No More Boring Public Rides: A Journey into Everyday Mindfulness

I like cultivating peace whenever I’m on public transportation.
Since I started practicing mindfulness, taking the bus has stopped being something boring, and started becoming something beautiful.

I keep my phone in my pocket and look out the window.

First, I breathe.

Inhale for five seconds—feel my body.
Exhale for five—soften, relax.
Inhale again—observe my mind.
Exhale—let go of the little thoughts.

And suddenly, I’m here.
I’m in the seat.
I’m in the now.

I see the trees along the street—their shape, the way the leaves wave in the wind.
I see the people walking, and I wonder.
What were they like as children? Who raised them? What music do they love? What dreams do they carry?

Eventually, I realize—we’re all part of the same piece.
One world, one planet, eventually we are all woven together.
And with that thought, peace begins to bloom in my chest.
A quiet compassion follows.

So calm. So present.
Oh—this is my stop.

My mindful journey keeps on, long after I’ve stepped off.