Earth to City. Come in City. Or Are You on Autopilot?

By Jennifer Egert, Ph.D.

Been feeling like I am autopilot these days. Everything is moving forward, day by day, the routine, the familiar, but where have I been in the middle of all this? Autopilot.

The city can be like a conveyer belt . The trains ride according to a schedule (well, sometimes). You get out the door the every morning, pick up the morning coffee/tea/water/paper and get on/in a form of transportation to wherever the day takes you routinely (school/work/family/doctors offices), and do whatever it is that you do at such places (work/learn/play/sit). And you leave at the end of the day back on/in the train/bus/car/bicycle/wheelchair/motorcycle to meet with friends/visit a relative/go to the gym/go to a bar/attend a meeting/do some other routine activity before returning to your home to your significant other/cat/dog/TV/reflection. And then, the whole thing starts up again. Feels a little like groundhog day to me. In psychology, we call this "habituation." When you get so used to stimuli in the environment, you just don’t respond to it anymore (cognitively, behaviorally, emotionally). In other words… autopilot.

Mindfulness practice tells us to live it all, live each moment, even the routine tooth-brushing, the eating of a meal, walking, breathing. But when on autopilot, that is all forgotten.

What gets us out of moments of autopilot and back into our lives? Hard to say. It is probably different for each of us. You could always bungee jump, do a run on a half-pipe, or skydive. You can’t bungee jump 24/7—well maybe you can but I imagine that would give you a big headache. And with enough jumps, you’d habituate to that too. No, something different seems required.

Stepping out of autopilot in daily life takes intention. For me, doing something different, stepping out of the routine even in small ways helps me to be mindful of the moment. Sometimes the city does it for you, presents something shocking or unexpected that helps bring awareness of the moment. Most of the time, though, we need to make an effort. We can’t wait around for something exciting or different to happen. Here are some simple things I’ve tried recently to change some of the little routine things pushing me along on the conveyer belt.

• I have a wonderful cinnamon spice tea that I really love but haven’t had in 5 months for some reason. So I made some in lieu of my regular routine morning coffee. I can’t tell you anything about the past 3 weeks of coffee, but I remember my tea.


• Changed my hair.


• Tried a new restaurant in the neighborhood.


• Spent time in a part of the city I don’t usually go.


• Wore something in my closet I haven’t worn in a long time.


• Took a different route to work.


• Paid attention to everything beginning to bloom in the city, the trees, the crocuses, the magnolias.


• Spent a long weekend away from the city.


• Took my guitar out of the case for the first time in a year.


• Said "yes" instead of a routine "no" and "no" instead of a routine "yes.

Nothing major, just stepping off the conveyor belt for a few brief moments and seeing what is there.

Volunteer Opportunity: Social Networking Specialist

By Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

Urban Mindfulness is growing!  Due to our success and growing popularity over the past 18 months, we're seeking the help of a dedicated volunteer in the area of social networking.  Do you "tweet"?  Do you know the difference between a Facebook Fan Page and a Group Page?  Do you like reading blogs like ours?  Do you practice mindfulness and meditation?  If so, you could be a perfect match!

Please check out the description of our volunteer position at Idealist.org:  Social Networking Specialist.

Then, please send your cover letter and CV/resume to me at kaplan [at] urbanmindfulness.org.  If you have any questions, please just send me an e-mail, too.  Thanks for your support and interest.

Subway Meditation: No Cushion Required

By Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

Author note:  I'm in the process of moving over the UM archives from our previous site to this new one.  Regrettably, because I switched platforms, this process is fairly labor intensive (i.e., lots of "cut and paste").  While I'm keeping most of the posts true to their original publication date, occasionally I'll repost one as current, like this one.  It was originally here on February 13, 2009, and it received a lot of attention.  It also appears in my Urban Mindfulness book, which will be released a little later this year.  Hope you like it (again).  JSK

Meditating on the subway is probably not ideal, but it sure beats playing Brick Breaker on your Blackberry, messing with your iPhone (or PSP), or skipping a meditation session altogether. It is safer (and easier) to meditate at home or as part of a meditation group, but sometimes we simply don't have the time. So, here is a simple way to meditate "on the go."

It is very important to maintain some level of awareness for your safety, however. So, please do not attempt this meditation if it's crowded or if you notice someone around you who is drunk, acting erratically, or doing anything else that might seem threatening or unpredictable. You don't want to have your bag or wallet stolen or miss some kind of approaching danger. And, meditation-wise, you can always try again later. So, if it seems unsafe or unwise to meditate for you to meditate on the subway, then don't do it.

If it is safe, then here are the steps in meditating while standing. The meditation essentially is a version of a "body scan" in which you notice the sensations in your body relative to the movement of the train. In my next post, I'll provide guidelines on how to meditate when you're fortunate enough to have a seat.

• Check-in with your environment and people around you to make sure that it's safe to practice now.


• Turn off your iPod or mp3 player. You might want to continue wearing the earphones however, in order to reduce the likelihood that someone will disturb you, however.


• Gather your belongings close to you in order to ensure that they will be secure during the meditation.


• Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Try to position your feet to be at a 45° angle to the centerline of the train, if possible. This will help you maintain balance as the train moves and stops. If necessary, hold onto a bar or railing.


• Roll your shoulders back and raise your chin up so that your head is level. Adopt a posture that embodies confidence and dignity.


• Lower your gaze to be looking at a window or a nondescript area next to someone seated. You could also look at your hand or arm if you're holding onto part of the train. Do not look directly at another person. This is the city after all-you don't want to be starting something! Also, it is helpful to keep your eyes open in order to be sensitive to any possible approaching danger.


• Mentally, rest your attention on the physical feelings in your body in the moving train. Pay particular attention to the sensations in your feet and legs. You might notice the way in which your muscles tense and release in order to help you maintain balance as the subway train accelerates and slows down. Become aware of the shift in your body as the train lurches forward or starts to brake. Maintain your awareness on your physical sensations for the duration of your trip.


• Whenever the train stops at a station, take a moment to check calmly and see if this is your stop. The stops, while disrupting your mindful awareness of your body, are like the sounds of a meditation bell, which invite you to refocus your attention.


• Exit when you reach your destination.


• Once you leave the train and move a safe distance away from the platform, take a moment to reflect on the activity and what you noticed. Proceed with your journey with mindful awareness and deliberate action.

Give this meditation a try and let me (and others) know what you think. Please post suggestions and share your experience in order to help guide us in this endeavor together.

Urban Mindfulness Blog Available on Kindle

Submitted by Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

As of yesterday, the UM blog is now available on the Kindle! For those of you who enjoy the contributions of our bloggers, you can now read their posts on your Kindle, whether you're at home or "out and about" in the city. The monthly subscription ($1.99) costs less than a latte, and the tips and reflections offered on our site will help you a lot more than a temporary caffeine buzz. Plus, it's a way to help support our organization.

Please click here to explore downloading our blog for your Amazon e-reader:  UM on Kindle

If you're not sure about ordering, you can try it free for 2 weeks, too.  Thanks for your continued reading and support.

Puddle, Puddle, on the Ground...

What reflection have you found?

By Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

The past few days have been quite rainy and blustery here in NYC.  Not wanting to get rain in my eyes, I found myself leaning forward and looking at the ground, while dodging pedestrians and their umbrellas.  As I watched what passed underfoot, I became more aware of what I could see down there.

Cracks in the pavement, and lots of black and white spots--remnants of chewing gum trampled by the masses--and, more interestingly, puddles.  Lots and lots of puddles.  Like any busy urbanite, most of my effort was focused on dodging them and making sure that I didn't get splashed.  My behavior stands in stark contrast to what my young son does:  stop abruptly in front of each puddle and dramatically jump over it.  He grins enthusiastically whenever he clears a puddle.  And, if he doesn't make it, his smile is even bigger, perhaps correlated with the giganitic splash he just made. 

Anyway, as I found myself looking at puddles, I started noticing the reflections in them.  Dark skyscrapers, white clouds, yellow taxi cabs, and red stoplights shimmered across the surface.  Interesting shadows darkened the waters, while streaks of light could be momentarily blinding.  It reminded me of impressionist art, especially the urban works of Gustave Caillebotte (such as Paris:  Rainy Day). 

So, as you're walking around the city today (and on future rainy days), why not take a peek and see what beautiful paintings lie underfoot?  And, if the mood strikes you, jump over them!