now to arise and pass away.
In the same way as sounds and sensations.
Taking some time to dwell in the fullness of your experience just now.
Noticing if there is anything unpleasant in your experience.
And gently allowing yourself to be with that unpleasantness without needing to fix it.
Can you get curious about what is there?
Leaning into it softly with a kindly awareness.
What about pleasant experiences?
Can you also allow these to be here?
Maybe even allowing yourself to enjoy them.
Now opening your awareness to include both the pleasant and unpleasant experiences.
Can you bring a kindly awareness that's broad and open and includes both the pleasant and unpleasant?
Holding both.
If your eyes are closed,
I invite you now to open them gently.
Take a look around.
Noticing other people traveling with you.
Take some time to really notice how people are.
Remembering that in this very moment they too are experiencing unpleasant and pleasant sensations,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Whether or not they are aware of them.
They too are headed somewhere,
Maybe somewhere important to them,
Like home,
Work,
A doctor's appointment,
To pick up a child,
To visit a friend,
Shopping,
A meal.
They,
Like you,
Have hopes and dreams as well as worries and fears.
They were born and one day will also die.
There is more that connects us than separates us.
Can we tune into our common humanity just now?
All of us on this train,
Living this moment of our lives and sharing it.
Can we notice the vulnerability in others?
How similar we are in our vulnerability,
No matter how different the conditions of our lives might be or the choices we make.
We are all human.
We are all worthy of love.
We all make mistakes and grieve.
We all feel joy and deeply want to be happy.
Take a moment to dwell in any sensations of appreciation for what you share with those around you.
Perhaps wishing for yourself and all those sharing your journey to be happy and well,
To enjoy their day as much as they can,
To make it home safe tonight.
Feeling that sense of connection in our common humanity.
Now return to the sensations at the points of contact with the seat or floor beneath you.
Tuning back into any sense of stillness there.
Ease.
And bringing this sense of appreciation and connection with other people and the ease within your own heart with you throughout the rest of your day.
