Life is busy, and our daily routines are no different. Normally from dawn until dusk, we are surrounded by people and can be affected by the energies and actions of those around us.
Sometimes, all we need and want to do is meditate while in these crowded places, to create a more calm, powerful, and intentional sense of self. So, how do we successfully meditate while in a crowded place?
This post will explain how best to meditate successfully when we can’t escape the crowd, workplace, or busy area. Meditation can successfully happen anywhere, provided we understand the tools needed to best execute this practice.
Why Meditate In A Public Place?
Meditation is an incredibly beneficial practice. In fact, it has both scientific and psychological benefits for a vast array of health issues, like:
- Controlling anxiety
- Promoting emotional health and boosting self-esteem
- Enhancing self-awareness
- Lengthening attention span
- Reducing age-related memory loss
- Improving sleep.
Of course, it is sometimes impossible to locate a private and calming space while going about our daily routine. However, we might feel overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed and feel the need to meditate.
Therefore, understanding how to meditate in public is becoming ever more important, especially as society gets seemingly more busy and hectic.
So, how do we meditate in public? Here are five tips to try:
Listen to Music and Focus On It
We all tend to zone out while listening to music, right? Well, you can meditate doing just that. However, as you listen and zone out to the outside world, simply tune in and listen to the music.
Focus on the sounds, beats, instruments, and words. Better still, listen to lyric-free music. Focus your entire attention on it, and you’ll have an excellent public meditation session.
Try the 100 Breaths Technique
This is a simple yet powerful meditation technique that can be executed easily in public. Simply take 100 deep breaths and pay full attention to them. When breathing in, imagine positive energy flowing into your body. As you exhale, let go of the negative energy.
Repeat this process for all 100 breaths, and finish the meditation feeling powerfully calm and positive.
Be Aware, Observational, and Accept the Noise
It can be hard (or near impossible) to focus on singular items while in a crowded space. So, when trying to meditate in public, focus on details like body language, tone of voice, and energy flow, for example.
Then, simply sit and observe how these separate things flow and move with each other. Try not to analyze the movement, but instead accept it. You’ll finish this meditation feeling calm and stress-free.
Take a Walk and Focus on the Details
So often, when we are walking out and about, our thoughts often trail off - to memories, worries, hopes and dreams. We rarely focus on our present moment.
However, these thoughts can lead to anxious moments - which is why instead of letting ourselves trail off, we should in fact just focus on the now. Try next time you’re out walking to enter the present moment and focus on every single detail you come across - people, leaves, the sun, energy, heartbeats, breathing - it’ll be a powerful meditation for you.
Meditate for 60 Seconds
Many people think that in order to have a successful meditation, you need to be in your calm and powerful meditative state for a long time. However, it can be as short as 60 seconds.
This is particularly true when meditating in public, as there are times when we can’t disappear for minutes at a time – sometimes, a minute might be all we have.
Close your eyes. Focus on your breath. Take 60 seconds. How do you feel?
Meditation in public can seem like a daunting task. Many prefer to have a set space to meditate - where it is calming, regulated, and relaxed. However, life can get in the way, and sometimes it is necessary to meditate while in public.
Try one of these five public meditation exercises if you’re feeling anxious or stressed while out and about. It’ll transform your daily experience.
