Tuesday Slice: Meditating in a Subway

We were locked out of our meeting space.  A spur-of-the-moment idea resulted in the seven of us seated at rearranged tables and chairs in the Subway restaurant next door, stacks of magazines in front of each of us.

The facilitator began our guided meditation.  Eyes closed, my senses were filled with piped-in music, scents of bacon and onion and toasted bread, orders being given, chairs scraping and footsteps padding on the floor.  At first it was distracting, and I had to refocus on our facilitator's words.  As the meditation and exercise continued, the sounds and smells faded to the background, forming a pillow for my thoughts.  Focus your energy...whiff of food...focus on the month...snippet of song...focus on the images...what can I do for you, sir?

We were almost finished when another facilitator arrived with a key.  We unanimously, quietly decided to finish the meditation portion of our morning in the Subway.  After a few exchanges of gratitude and "have a nice day" with the restaurant staff, we packed up and moved next door to our usual space to finish creating our collages.

I usually enjoy the calm, quiet space where we meet.  But this morning, it seemed a little less "full" without the clatter of the outside world, reminding us that no matter where you are, you can still go inward to find that place of peace.