Meditation for People with No Time to Meditate

People often say they would like to be more mindful, but they don't have time to meditate, a comment that reveals some of meditation's widespread misconceptions. I think people are saying they don't have time for a formal sitting practice. I have never heard someone say "I don't have time for meditation, but I practice in other ways". I would guess people do, but others think the benefits of mediation are only for those willing to set aside time and sit on a cushion every morning.

Although there are benefits to sitting meditation that may be unique, other modes of practice also have advantages of their own. Ultimately meditation is not the point, but rather a method. Sometimes practice in the course of our daily life may even be easier to integrate.

Metta, or lovingkindness meditation, is one popular meditation technique you may be familiar with. You can certainly do it as sitting mediation, and that level of focus will have some benefits. Practicing it with actual people throughout your day, however, doesn't require time set aside for sitting and might have its own advantages. The ultimate goal of metta practice is opening our hearts in our daily lives.

Want to try it out? A good place to begin is thinking about someone you have feelings of love for -- your dog is just fine! When you have that feeling of love present, you can start to send love to yourself and others. Traditional phrases include "may [I/you/person/all beings] be happy and peaceful" or "may [I/you/person/all beings] be free from suffering". You don't have to use these phrases though -- I like to say "may things be better and easier for [you/me/person/all beings]". Something that connects for you emotionally is ideal. The feeling of lovingkindness is more important than any particular words. When you have the feeling and a phrase that works for you, try your practice throughout the day. You can think it to yourself when you are ordering your coffee or sitting with strangers on the train. You may be surprised how positively it affects you!

Surprise bonus: if you practice this for a while, you may notice it starts to happen without you actively practicing working on it. Try it for a few days and see what you discover; some people find the effects pretty magical. Your dog understands.