Mindfulness in Metro Traffic

For many of us, the daily commute can feel like time lost — hours spent waiting, sighing, wishing we were somewhere else. Yet these same hours can become a gift, an invitation to come home to ourselves.

The red light as a friend

When we are stopped at a red light, we often feel impatience rising. But the red light can be a bell of mindfulness. Instead of leaning forward, we can lean back, soften our shoulders, and follow three conscious breaths.

Breathing in, I know I am stuck in traffic. Breathing out, I smile to my impatience.

The road is there, but my breath is free

We cannot always change the traffic. But we can change our relationship to it. The breath is always available, a refuge we carry everywhere.

Practicing with others on the road

We can extend our practice outward, sending kind thoughts to the other drivers around us, each one a person with their own worries and hopes, each one wishing, like us, to arrive home safely.