How did you manage your first months of practicing outdoors, with people around?

[4bsolute]

How did you deal with those situations?

 

Pretty infant question I am aware of it, but I live on the country side and I am not used to large masses of people and see it as okay. Totally sensitive. I instantly notice someones "Whats that?" which feels like being caught in some act (?) or general judgement. Which people do unconsciously all the time.

 

How did you manage your first months of practicing outdoors, with people around?

[ChiDragon]

You should put your mind deep into the movements and concentrate on your breathing is your best bit. You practice with your heart and feel proud that the people are watching you. Think about it is good for your health. Ignore the distractions around you. Pretty soon, people might say that you are good.

I got over this problem when I was on a cruise. I was doing my Tai Ji and the circle walk on the boardwalk and I had noticed that people just walked by like nothing has ever happened. Except one Chinese lady, walking with her daughter, complimented me on my kicks.

Edited August 4, 2014 by ChiDragon

[GrandmasterP]

Quite a few folks cultivate on beaches of a morning.

That's my only public venue when we are at the seaside.

Here I cultivate in our garden unless it is raining so no audience as such.

Here in Leicester there's a public park where ( mainly Chinese) people play TaiChi.

I doubt that you'd encounter anything beyond polite interest as long as you weren't in anyone's way.

Edited August 4, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[thelerner]

I'll meditate by a public pool. There's an interesting phenomena. Its so crowded, there's so much noise and distractions that it actually cancels itself out. 2 or 3 people making random noises is bad, but once you get 20, 30 or 40 of them in various conversation, it becomes a kind of white noise.

 

Maybe its the exhibitionist in me, but for some reason, sitting in half lotus on 2 folded up towels, I can go pretty deep there.

[MooNiNite]

i love meditating in public. somehow it is more intense for me, i can get better results faster

[MooNiNite]

it's the mind that doesn't like the busyness, and noises, and people.

 

the only weird part is sometimes people like touch me or try to offer me water or do other strange things, or sometimes ppl meditate next to me

 

but yeah meditating in public is awesome. especially at music concerts also.

[4bsolute]

I know why you get results faster, because you give your personality away. Your personality fades away when many other people are around and you are used to it. Personality is usually the first obstacle when you meditate in a quiet place.

 

I noticed similar when meditating infront of a grocery store when waiting for a family member, with the sound being so much that you have no problem shutting it down mentally. Totally different when being at a place with very few people

Edited August 5, 2014 by 4bsolute

[GrandmasterP]

Cultivating in a group is certainly as, if not more effective than cultivating alone.

[joeblast]

but yeah meditating in public is awesome. especially at music concerts also.

especially in the 20-30 minutes before you're about to perform

[thelerner]

Slight tangent, but after a big emotional event or when I'm physically exhausted (but not sleepy tired) I'm able to get deeper faster into meditation. I guess both are states of emptiness.

[MooNiNite]

especially in the 20-30 minutes before you're about to perform

 

no way, what kinda music man?

[joeblast]

[Flolfolil]

...

Edited March 5, 2015 by Flolfolil

[GreytoWhite]

One beautiful thing about Northern California is that people don't really bother you when you're practicing. In Arizona I'd always be interrupted.

[Flolfolil]

...

Edited March 5, 2015 by Flolfolil