I enjoy riding the BART, our local intercity train system. It’s a great place to meditate. One of my favorite meditation practices is to silently hold in the light the people around me.
I casually scan the car and take each person in — the bedraggled young man lying across two seats in a stupor, an older couple whispering to each other, a pregnant woman fussing over a toddler, a bunch of teenagers giggling and playing with their phones — I send a quiet prayer to each of them.
I try and extend compassion and kindness toward all of them, especially the annoying ones. It helps me to feel more connected to the life around me, and appreciate humans in all our diversity and weirdness.
It’s so much better than staring at my phone.