Yesterday I was standing at the entrance point of Sherbourne station waiting to meet my wife at the end of the day. This was during rush hour as people were making their way home. As I stood there waiting expectantly, I could feel a rush of anxiety in my body as I watched the swaths of people moving from the bus and into the station down the stairs into the subway. So much frenetic chaotic energy.
I try my best to avoid crowds, but today the moment felt like a great teacher.
I let myself rest in stillness in the face of all of the activity around me. I became curious about the faces and the stories behind the tired lines, the slouched posture, the hurried pace. I saw custodial workers carrying large pails on their backs rushing up and down the stairs. I saw men in business suits with large DJ headphones with their eye gaze frozen ahead.
I felt how difficult it was for me to be still in that moment and how easy it was for me to join the chaotic speeding energy of rush hour traffic. I didn’t like the storm that was brewing inside me so I tried to get curious about what I was feeling in relation to what I was seeing and hearing.
When I let myself observe what was happening without joining the energy of the moment, I felt more at peace and within myself.
In this moment, I wonder why we reserve mindfulness practice for the yoga studios and meditation retreats. There is incredible practice opportunities in our everyday lives.
Here are my reflections in that moment:
