As my practice evolves I keep finding these hacks to meditation and mindfulness that you can apply to your life. In the beginning when I started in 2013, I felt the need to compartmentalize my practice; I would meditate in the morning and that would be that. Another check in the box. Without fail, however, I would inevitably slip back into my old self as though nothing had happened. The altered state I would enter during meditation—equanimity, bliss, joy, rapture—had a half life. And soon, often by mid afternoon, I’d be the same conditioned and hardwired monkey I was before I sat down to practice—back to my old conditioned self.
A close friend (and spiritual confident) of mine once suggested that a great hack for meditation is meditating in public. I thought this was an absurd idea. For one thing, meditating in public looks ridiculous. But most importantly, or at least I thought was most important, meditation was a deeply personal and private practice. It was something I did in a quiet and controlled place, not on the bus or in an airport… Right?
It wasn’t until I tried meditating in public that I realized it is one of the best ways to push the limits of your practice.
But why is that?
When you meditate in public you are exposing yourself to the judgement of others. This is the exact judgment (be it positive, or negative) that you are meant to observe and let pass during your day-to-day interactions. We spend much of the day consumed with the insistent worry of what others think of us; often times, this is implicit and you may not even realize it. Our behaviour, consciously or unconsciously, often reflects a desire to fit in—or, at the very least, not to stand out. This fear/worry had its evolutionary purpose. But today it can cause a lot of unnecessary suffering.
This concern, of course, is closely associated with other relatable insecurities. Like practicing patience in a grocery store line, meditating in public can offer a forum to work on the deficiencies the practice is designed to address in real time (and with feedback). If you’re feeling uncomfortable, or better yet, embarrassed, you’re probably not truly present.
This one time in an airport….
I remember seeing someone meditate in public while waiting in Toronto Pearson International Airport. A man, not much older than me (mid thirties), sat down against the wall, crossed his legs, erected his back, closed his eyes, folded his hands, and meditated. I couldn’t help but think, “wow, I wonder what others might be thinking“.
The airport was packed.
I wasn’t the only person to notice. A young couple seated across from him started sneering and whispering while gesturing in the man’s direction. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized this man’s power. He was able to truly let go and surrender to the moment.
Meditation is a simulation of how you need to react (or not react) to life. And life, despite our efforts, is not in a controlled setting. If you’re only able to let go on the comfort of your own pillow or chair, how will you fair when life throws you two screaming toddlers in a packed international airport? Or worse yet, an unexpected death or financial ruin.
This guy was on to something. So right there, right then, I decided to do the same thing. To my surprise, it was invigorating…
There is something powerful in letting go of others’ judgement as it comes. The courage to let go as things arise is much more difficult than it might sound. That day, I did a twenty minute session and reflected: that was harder, but also more rewarding (like most things).
There were more variables than the sound of my home heater. There was more background noise. More importantly, there was more need for awareness and focus—the tenets of a good mindfulness meditation practice.
My view on meditation has changed a lot since I began: From an isolated practice to an ‘every waking second’ thing. As meditation master Joe Goldstein puts it—I’m paraphrasing a little—the goal is to take the practice “off the cushion.”
Meditating in public is a great way to put your practice to the test. Mindfulness and a contemplative practice helps create imperviousness. And being impervious means that no amount of chatter, snickering, or background noise can affect you.
Back to the airport:
when I finished my session, I opened my eyes and noticed the man looking at me. He smiled and gave a nod. We didn’t have to say anything. I think the sentiment was shared.
Since that day, I have picked the most awkward places to meditate: the cafeteria of my law school, a curb-side in downtown Berlin, the intermission of a live NHL hockey game (to name a few). Although not without some struggle, I have found them some of my most rewarding sessions.
The point is this, if you want to really break down your ego, you need to stop caring what other people think. This is another discussion altogether, but the ego is really a reflection of what you think others think of you!
If you’re looking for a hack, or just interested in how you fair, give it a try sometime. If you lack the courage to start in public, start in front of a pet, or a family member. Start in your home out in the open. You don’t need to shell away and find a quiet place. You’ll quickly notice that it’s more difficult; but with increased difficulty/effort comes increased benefits.
(For more information on the science of meditation generally, check out Altered Traits by Daniel Goleman, and Richard Davidson.)
Al holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Arts Double Major in Linguistics & Political Studies from the University of Manitoba. He is currently working in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Al has a passion for language, meditation, health, travelling, business and tech. Al is one of the co-founders of ThoughtNotion. You can connect with him on his personal site or on LinkedIn.
