Present Tense: 6 Ways to Make Your Commute More Mindful
Medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW — Written by Crystal Hoshaw on June 8, 2021
Illustration by Brittany England
When you hear the word “mindfulness,” you might think of a serious meditator sitting on their cushion or a yogi twisted in a complicated posture.
The reality is that mindfulness can be found anywhere.
In fact, it’s most powerful when it’s integrated into mundane activities, like washing dishes, folding clothes, grocery shopping, or caring for loved ones.
If mindfulness is only reserved for the meditation seat or the yoga mat, it doesn’t become a part of our lived experience. When we evoke it in ordinary activities, mindfulness can enrich our lives and the lives of others.
That’s where mindful commuting comes in.
For many, the image of a commuter sitting in traffic or flying down the freeway might represent the opposite of mindfulness. But a central tenet of true mindfulness training is to be present wherever you are.
Every moment is an opportunity to wake up to the present, no matter how unglamorous or profane it may appear to be.
With more and more people returning to work, you might find yourself giving up late wake up times and leisurely mornings to return to a long commute.
Whether your trek to work involves a plane, train, or automobile, the practices below will help you find stillness on the go.
Try loving-kindness
Loving-kindness, or metta practice, involves evoking a felt sense of compassion and empathy for yourself and others.
Stepping onto a crowded train car or sitting in rush hour traffic can be an unpleasant experience for most. It can lead to feelings of impatience, agitation, and even dislike for fellow commuters.
While it may seem counterintuitive, this is the perfect opportunity for loving-kindness practice.
Rather than being cause for embarrassment, guilt, or shame, feelings of irritation or resistance offer an opportunity to reflect and gain perspective. They can serve as a reminder that:
- you’re human
- now is the perfect opportunity to practice mindfulness
Let negative feelings be a gateway to evoking a sense of loving-kindness for all of humanity, especially those in your immediate environment.
How to do it
The process below is just one of the many ways to practice loving-kindness.
Step 1: Accept without judgment
First, remind yourself that the feelings you’re experiencing are natural. They aren’t good or bad. They just are.
Step 2: Remember, we’re all human
Next, connect to a felt sense of shared humanity with those around you. This isn’t always easy to do, and it’s OK if it feels a little contrived.
When this comes up, think of the word “sonder.” It was coined by writer John Koenig in his creative project, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, and it was adopted by the Oxford English Dictionary.
It’s defined as “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own — populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries, and inherited craziness… in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.”
Remembering the word “sonder,” and the shared humanity it expresses, can help to stir feelings of relatedness, camaraderie, and empathy for others.
Imagine that each and every person stuffed inside the train car or zooming by in their vehicle has a life of their own, a family at home, and a story to tell.
Let it work in you to open up a new sense of compassion and acceptance for yourself and the world.
Step 3: Connect with your breath
Finally, connect the practice with the breath.
In his book, “Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness,” Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa offers an in-depth description of a beautiful practice called “tonglen.”
In tonglen, the practitioner imagines breathing in the pain, suffering, and discomfort of others. On the exhale, the practitioner imagines sending out relief.
This simple yet powerful practice combines feelings of compassion and loving-kindness with a focus on the breath, giving the mind a resting point to return to over and over.
Whenever the mind wanders, return to the intention of inhaling pain, transforming it with the alchemy of the breath, and exhaling relief.
This practice can include your own pain, as well as that of others.
Watch a tonglen meditation guided by American Tibetan Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön on YouTube.
Surrender to what is
Make sure you don’t take your eyes off the road if you’re driving while practicing environmental awareness. You can simply open up to the details in your periphery without compromising your attention to road safety.
Surrender to what is
STAY SAFE
Mindfulness is meant to help you feel calm and relaxed. For some, this may result in sleepiness.If your practice is affecting your alertness while driving or navigating transit, stop immediately. Put on some high energy music or a podcast instead.
Takeaway
Mindfulness practice is just that: a practice.
By gently incorporating mindfulness into your commute, you may find yourself calmer, more present, and ready to take on the traffic that life throws your way.
Crystal Hoshaw is a mother, writer, and longtime yoga practitioner. She has taught in private studios, gyms, and in one-on-one settings in Los Angeles, Thailand, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She shares mindful strategies for self-care through online courses. You can find her on Instagram.
