we can meditate anywhere

One of the common misunderstandings about meditation is that we need to be sitting in some yogi-like position in a quiet room with the incense burning and candles glowing. As the following note from one of my students indicates we can meditate anywhere and with all sorts of interruptions!

My tube journey was going to be disjointed and I would not have a long enough stretch on any one form of transport to get a meditation in. So while at the platform of Earls Court tube I decided to get creative and found some seats at the one end of the platform. I decided that this would do as my meditation place.

About 10 minutes into my meditation I heard some men coming towards me and one of them saying: ‘Excuse me miss, excuse me miss’. I decided to ignore it thinking it was just people being silly. But when I heard the voice a second time: ‘Excuse me miss, excuse me miss’ I decided to open my eyes, and saw four police men and a police dog looking at me!

‘We need to search under your seat’ one of them said, waiting for me to get up. I was the only one sitting at these four seats, and a little dazed, still partly in meditation I got up from my seat. One of them asked: ‘Are you ok?’ ‘Yes I am fine thank you,’ I replied.

‘Are you sure you are ok? Are you ill?’ ‘No, no, I am fine’ I replied. ‘Are you sure?’ the one man was clearly concerned with my well-being having seen me sitting there silent with closed eyes. I said: ‘I am fine thank you, I just had a bit of extra time and thought I would meditate before getting on the tube.’

The policemen all looked at me and the one who had been talking said: ‘meditation in the underground, I have never seen that before. I thought maybe you were unwell. Hmm…meditation…’. They moved on and I sat down to continue my meditation.