A helpful meditation exercise for use in public places

Meg Lewis recently shared a Public Place Meditation Exercise for when you’re in a place that might not be conducive to normal meditation (on the subway, in a coffeeshop, at the airport).

Here are the next two steps:

2. Shift to a soft focus on that person and picture them in their happiest moments — Hugging a friend, picking up their kids from school, reuniting with someone they love, celebrating after some good news.

3. Now, picture them in their saddest moments and imagine what they would look like when feeling low. Feel their sadness and despair with them.

I do this kind of thing from time to time when I’m out and about, not as meditation exactly, but as a way of empathizing with others in a small way, especially those I might feel certain ways about because of personal or cultural prejudice. It’s difficult for me to remember to do this, but I always feel better and more human when I do. (via @pieratt)

• Meg Lewis