What if your city were converted into a Zen practice center

overnight? How would you manage take-out food, apartment

envy, online dating, and waiting for the bus? This delightful book
can make your city shine, and if you dont live in the city, youll
wish you did. Its about mindfulness as its truly liveddeep,
curious, and full of fun.
Christopher K. Germer, Ph.D., clinical instructor at
Harvard Medical School and author of The Mindful
Path to Self-Compassion
Jonathan Kaplans Urban Mindfulness is an engaging, useful, and
enlightening guide to living in a world that often seems filled
with pressure, chaos, and tension. This is a book that you can use
every day to help you find peace and purpose in the smallest but
most important moments of your life. There is peace out there,
and it comes from within.
Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D., director of the American
Institute for Cognitive Therapy and clinical professor
of psychology at Weill Cornell Medical College
Although city living can be stressful, it also provides us with
many opportunities for reflection and insight. This book
reminds us that we can discover tranquility within ourselves and
connection in the city itself. It is an excellent guide with many
helpful suggestions on how to do just that.
Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness

In Urban Mindfulness, Kaplan provides a host of ways to practice
being aware, without judgment, in the present moment, in the
midst of busy, complex, city-based lives. This book can serve as
a useful, practical resource for anyone interested in cultivating
mindfulness within the context of their lives, as opposed to
during a remote retreat. The wide range of exercises, such as the
subway meditation and mindful texting exercise, ensures that
readers will find several practices that speak to them.
Lizabeth Roemer, Ph.D., professor of psychology at
the University of Massachusetts Boston and coauthor
of The Mindful Way Through Anxiety
Many thanks to Kaplan for offering so many practical and reward-
ing ways to be more mindful in urban environments. In this easy-
to-use book, he reminds us that being mindful is simply about
being aware and present and it is not dependent on, or limited by,
where we are or what we are doing.
Jeffrey Brantley, MD, author of Five Good Minutes and
Calming Your Anxious Mind







URBAN
Publishers Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information
in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that
the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other
professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a
competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright 2010 by Jonathan Kaplan
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Sara Christian; Text design by Michele Waters-Kermes;
Acquired by Melissa Kirk; Edited by Nelda Street
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kaplan, Jonathan S.
Urban mindfulness : cultivating peace, presence, and purpose in the
middle of it all / Jonathan S. Kaplan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-57224-749-9
1. Stress (Psychology) 2. Stress management. 3. Meditation. 4. City and
town life. I. Title.
BF575.S75K367 2010
158.12--dc22
2010020703
All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
12 11 10
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First printing
With love to Eli and Baby Reed, who inspire my practice and let
me knowquite vocallywhenever my attention has wandered
from the present moment.
o:t.:ts



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\.|:o!.d:.:ts
I would like to express my deep gratitude to the many people who
encouraged, supported, and guided me as I wrote this book. From
the outset, my editors at New Harbinger, Melissa Kirk and Jess
Beebe, impressed me with their constructive suggestions and helpful
feedback. Their collective expertise in content and style have made
this a better book than it would have been otherwise.
The writings and practices of many profound teachers, includ-
ing the following, have influenced my own personal journey in con-
templative practice: Henry David Thoreau, D. T. Suzuki, Morihei
Ueshiba, Sharon Salzberg, Thich Nhat Hanh, H. H. the Dalai
Lama, and Pema Chdrn. In addition, the courage and dedica-
tion of the pioneers who introduced Buddhist practices and Asian
healing approaches to American psychology continue to impress
me, including Herbert Benson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield,
Ellen Langer, Marsha Linehan, Alan Marlatt, and David Reynolds,
among others. I also appreciate the wonderful example my friend
and mentor, Bob Leahy, sets by doggedly pursuing what matters,
even when confronted by setbacks.

I am indebted to my clients, who have given me the privilege

of helping them through very difficult times. Seeing their perse-
verance and hard work in therapy inspires me to do my best and
be the best psychologist I can be. It has been an honor to serve
them.
I am also fortunate to have enjoyed the support of so many
friends and colleagues that its impossible to mention them all here.
I would be remiss, however, if I didnt thank the following people:
Joe DeCola, for sharing the joys and travails of being a dad; Sunna
Jung, for sharing an appreciation of whats for lunch; Fred Weiner,
for sharing life in the country; Lee Coleman, for sharing a passion
for zombies; Mark Becker and Andrs Montoya, for sharing a beer;
and whichever Facebook friend turned me on to the cat (as in
feline) that plays keyboards.
I would also like to express my gratitude to Lybi Ma and the
other editors at the Psychology Today website for their support of
the Urban Mindfulness blog.
I want to especially thank Jennifer Egert, Rob Handelman,
and Irene Javors, who have tirelessly and patiently contributed
to urbanmindfulness.org. Together, with the insightful comments
of our dedicated blog readers, we have shown the importance
of bringing mindfulness to city living and have created our own
online community.
My parents, sister, and in-laws were wonderfully supportive of
me during the writing process. Whether by coming all the way to
New York to lend a hand or by sending care packages (including
the comics), they were there for me every step of the way. I feel
tremendously grateful for their love. And, though it pains me to say
this, the periodic reminders to Get a haircut! were helpful too.
Words cannot express my gratitude and love for my wife,
Doris. She has provided unconditional support, tireless editing, and

i
selfless accommodations for my work. Her love has sustained me
in times of doubt, and the freshly baked bread hasnt hurt either.
Finally, I want thank my fellow New Yorkers. Though its
hard to appreciate when were jammed into a crowded subway car,
we share the same path in seeking happiness and well-being. By
acknowledging our inherent similarities and honoring our differ-
ences, we can unite in cultivating a more mindful, compassionate
society.
i:t:odu.tio:

.
S
everal years ago, I moved to New York City from rural Ohio.
Before living in Ohio, I lived in big cities all over the world,
including Boston, Tokyo, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. But my
time in Ohio was my first experience of small-town life. Working
as a professor and psychologist in a college town, I enjoyed both my
five-minute commute to work and all the free time I could devote
to family, friends, exercise, gardening, meditation, and mindfulness
practice. My life was remarkably stress free anddare I say?
balanced. However, I missed the excitement, culture, and variety
of the city. When I wanted to savor some fresh sushi or see the
latest traveling art exhibit, there was no place to go. Lured by these
opportunities and a new job, I left country life and headed back to
the city.
When I came to New York, I reveled in my new life and expe-
riences. There was so much to do and see, and I was excited about
this urban adventure. As a psychologist, I saw dozens of clients
every week and found most people very receptive to learning about
mindfulness. But my own sense of peace and balance gradually
began to unravel, and I started feeling stressed and tired. I dreaded
my long, crowded subway commute, and the cacophony of honking
horns, car alarms, and ambulance sirens bothered me. I started to
feel pressed to do things faster, yet complained of having too little
time. One day, I noticed myself walking and talking just as quickly
as the uptight New Yorkers around me, and griping when people
didnt move out of my way or get to the point. I watched my
health start to decline as I exercised less and ate whatever I could
grab on the go. Even my commitment to meditation waned: I could
not find the right space emotionally, mentally, and even physically
in my small studio apartment.
Not surprisingly, I observed many of my clients struggling with
the same issues. They wanted to reduce stress and feel a sense of
calm in the city, but there was just too much to manage. Starting

|
and maintaining a meditation practice was very difficult. Vacations,
yoga, and spa visits helped, but their therapeutic effects were short
lived. Retreats for meditation and community provided a welcome
respite, but eventually my clients had to face returning to real life
in the city.
Besides complaining about daily hassles, my clients spoke of
more significant difficulties. They talked about feeling lonely and
isolated, despite being surrounded by people day and night. They
described feeling burned out from the competitiveness they per-
ceived at work, while dating, or even standing in line at the movies.
Some spoke of the financial strain of living in one of the most
expensive cities in the world and how they had to work so hard
to stay afloat. Despite earning a decent salary, they saw their pay-
checks seemingly evaporate after covering household expenses. Even
people who had significant financial resources werent immune to
city stress. They resented having to be available by phone, e-mail,
and text message 24/7, while feeling unable to enjoy their earnings.
After dealing with these stresses over time, many started to feel
anxious, depressed, irritable, and completely overwhelmed, which
was often when they arrived at my office door.
As any well-trained psychologist would do, I resumed reading
books and studies on stress management, especially those focused
on mindfulness. If youre unfamiliar with mindfulness, you can
consider it to be a special way of paying attention. Disengaging
from automatic pilot, we consciously turn our focus to whats
happening right now, in the present. For example, in this immedi-
ate moment, youre breathing while holding this book and reading
this sentence, even though you may have groceries to buy, bills
to pay, calls to make, and so on. Though mindfulness is often
equated with meditation or a focus on breathing, it involves more
than these practices. It helps you cultivate the ability to experience
life as it unfolds through the practice of noticing your thoughts,

|
feelings, sensations, and perceptions unencumbered by thinking,
evaluating, rejecting, or clinging. Mindfulness also engenders a
gentle curiosity about such experiences, which necessarily requires
openness and acceptance. Instead of getting wrapped up in what
should or shouldnt be, for example, mindfulness encourages us
to become aware of the way things are, including the degree to
which we might be judgingor even ignoringour experiences.
Put simply, mindfulness is:
Noticing your thoughts, feelings, and actions without
judgment or criticism
Observing whats happening around you
Being fully aware of your senses moment to moment
Living in the here and now without resorting to old
patterns and automatic reactions
Exercising acceptance of your own experience, whether
good, bad, or neutral
Mindfulness is often misidentified as exclusively a Buddhist
concept, but more correctly, its part of all spiritual traditions.
Within Christianity, for example, the centering prayer aims to
cultivate an inner stillness, better enabling communion with God.
In Judaism, Shabbat, the holiest day of the week, sanctifies the
practice of merely being rather than working or creating anything.
Further, psychology has adopted mindfulness in a secular fashion
over the past few decades. Various scientific studies have identi-
fied the benefits of mindfulness and meditation in treating chronic
pain, alcohol abuse, anxiety, and relapse in chronic depression
(Kabat-Zinn 1990; Marlatt and Gordon 1985; Orsillo and Roemer
2005; Segal, Williams, and Teasdale 2002).

Given these benefits and the fact that not only my clients
but I, too, suffered from the stresses of city living, it made sense
for me to rededicate myself to mindfulness practice. I pored over
scientific articles and books by many experts on mindfulness. In
Buddhist texts, I found tales of sitting in the forest, riding horses,
and practicing falconry, which werent particularly relevant to
urban experiences of eating on the go or driving in traffic. Many
mindfulness-based therapies also seemed impractical. They empha-
sized spending up to an hour daily in meditation, which, although
an incredibly helpful practice, proved to be too much of a hurdle
to those of us struggling with limited time and energy. So, while
there were some helpful insights, I found that none of the resources
quite adequately addressed the unique experiences, opportunities,
and challenges of urban life. This discrepancy isnt that surprising,
given that many of the authors (monks, mindfulness experts, and
the like) lived in rural or monastic communities, removed from the
busyness and chaos of modern city life. So where does this leave
the rest of us? How can we nurture our own practice of mindful-
ness while continuing to live and work in the city? Are there ways
for us to become aware and present withoutor despitefeeling
overwhelmed? Can we find ways to practice mindfulness other
than sitting on a meditation cushion or a therapists couch?
Asking questions like these, I realized we needed to find better
ways to practice mindfulness in the city. Drawing on its princi-
pal foundations, I knew we could develop ways to become more
mindfuland even to meditatein the context of our everyday
experiences. Instead of just talking about loving thy neighbor
in church or practicing loving-kindness in the sangha (meditation
community), we could be compassionate toward our fellow subway
riders and the homeless people we see each day. We could meditate
while strolling through the park, running to catch the bus, or even

petting a dog. It was from this perspective, as well as my desire to

help clients, friends, and myself, that Urban Mindfulness was born.
Initially, I started writing a blog about ways to be more mindful
in the city (urbanmindfulness.org). Readers started visiting the
website with insightful, encouraging comments, and I realized
there was an audience interested in applying mindfulness practice
to urban living. Soon afterward, a few like-minded professionals
began contributing pieces as well. Our readership continued to
grow, and I was invited to start blogging for Psychology Today (www.
psychologytoday.com) on the same topic. The number of visitors
and readers continued to climb, and I realized urban mindfulness
was more than just a concept, a blog, or a website. We had become
a community dedicated to mindfully experiencing our lives. Join
us, wont you?
In this book, youll find tips, reflections, and guidelines designed
to support your mindfulness practice in the city. The following fifty
chapters provide practical suggestions reflective of our shared expe-
rience of urban living. They come from my own personal experi-
ences, professional work with therapy clients, and insights drawn
from being part of the urban mindfulness community. I encourage
you to try various exercises to see what works best for you, given
your own lifestyle and circumstances.
To facilitate your practice, this book is divided into parts that
relate to where you might practice mindfulness: At Home, At
Play, At Work, Out and About, and Anytime, Anywhere. At
Home draws from common experiences that we have in our living
spaces. For example it tackles the dilemmas of having too little
space, too little privacy, and too much clutter. At Play advises how
to bring mindful attention to our recreational experiences, whether
visiting a museum or exercising. By reconnecting with the inherent
enjoyment associated with play, we can have more fun and relieve
stress more effectively. At Work addresses the common kinds of

;
experiences and settings were likely to have on the job, whether we
work in an office, restaurant, or retail store, or even outdoors. In
most of these settings, we want to have friendly relationships with
coworkers and practice mindfulness in ways that dont interfere
with what were hired to do. Out and About provides guidelines
for practice as we move around the cityfor example, meditating
on the subway or mindfully walking down a busy, crowded street.
We can approach many common urban experiences, like encoun-
tering homeless people or street musicians, in ways that embody
our dedication to mindfulness. And finally, Anytime, Anywhere
includes exercises to do and reflections to consider regardless of
where we are and what we might be doing in the city. Because
they dont require us to be in any particular place, these exercises
invite you to practice mindfulness in ways consistent with almost
any situation, such as when you text a friend or hear a siren. The
fifty chapters arent meant to be read sequentially but, rather, to be
considered individually so you can focus on whichever parts seem
most relevant to you at a particular time. So if you dont have small
children, you might skip the chapter Toddler Time and go to
Mindful Messaging to learn how to mindfully send text messages.
Later in your life, if and when you have children, you might decide
to revisit this book and read that chapter you missed.
I wish I could say that these exercises fixed everything for
my clients, readers of the Urban Mindfulness blog, and me, that
we never feel stressed, lonely, or overwhelmed, but thats not the
case. There continue to be days in which my blog readers want
more green space. My clients still talk of feeling lonely sometimes.
And every so often, I find myself longing for a little peace and
quiet. However, weve found some relief by becoming more mindful,
accepting, compassionate, and grateful while remaining grounded
during our experiences. Reacting with more equanimity and realiz-
ing important personal goals in the now provide a new perspective

8
and help us have more mindful moments. In particular, the realiza-
tion has come about that every day in the city is a new opportunity
for practice as we travel down the same noisy, busy, crowded streets
together. Through this books advice and support, combined with
your intention and commitment to practice mindfulness, youll be
well on your way to cultivating peace, presence, and purpose while
living in the middle of it all.


1o
\.dit.tio: .t lo:.: \ li.!ou.
L.t..: i::.: .:d ut.: :...s
Scene: In a city apartment, someone prepares to meditate. Sunlight
spills through the window as the day dawns: 7:32 a.m.
INSIDE. Time for practice. Just need to take my seat and
settle down now. Oops, two minutes late!
OUTSIDE. [Crack!]
INSIDE. Ouch! What was that? My knee? Oh, no, not
again! I hope its notoh, whew! It doesnt really
hurt. Okay, so where was I? Ah, yes, sitting. Sit
up straight, review my intentionI intend to rest
my attention on my breathingand breathe.
When thoughts arise, Ill let them go and return
to my breath.

11
OUTSIDE. [Woo-woo-woo!]
INSIDE. A fire engine? Wow, thats really loud! Itll be
gone in a minute. Ill just wait. Going, going,
gone. Now, back to the breath.
OUTSIDE. [Rumble; ee-ur, ee-ur, ee-ur, woop-woop-
woop!]
INSIDE. Stupid car alarm! That thing always goes off
whenever I try to concentrate. I wish itd just get
stolen, already.
OUTSIDE. Hey, whatcha doing?
INSIDE. Oh, look who wandered in! What does it look
like Im doing? Huh? Maybe if I breathe really
loudly, youll get the hint.
OUTSIDE. Oh, meditating, huh? Okay, let me just get
something for a second [bang].
INSIDE. Go away, already. I cant concentrate. This has
got to be the worst meditation ever. Wait a sec
didnt I say that last time?
Recognizing the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual
importance of meditation, many of us try to meditate at home.
However, when you live in the city, creating the ideal atmosphere
at home can be frustrating, if not impossible. We have to deal with
excessive noise, little space, and the potential for unending distrac-
tions. Its bad enough when we have only our thoughts to distract
us, but worse when the outside world also seems to conspire to
undermine our practice. Regardless of the source, its important

1.
to recognize that getting distracted is normal. In fact, its the raw
material of meditation: we focus our awareness on some aspect of
the present moment and return our attention to it whenever the
mind wanders. Its a relatively simple process, but not easy. If it
were, thered be no need to meditate!
To address these challenges, here are a few tips to help you
structure your home meditation experience a little better:
Create a pleasant, uncluttered space. Depending on
the size of your home, maybe youre limited to claim-
ing a small corner of the bedroom or, if youre lucky,
you have a whole room to yourself. Either way, size
doesnt matter. Its mainly important that your space
be relatively clean and tidy. You dont want to medi-
tate while staring at a pile of dirty laundry. You also
dont need to be too concerned with decorating your
space. Flowers, candles, or images can be inviting and
supportive, but theyre not required. In formal zazen
meditation, people meditate while staring at a blank
wallnot too inspiring, but it works.
Establish a consistent time, ritual, or both for your
home meditation. To best support your practice, it
helps to meditate routinely at a particular time of day.
Most people choose the morning, because its gener-
ally quieter and our minds havent quite gotten going
yet. However, you can choose to meditate whenever
is most convenient for you. Additionally, establish a
small ritual to help you transition into the meditative
state. Perhaps ring a bell, recite your reasons for medi-
tating, or brew a cup of tea that steeps while you sit.

1|
Keep your meditation cushion, mat, or other supplies
clean and protected. You dont want to leave your
meditation cushion on the sofa, where something
might get spilled on it. Try putting your meditation
supplies in a special corner or in the closet. Keeping
them covered and protected from dirt and dust also
helps.
Minimize external distractions. You cant control some
things, like oversensitive car alarms, but you can limit
some distractions and lessen the impact of others. For
example, if your pet is too curious about your medita-
tion, offer a few treats in another room just before you
begin. If other people in your house are disruptive,
talk to them beforehand, or arrange to meditate while
theyre gone. Also consider wearing earplugs or ear-
phones if the noise around you is too distracting.
Roll with disruptions. In any meditation session, youre
bound to get distracted by stuff around you, bodily
sensations, or thoughts going through your mind. So
when you find that your mind has wandered, just
return your attention to the subject of the medita-
tion. Notice whats happening and your reaction to
it. Accept that its your reality right now, and keep
returning your awareness to the meditation.

1|
\i:i \i:du!:.ss
\.st.:s .t lo:.
Often, our search for inner peace and tranquility involves leaving
home. We seek support from others by attending talks, meditat-
ing in groups, or retreating to the country. Alternatively, we might
visit a website or bookstore in search of guidance in blogs, books,
or magazines. However, we need not always pursue (and pay for)
mindfulness experts in these settings. Sometimes, we can find
the best mindfulness teachers in our own homes, literally under-
foot. Pets and children have an uncanny ability to live fully in the
present moment, thus they can serve as mini mindfulness masters
to guide our practice. Cats, dogs, and babies each contribute their
own unique teachings.
When you see a cat basking in the sunshine, its easy to appre-
ciate such mindfulness-related qualities as acceptance and sensual
fulfillment. Reveling in the present moment, cats find content-
ment in the experience of napping in a warm, dry place. Rather

1
than insistently dragging a well-loved toy nearby or striving for the
perfect angle at which to sleep, the cat simply settles into the space.
And when the sun passes, cats almost always continue napping in
the shade, rather than chase the sun to another well-lit spot. Cats
stretch to relish the warmth of the sunny day as it unfolds, without
worrying about the chance of rain, or regretting bygone sunbeams.
Dogs are also wonderful teachers of mindfulness practice.
They can demonstrate an enviable level of concentration and
focus on the present moment. Dont believe me? Have you ever
tried to eat lunch in front of a hungry dog? Salivating unabashedly,
dogs focus visually on every bite of food as it travels from plate to
mouth. Paying such exquisite attention to the process of eating is
an integral part of several mindfulness-based psychotherapies (for
example, Kristeller and Hallett 1999). Dogs loyalty is a wonder-
ful example of a relationship without criticism or condemnation. It
doesnt matter what kind of day youve had, what you look like, or
how your breath smells; you can be confident that your dog loves
you unconditionally. Dogs dont pass judgment on you or set limits
on when and how they express their affection for you.
With reactions unmitigated by expectations, babies, too, fully
engage with the present moment. Given their nascent cognitive
development, babies dont yet have memories to guide their interac-
tions with the environment. If a baby is hungry, wet, sick, or tired,
crying ensues. If a baby is well fed, warm, healthy, and well rested,
youll likely see big smiles and hear soft cooing. In this respect,
babies expressions reflect their immediate experience, unmediated
by thinking or judging. From a babys perspective, what happened
in the past is over. A hungry baby is hungry even if he just ate. A
tired baby is tired even if she slept through the night. And babies
have little appreciation of the future. For example, as every parent
knows, a plaintive Wait a minute! does little to soothe a crying
baby whos sitting in a cold, wet diaper.

1
Given these mini mindfulness masters apparent sagacity, here
are a few tips on how to apply their teachings. They have much to
teach us, even if they cant talk.
Be with your pet or child. Spend some time follow-
ing your mini mindfulness masters lead. This might
simply mean lying next to your cat, nuzzling your
dog, or gazing at your infant. See if you can get in
touch with some of the sensual aspects of the present
moment your pet or baby might be experiencing (for
example, temperature, sound, lightness or darkness,
and so on).
Watch how your mini mindfulness master interacts
with the present moment. Does your pet or baby seem
to be experiencing something pleasant, unpleasant, or
neutral? What behaviors or expressions do you notice
that lead you to this conclusion? What is your own
experience of this moment? Are you having a similar
reaction or a completely different one? To what degree
does whats going through your mind influence your
experience, as opposed to whats actually happening
in the world around you?
Ask yourself, What would Winston [or whatever your
mini mindfulness master is called] do? How would
your pet or infant respond to this situation? You might
anticipate reactions like purring, barking, crying, or
tail wagging. Alternatively, you might expect a cocked
ear or nonplussed acknowledgment. The idea isnt
to embody or mimic this reaction (can you imagine
growling in a crowded restaurant?) but simply to con-
sider a different response from your usual automatic

1;
programming. If the image of your pet or babys reac-
tion merely brings a smile to your face, all the better.
Notice how your mini mindfulness masters actions
push your buttons. While pets and babies might be
free from judging and striving, were not. So the cat
that decides to vomit while youre running late will
likely spark feelings of anger and contempt rather
than compassion. Try to bring awareness to how and
when your emotions get triggered when your pet or
infant behaves in ways you dislike. Some Zen para-
bles recount how disciples became enlightened after
being hit on the head or slapped in the face by the
top priest. So maybe youre just one spit-up encounter
away from achieving nirvana yourself!

18
|.:. You: L:.i:,
|.:. You: Roo::.t.
Living in the city usually means living in smaller spaces. Given
the expense of real estate relative to suburban and rural areas, we
simply get less bang for the buck when it comes to square footage.
To reduce expensesor to share a life with someone we lovewe
end up living with others, typically roommates or a romantic
partner. As a result, were often in fairly cramped quarters as we
struggle to carve out some personal space and share household
responsibilities.
This kind of crowded living isnt easy. In fact, its inherently
stressful. Research shows that animals like rats and monkeys turn
against each other when given too little space to live in (Calhoun
1962). Fortunately, it doesnt get to the point where were gnawing
on our roommates or hurling feces, but we do get stressed and irri-
table, and tend to act out in more humanlike ways. We forget
to take out the trash or decide to wash only our own dishes. We

1
ruminate about the ways our roommates or partners arent doing
their fair share to maintain the household. I walk the dog, pay the
bills, and go grocery shopping, while he cant even put away his coat,
we think.
As we get progressively more bitter and resentful, were more
likely to act out in unhealthy ways, perhaps by becoming argumen-
tative and making snarky, passive-aggressive comments. We decide
unilaterally to change our household responsibilities and just focus
on doing things for ourselves. For example, we might decide to buy
only the food we like.
In such circumstances, we clearly feel miserable. With our neg-
ative thoughts and retaliatory actions, we ruin the present moment.
That glass a roommate abandoned on the kitchen table, complete
with sour, stale milk, isnt as noxious as we make it out to be.
We can promptly dispose of smelly milk. Its the perceived disre-
spect and lack of consideration that are more troubling. Through
our judgments, we perpetuate our own dissatisfactionits our
own fault we feel bad! Sure, the glass might be a catalyst, but the
recrimination and perceived insult is what actually makes us feel
angry and disappointed.
If youve had these kinds of experiences with your room-
mate or partner, you clearly need to approach the situation a little
differently:
Become aware of whats going through your mind.
What are you telling yourself about whats happening
right now?
Consider whether or not a problem exists in this
present moment. What, if anything, is wrong right
now? Does the dog need to be walked? Do the dishes
need to be washed? Do you need to eat dinner?

.o
Accept that the situation is as it is. Telling yourself it
should or shouldnt be this way makes it difficult
to reach any constructive solution.
Objectively consider the problem in terms of spe-
cific behaviors. What action can you takeor try to
get your roommate or partner to taketo solve the
problem? Be aware of when you use judgmental lan-
guage. Wanting your partner or roommate to be more
respectful is a nice goal, but its also too ambiguous.
What do you mean by more respectful or whatever
judgmental language youre using? See if you can artic-
ulate in behavioral terms what you would like.
If none of these strategies works, you might simply need some
time alone. Research shows that we find overcrowding stressful
because of a lack of desired privacy (Ramsden 2009). So maybe
the dissatisfaction you feel while talking with your roommate or
partner comes from doing so at a time when you would rather be
alone. In such circumstances, discuss your need for more solitude
and see what arrangements you can make. Though initiating this
conversation might be awkward at first, it prevents future argu-
ments and helps you feel more relaxed at home.

.1
!.!|i:' !:.s|
Given the density of urban areas, its not surprising that cities gen-
erate a lot of trash. According to information available at their
respective sanitation departments, the cities of New York, Los
Angeles, and Chicago (the three most populous U.S. cities) gener-
ate over twenty-one thousand tons of garbage daily. Thats a lot
of waste! Yet somehow, we dont find ourselves overwhelmed with
filth. The reason, of course, is that thousands of people are respon-
sible for removing and disposing of our garbage. Whether we bid
good-bye to our trash at the wastebasket, garbage chute, or curb,
many other people take it from there.
When the citys sanitation department is working well, it lulls
us into a mindless complacency. We throw something away, and it
soon disappears. We dont have to concern ourselves with person-
ally taking trash to the nearest landfill. But when the system breaks
down and our garbage starts piling up too close to home (or work),
were suddenly aware of trash in a way we werent before. Were
quick to get upset or angry, even though we likely werent particu-

..
larly grateful when things worked smoothly. Based on his personal
experience, the Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh (1991) once remarked
that a non-toothache is a pleasant experience. Similarly, we all
can probably agree that having no problem with garbage collection
is also a nice experience.
In this spirit, if trash pickup is important to you and your daily
life, consider trying one of the following practices:
Express your appreciation or gratitude for the people
who remove the trash. Perhaps extend a blessing to
the sanitation workers as they come down the block,
or say thanks to your building superintendent. At the
very least, maybe you can refrain from honking your
horn when the garbage truck temporarily blocks your
car.
Recognize that someone else will literally be left
holding the bag when you discard something. To
reduce this persons risk of getting either injured or
too messy, try to wrap broken glass securely and pour
liquids down the drain before tossing the container.
Consider how you would want others to dispose of
garbage if you were responsible for carrying it away.
Bring awareness to the process of discarding things
by slowly placing trash in the garbage can rather than
tossing it in. Notice what youre throwing away. If it
seems appropriate, consider other uses for this item or
other ways to dispose of it.
Ask yourself, Do I want to reduce the amount of
garbage I generate? If so, how important is this goal
to you, and how much time and energy can you devote

.|
to it? Having many pressures, we need to thoughtfully
consider our priorities. What you do to reduce, reuse,
and recycle likely isnt what your neighbor does. But
the question isnt about your neighbors actions but,
rather, the degree to which your own actions fit your
values.
Think about the various ways to reduce your trash.
Donate or sell items, such as appliances, clothing, and fur-
niture, through www.craigslist.org, www.freecycle.org,
or a local LISTSERV. Also, many cities have a thriving
leave and take system where people leave unwanted
items on their stoops or curbs for passersby to take
freely! Personally, Im convinced that some enterprising
people could furnish a whole apartment this way.
As to recycling, leave yourself reminders to
recycle, buy special recycling bins, and carry used
bottles until you find a recycling bin (rather than
throw them in a garbage can).
Encourage others to recycle properly. Ask your favorite
restaurants and take-out joints what happens to cus-
tomers bottles and cans. If they already recycle these
items properly, thank them for their efforts. If not,
encourage them to do so. Such a conversation need
not be hostile or confrontational; a simple request or
expression of the personal importance you place on
recycling can suffice.
Consider composting. Much of the food waste we gen-
erate can be composted into fertilizer. Even if you dont
have access to a yard where you can have a compost
bin, you have several other options. Often, you can

.|
bring vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and other com-
postable products to your local farmers market, com-
munity garden, or food co-op. In between visits, you
can keep these items in a compost pail or bag stored
in the freezer. If you want to do the composting your-
self, you can investigate vermicomposting, composting
with worms. The worms live happily in your closet or
under your desk, and subsist entirely on whatever fruit
and vegetable scraps you would normally throw away.
Notice the proliferation of flyers, newspapers, restau-
rant menus, and the like around your home or work-
place. We often get bombarded by leaflets left on the
doorstep or wedged into some space near the entry-
way. Be cognizant of what happens to these materi-
als. Are they thrown into the trash? Does someone
take and read them? Are they left outside, only to
get blown into the street? If you dont want to receive
such materials, consider putting up a sign or register-
ing a complaint with the city. You can find other sug-
gestions online about getting fewer of such unwanted
advertisements.
All of these options involve becoming more aware of what you
discard and the attitude you bring to the process. Changing your
perspective and your waste-making behavior might introduce a
better spirit and environment to your city.

.
\.:t:.:t l:
For better or worse, we often compare ourselves to others, and
become dissatisfied if we dont quite measure up. So-and-so has a
better job, car, partner, or whatever. Researchers suggest that our
tendency to make social comparisons serves an evolutionary func-
tion and that we are particularly sensitive to instances where we
seem disadvantaged (Hill and Buss 2008).
In the city, a special kind of envy develops: apartment envy.
Maybe youve found yourself coveting your friends walk-in closet,
dishwasher, parking spot, or incredibly low rent (or mortgage).
Whatever the specifics, were never quite satisfied with where we
live, and theres ample opportunity to want what someone else has.
Our reasons for envying others homes are related to the inter-
section of three factors: First, the density of urban areas ensures
that were regularly reminded of people who live better than we do.
These reminders come in the form of billboards, real estate ads in
the newspaper, and ornate buildings. This direct experience is more

.
unsettling for us than indirect comparisons based on, say, watching
a TV show about someones home (Alicke and Zell 2008). Second,
the citys high cost of living necessarily requires us to make trade-
offs in terms of location, size, and amenities. We are also limited
in our ability to modify our homes; we cant just add another room
if we live in an apartment, for example. Finally, there are few ways
of assessing social standing in the city, compared to the suburbs
or rural areas. We dont all have cars, boats, lawns, and so on, but
most of us have a place to live. So our abodes take on particular
significance for us.
Youre likely familiar with how and when we tend to make
these comparisons. At parties, for example, its almost de rigueur to
discuss each others living spaces. We complain about noisy neigh-
bors, lack of space, parking difficulties, insufficient interior light,
unreasonable condo boards, long commutes, nonexistent outdoor
space, or poor school districts. Whenever we visit friends who
have just moved into a new space, we unconsciously compare their
spaces to our own, noting the ways they have it better than us,
or finding ways to disparage their places, thus preserving our own
apartmental self-esteem.
You might even know peoplenot you, of coursewho make
a hobby of looking for a new and better apartment. Poring through
the real estate section of the newspaper or Craigslist (www.craigs
list.org), they spend much of their free time seeking the perfect
place to live. However, as we all know, no place is ever perfect.
Theres always something less than ideal. And as our circumstances
change over time, what was once perfect can become less so very
quickly. All it takes is a yappy puppy next door to disrupt your
personal Eden.
The problem in these circumstances isnt what you might nor-
mally think. Most likely, its not that your place is too small, noisy,
far, or whatever you think is wrong with it. Thus, your solution

.;
moving to a new apartmentis doomed to fail. The real problem
is your comparative mind-set. You seeor imagineanother
apartment that you decide is better than yours in significant ways.
The comparison not only leads to feelings of envy and dissatisfac-
tion, but also potentially prevents you from investing the time and
energy in making your place as nice as it can be. If youre busy
meeting with real estate brokers, youre not finding ways to improve
your current home.
But what if I really do need to move? you might ask. Great
question. You might indeed need to move to a different place. But
the answer lies in looking objectively at your own needs and circum-
stances, not in comparing your apartment to someone elses.
To overcome apartment envy (or decide whether or not to
move), look for ways to accept where you areliterally; that is,
accept that you currently live in this particular apartment and
neighborhood. It might not be perfect (indeed, no moment ever
is), but its what you have. Paradoxically, by bringing your attention
back to your own living space and accepting it, you might discover
changes you can and do wish to make. Like mindfully changing
your meditation posture when you become uncomfortable, such
an attitude helps you make judicious choices in nonreactive ways.
Imagining yourself having to live in this apartment foreveras
opposed to imagining a much better placehelps you take better
ownership of the space (and maybe even improve it). Often the first
step to acceptance is imagining or realizing that your situation may
never change. After the anger and disappointment subside, youll
be better able to actually live where you are. Alternatively, you
might realize you do indeed need to move, but now your decision
comes from a place of objectivity rather than emotional reactivity.
Practice-wise, if youre still stuck envying someone elses home,
here are some ways to mindfully experience what you have:

.8
Choose a part of your home that you particularly
dislike, and sit there in silence for ten minutes. Find
something there you can appreciate, and sit with that
sense of appreciation for a moment. How do you feel
when you are in this place? Notice your emotions,
thoughts, and sensations as you sit there, but dont get
hooked by them. Just notice them and let them drift
away.
Find a dissatisfying area of your home, one that isnt
quite what it could or should be. Taking a step back,
ask yourself, Whats wrong with this? Notice what
judgments come to mind, especially ones that compare
this space to others. Consider this area of your home
on its own merits. How could you describe it objec-
tively? For example, you might describe a closet thats
too small or useless as being three feet wide, two
feet deep, and seven-and-a-half feet high. Given this
objective description, can you see a way to compen-
sate for whatever you think is wrong?

.
:ot !..:i:
Typically, we do our best to keep our living spaces clean and neat.
We attend to housekeeping chores regularly or find someone else
(such as a roommate, partner, or cleaning service) to do it for us.
Because our living spaces can be relatively small, we often cant
neglect something dirty or untidy for very long. For example, living
in a studio apartment means your kitchen, living room, dining
room, and bedroom are all the same room. So a sink full of dirty
dishes can create a nasty odor that disturbs your guests or your
sleep. In these smaller spaces, we cant easily avoid encountering a
mess, or relegate it to a particular area of our homes.
Given our limited living spaces, we need to be a little more
attentive to basic issues of cleanliness and tidiness. Of course, house-
keeping isnt something we typically relish. Its a chore we try to get
over with as quickly as possible. However, through mindfulness,
we can approach this experience differently. Jon Kabat-Zinn has
noted, for example, that moving our hands rhythmically in warm
water can be a pleasant sensory experience for us, once we stop

|o
negatively associating this act with doing the dishes (Kabat-Zinn
1994). Indeed, we can better enjoy many of the actions involved in
cleaning by becoming aware of what were actually doing and expe-
riencing. While cleaning the bathtub or toilet, notice how the color
changes from a mildew-tinged gray or brown to something shinier
and more representative of the underlying tile or porcelain. While
vacuuming, feel the handles subtle vibration and hear the crinkly
slurp of dirt getting sucked into the bag. While dusting, turn your
attention to the feel of the cloth in your hand or the texture of the
surface youre cleaning. When we focus on our immediate sensory
experience, these activities arent unpleasant. Its the dread and
reluctance we bring to these tasks that make them undesirable and
off-putting. So the next time you prepare to clean your home, try
some of these approaches:
Select one area to clean thoroughly and slowly.
Perhaps focus on your bedroom, bathroom, or living
room. Looking at this room, how would you objec-
tively describe whatever seems dirty or messy? If you
had to give someone very specific instructions on what
needs to be done, what would you say? Simply telling
yourself (or someone else) Clean up this mess leaves
room for confusion about priorities and even where
to begin. You could spend considerable time dusting,
for example, while the clothes remain strewn all over
the floor.
Break down an overwhelming task into smaller steps.
If something is really dirty or cluttered, our minds tell
us its too much to do, which leads us to feel over-
whelmed and to avoid cleaning at all. Notice whether
you feel intimidated while approaching a particular

|1
chore. Maybe you think it will require a lot of time or
energy, for example. Cognizant of your reactions and
resistance, decide to do just a small part of whatevers
necessary. If you have a sink full of dishes, try washing
only one or two of them. If the bathtub needs scrub-
bing, do just one side.
Slow down your cleaning, and practice mindfulness.
As suggested earlier, sometimes you can find quite
pleasant ways to connect with the sensory experience
of cleaning. Also, try using this time as an opportu-
nity to check in with your body. Notice your move-
ments and bodily sensations as you clean. Try observ-
ing your posture as you stand there doing dishes,
or feel your arms extension and contraction as you
vacuum. Further, if you use your nondominant hand,
youll naturally focus more on your bodily feelings due
to the inherent awkwardness.
Though doing household chores mindfully wont make them
exciting, you can discover some enjoyable momentsor at least,
ones you dont resentwhile cleaning. You also might be surprised
to discover that youre less likely to put off what needs to be done.
Of course, once youre finished, be sure to take a few moments to
focus on your breathing and revel in the fresh scent of your clean
home.

|.
!|.:|s o: t|. :ois., :.i||o::
Because of the density of urban areas, many of us live in close prox-
imity to others. Houses are spaced closely together, or even touching
each other, as in the case of row houses and brownstones. In apart-
ment buildings, people literally live on top of each other. Ceilings,
walls, and floors delineate your personal space, which makes it harder
to perceive just how closeliterallyyou are to your neighbors. In
fact, if youre both leaning against the same wall (albeit on opposite
sides, obviously), youre probably less than six inches apart!
Because of this proximity, what happens in our neighbors
apartments more easily affects us. If our neighbors burn a cake, we
smell it. If they get into a loud argument, we hear it. If they throw
a raucous party, we feel their music shake our floors, windows, and
walls. More catastrophic events adversely affect us too. A fire or
vermin in the house next door can damage or infest our homes.
Similarly, burst pipes and an overflowing toilet in the upstairs
apartment can make it rain in your living room. Not surprisingly,
its easy to get annoyed, angry, and even vengeful at such times.

||
Compassion, kindness, gratitude? All the states of being we strive
to cultivate in our lives can go out the window.
Often, we get stuck in blaming our neighbors for disturbing our
peace and harmony. We consider their actions to be inconsiderate
or even purposefully harmful. While confrontations can escalate
to the point where neighbors are consciously feuding with each
other, its usually something more benign at the beginning. The
toddler running around upstairs is playing aroundnot trying to
disrupt our work or meditation practice. And the childs caregivers
are not encouraging or condoning the behavior simply to upset us.
Maintaining such negative judgments merely perpetuates destruc-
tive emotions (such as anger or hatred), making it more difficult to
negotiate a successful resolution.
So what do we do? When were angry and disturbed by our
neighbors, how can we reconnect with the positive emotions toward
others that we strive to elicit in more peaceful moments? And how
do we get along better with our neighbors, especially when theyre
disturbing us?
Dont assume your neighbors know what you can hear
in your house or apartment. Often, our negative reac-
tions are based on the assumption that they are doing
something wrong to us. But almost always, our neigh-
bors actions result from whats going on in their own
homes, not ours. This perspective suggests it might be
beneficial to let the neighbors know what were expe-
riencing in our homes and allow them to make some
adjustments in their behavior.
Similarly, dont assume you know whats happening in
your neighbors homes. A visiting house sitter or a lost
or malfunctioning remote could be causing the very

||
loud TV. Or your neighbors might have turned up the
volume to drown out a loud argument, compensate
for hearing impairment, or try out some new stereo
speakers. As you can see, none of these explanations
has anything to do with you or your home, so dont
take their actions personally.
Politely and respectfully discuss the disturbance with
your neighbors. Explain objectively how their actions,
noise, and so on affect the environment in your own
home. Invite them to provide feedback about you
as a neighbor. Living close to each other necessarily
requires us to exercise mutual respect and consider-
ation. We cant just ask for concessions and accommo-
dations; we have to be willing to make similar adjust-
ments in our own lives in the interest of preserving
and improving our relationships with others.
Invite yourself to be the neighbor you would love to
have. Who would be your ideal neighbor? Would you
like someone whos friendly, generous, and consider-
ate or someone whos aloof, possessive, and critical?
Ultimately, you cant control your neighbors actions,
but you can control your own behavior. Instead of
getting caught up in feeling disrespected, why not
consider how you can change to become more consid-
erate, accepting, and compassionate toward your noisy
neighbor? Though it might take a while to improve
an already strained relationship, exploring these issues
might help you feel a little better now. And with
repeated practice, your neighbor might eventually
come around too.

|
|.i::.: \.o is :ot
We love our pets. We lavish them with attention and treats as they
provide us with unconditional love and support. They become vital
family members, and the next thing you know, were discussing
them at dinner parties as if they were our children. If were not
careful, though, we can forget how much they mean to us. We
get caught up in the excitement and hassle of city life by going
out more often or working later, and dont value our pets as much
as we did initially. We might even start focusing on the negative
aspects of having them around, like having to pay expensive veteri-
nary bills, walk them outside in freezing weather, and clean up hair
balls. Even nice quality time snuggling on the couch can quickly
degenerate into something less enjoyable as we push them away,
recalling something horrible they did earlier in the day, like peeing
on the floor. If we start feeling less connected to our pets, the solu-
tion isnt to spend even less time with them. Buying more hours of
doggy day care or a new scratching post wont make us enjoy being
with our pets again. It might assuage our guilt temporarily or help

|
us compensate for being unavailable for a little while, but its not a
long-term solution.
Given these considerations, why not spend some time with
your furry (scaly, feathery, or whatever) loved one? Research
focused on our interactions with cats and dogs shows that having
pets improves our own physical and mental health (Giaquinto and
Valentini 2009). For example, petting a dog can actually lower your
blood pressure (Vormbrock and Grossberg 1988). So, even for your
own health, it helps to reconnect with your beloved pet. If you
dont have one, consider spending time with someone elses pet,
like a friends or neighbors, or even loitering at one of those seem-
ingly ubiquitous animal-adoption stations.
Without doing anything else, spend ten minutes simply petting,
rubbing, and scratching your pet. Does this sound too easy? Well,
be sure to totally focus on your pet without talking on the phone,
watching TV, texting, or engaging in any other activity. Also,
dont get wrapped up in looking for lumps, untangling knots, or
grooming your pet in any way. The primary purpose is simply to
connect with the unfolding experience through visual observation
and touch. Consider what happens from two perspectives, yours
and your pets:
What does your pet seem to like and dislike? Does
your pet seem to prefer being scratched, rubbed, or
petted on certain areas of the body? And does your pet
prefer one kind of touch over another in these areas?
What about the speed or vigorousness of the petting?
Does your pet like a slow, light stroking or a rough,
belly-shaking rubdown? How can you tell? What do
you notice that encourages you to keep doing what-
ever youre doing or signals you to stop? Does your

|;
pet purr, bark, pant, whimper, coo, growl, hiss, moan,
squawk, sing, bite, scratch, or walk away?
From your own perspective, how does it feel to touch
your pets fur, coat, skin, or feathers? What do you
notice as you concentrate your attention on your fin-
gertips? Does your pet feel fluffy, wiry, scratchy, scaly,
fleshy, bony, warm, or cool to your touch? How would
you describe the feel of your pet to a stranger?

|8
l. o :i!.:..
One of the more powerful life experiences is to go on a silent medi-
tation retreat. It allows you to become more aware of the sounds
aroundand voices withinyou. Without the usual chatter,
a retreat also helps you focus on your immediate experience.
Typically, we seek more natural, isolated settings for this practice.
Indeed, wonderful places exist all over the world where you can be
with silence.
You can also create a day of silence for yourself without leaving
the city. Though perhaps not as romantic as meditating by a pris-
tine lake or desert cliff, it can be just as profound, especially since
you literally bring the practice into your own home. Why not spend
a whole day creating a silent retreat for yourself?
To the extent possible, create rules and a daily schedule that
mirror the experience of being away from it all. Here are some of
the more important considerations:

|
Vow not to speak to others during the day, except in
an emergency. You will maintain silence, just as if you
were away on a meditation retreat.
Inform others of your intention. Discourage people
from speaking to you during this time. If you nor-
mally call your mother three times a day, tell her you
wont be available during your retreat. Or perhaps
invite someone to participate in the retreat with you.
Especially powerful for couples living together, this
option supports your mutual dedication to mindful-
ness and forms a special connection, allowing you to
be fully present and attentive to each otheralbeit
wordlesslyin the same space.
Unplug or turn off all noisy electronic distractions in
your home. Dont answer the phone, watch TV, get
on the computer, surf the Internet, play video games,
or listen to music during this time. Obviously, the city
sounds (including neighbors, roommates, pets, chil-
dren, and so on) will continue, but youll reduce the
amount of noise by omitting the usual distractions.
Schedule what you plan to do throughout the day.
Typically, silent retreats have periods set aside for
sitting and walking meditations. Determine the time
and duration of your meditations. Depending on your
familiarity with all-day retreats, perhaps plan several
hour-long meditations where you alternate twenty
minutes sitting with ten minutes walking.
Select some books, chapters, verses, or poems to read.
Retreats typically include periodic meetings or talks

|o
with spiritual leaders. Though you wont have the
advantage of such a guides live presence, you can
find written material that provides opportunities for
reflection.
When not meditating or reading, mindfully experience
whatever you do. If youre sitting on the couch, allow
yourself to feel what its like to sit. If youre walking to
another room, feel how your feet make contact with
the floor. You might also try some of the other mind-
fulness practices outlined in this part of the book, like
attentively petting your dog or cat.
Mindfully prepare and eat your meals. Ideally, try
making each meal from scratch as you slowly attend to
preparing each ingredient (and cooking). Try washing
and drying each lettuce leaf, for example. During
mealtime, focus on the foods taste in your mouth.
Your tongue has different taste receptors for detecting
bitter, salty, sweet, and sour flavors. These receptors
are distributed on different areas of your tongue so
that the same mouthful of food has a different flavor
depending on its physical location. During meals,
move the food around in your mouth and try to dis-
tinguish these different flavors.
Start and end your day of silence whenever you wish.
Maybe decide to practice from sunrise to sundown, or
ten to two. Regardless of your selected times, maintain
the boundaries; resist the urge to end prematurely.
Beginning and ending your silent practice with a set-
tling ritual, like ringing a bell or offering a compassion
or gratitude prayer, also helps.

|1
|ost !o:
Crowds, noise, and congestion contribute significantly to the stress
we urbanites experience. Without these annoyances, cities actually
can be quite peaceful and meditative places. Have you ever walked
through the city late at night or early in the morning, when most
people are asleep? A sense of calm permeates the surrounding air,
despite the fact that hundreds of thousandsor even millionsof
people live around you.
Unless youre an early riser or night owl, youll have few oppor-
tunities to experience the city this way. However, its relatively easy
to imagine. Typically, such relaxation-oriented visualizations invite
you to think of a walk on a beach, a hike through a forest, or a
stroll through a garden. Why not try to introduce the same sense
of stillness and calm by picturing yourself walking through the city
or your own neighborhood? Experiencing the city this wayeven
in your imaginationwill help you feel calmer and increase your
likelihood of bringing this same relaxed attitude along when youre
actually out on a walk.

|.
Practice this meditation whenever you need a little stress relief.
Maybe you are having trouble sleeping, or need to soothe yourself
after a long day at work. Both circumstances are good examples of
appropriate times to try this exercise.
To create a tranquil urban visualization, try to sort out all the
details beforehand. Consider the following questions to get you
started:
Are you by yourself or walking with a friend? Are
people in the distance, or is the area deserted, like a ghost town?
Usually, its easier to imagine that no ones around you, but you
can also imagine others on the street. Ideally, theyll smile happily
while passing by.
Where will you walk? On your street, through
Georgetown, along Rodeo Drive? Determining the location gives
you a better sense of what it looks like. Ideally, to make it easier to
bring to mind, select a place you have previously visited.
Elucidate the information
you receive from your five senses. What do you see? Is it daytime or
nighttime? What buildings and architecture do you notice? What
do you smell? Whats it like temperaturewise? Is it rainy or sunny?
Try to imagine yourself
feeling calm, secure, and peaceful. Theres no point in picturing
yourself scared or stressedthats for sure! In fact, research shows
that visual imagery can reduce or increase anxiety (Holmes and
Matthews 2005). If you imagine something negative, youre more
likely to feel stressed. If you imagine something positive, youre
more likely to feel relaxed. Consequently, therapists often success-

||
fully use this practice to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders
(Leahy 2009).
Is there something you want to see,
like the glowing neon lights of Times Square or the rippling shore
of Lake Michigan? Perhaps you simply want to get a breath of fresh
air? Be sure to include this experience in your visualization.
If you enjoy this meditation, try setting aside time in the
early morning or late evening for an actual walk through the city.
Remaining alert for any safety concerns, try strolling slowly and
mindfully down the sidewalk while basking in the citys twilight
glow. Notice how it feels to be in this space, as well as whatever
judgments come to mind. You might find that the actual experi-
ence is better than you imagined.


|
l.:.isi: \...t.:..
We spend a lot of time exercising or thinking about exercise. Every
day, were bombarded by reminders to work out and take care of
our bodies. Some of us establish exercise regimens, regularly going
to the gym, yoga studio, or martial arts center. Others set particu-
lar goals for athletic achievement, like running a marathon, and
train accordingly. Unable to set aside consistent blocks of time for
exercise, many of us try to incorporate more physical activity into
our daily lives by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or getting
off the subway or bus a stop early and walking the rest of the way.
Regardless of what we do for exercise, we all have particular
attitudes about it, especially its duration and intensity. But usually
our judgments are pretty negative. When was the last time you
heard a friend or family member complain about doing enough or
even too much exercise? Have you ever heard someone voice these
thoughts? Instead, people are more likely to dwell on what theyre
not doing, or feel bad about how poorly theyre performing. Of

|;
course, its all relative: one person feels guilty about being unable to
make the time to run more than once a week, while another feels
disappointed about being unable to break a six-minute mile.
Our tendency to berate ourselves about exercise has one of
three unfortunate consequences: we lose motivation and stop exer-
cising; we push ourselves too far beyond our capabilities, thus invit-
ing injury; or we continue to do what were doing while feeling
miserable about it. None of these options is particularly appeal-
ing, is it? Fortunately, once we recognize the negative impact of
our attitudes about exercise, we can work on cultivating a different
relationship with what were doing, one thats more grateful and
accepting. Here are four tips on cultivating such acceptance:
Describe what you do for exercise in concrete terms,
without judging or evaluating. If you run twice a week,
youre running twice a week. Its as simple as that. It
doesnt make you a bad or good person; it just is what
it is. If you cant do a headstand in yoga, you cant
do a headstand. If you can, you can. Neither scenario
makes you worthless or marvelous.
Free yourself from comparisons to others. Often, we
devalue our workouts because somebodys always faster,
stronger, or more skillful than we are. Or we compare
ourselves in the now to ourselves in the past, when we
were much more athletic, slim, and fit. Though main-
taining these kinds of comparisons can motivate people
who are fairly competitive, they generally make the rest
of us feel miserable. Doing so also increases your like-
lihood of pushing yourself beyond your limits in ways
that might cause damage or injuries. You might add

|8
too much weight to the bench press or strain yourself
during a yoga pose, just to placate your inner critic.
Appreciate and be grateful for what you can do and have
done. Being able to exercise at all suggests having a body
thats capable of moving and helping us get through our
daily lives. Thinking about exercising without acting on
it also reflects a potentially important value for you
physical healthwhich helps you determine your sched-
ule and priorities. In mindfulness-based stress reduction
(MBSR), a program designed to help people with chronic
pain, one of the more powerful exercises is a body scan
in which participants slowly and systematically observe
whats happening in each part of the body (starting with
the toes) (Kabat-Zinn 1990). Not surprisingly, with this
perspective, people realize that many parts of the body
feel fine and work well. Similarly, for our own exercise
routines, it feels better to acknowledge whats working
than to dwell on whats wrong.
Accept your injuries. When we move, were also more
likely to get injured; its a risk inherent in any activ-
ity. Even when walking down the street (especially
while chewing gum), were at risk of falling or twist-
ing an ankle. And over time, we can accumulate inju-
ries that turn into chronic conditions if we rush the
healing process. As a result, we need to simply accept
our own limitations and pain. It might not be fair or
what you want, but its how things are. Railing against
your injuries or pushing yourself in painful ways simply
aggravates your condition, delays your recovery, and
worsens your pain, thus limiting your activities in the

|
future. Sure, it isnt fair that you have this injury. But
most likely, theres something you can do physically.
Maybe its not specifically what you want, but perhaps
it reflects the value you place on health, which under-
scores your commitment to exercise in the first place.

o
.: You ::.!! !|.t.
Ah, cities! The wonderful sights, sounds, and smells! Smells? Whats
so nice about the smells? Weve got smog, litter, trash, and dog
poop! What smells good about that?
Nothing, really. Cities usually dont smell very nice. Admittedly,
country living is no picnic either; ever driven near a chicken farm?
Yet, like other aspects of urban living, unpleasant smells can be a
wake-up call to mindfulnessa kind of spiritual smelling salts, if
you will.
When we find ourselves smelling something bad or rotten,
we can notice our revulsion and distaste. We can also choose to
remove ourselves from that particular place in hope of finding
something nicer a little farther away. Being mindful and accept-
ing the present moment doesnt mean you need to resign yourself
to putting up with something bad if you can change it. If youre
standing really close to a pile of garbage and it smells bad, move.
No special dignity or award lies in tolerating an unpleasant situa-
tion that you can easily change. The difference is in the attitude

1
you bring to the situation. If you notice a distasteful smell and
simply movewonderful! But its not so helpful to get preoccupied
with the smells source, curse the citys lack of cleanliness, and start
remembering all of the rotten smells youve ever experienced.
Of course, in addition to the citys bad smells, we can easily
find pleasant ones too, like the aroma of baking bread wafting
outside bakeries and bagel shops. Florist shops, fruit stands, farmers
markets, cafs, perfumeries, candle stores, and body-care shops all
provide an opportunity to smell something nice. In New York,
freshly cut flowers typically line the fronts of bodegas. Usually, a
tarp hangs down from the storefront to protect them from direct
sunlight, plus it serves to keep the wonderful scents of the roses,
lilies, and hyacinths concentrated in the small space. Aaah, spend-
ing a few moments immersed in the sweet, honey-like aromas is a
delightful way to recharge before rushing to your next appointment.

.
\ \.!| i: t|. l.:|
For centuries, societies and cultures worldwide have expressed the
need to get away from it all. Whether by going on a religious pil-
grimage or vacationing on Marthas Vineyard, people seek experi-
ences outside their day-to-day environments. For us urbanites, this
usually means some combination of hiking in the country, skiing
in the mountains, camping in the woods, swimming at the beach,
or simply picnicking in the local park. If we have a little money to
spend, this excursion can involve touring wine country, attend-
ing a yoga retreat, or relaxing at a spa. Intuitively, were drawn to
natural settings, and research demonstrates that being in nature
is associated with promoting health and well-being (Hartig et al.
2003). But why?
About twenty years ago, Stephen and Rachel Kaplan (no rela-
tion to the author) proposed a theory of why we benefit more psy-
chologically and physiologically from being in nature than in cities.
Their attention restoration theory suggests that environments requir-
ing directed, sustained attention, like living in chaotic urban areas,

|
eventually drain our mental resources, leaving us feeling tired and
less able to manage surrounding uncertainty and stress (Kaplan
and Kaplan 1989). Natural settings, which require only indirect
attention, thus provide an opportunity to recharge our mental
batteries.
Consider an example comparing hiking in the mountains with
walking down a busy street. Generally, hiking doesnt require a
focused, top-down kind of attention. We get enjoyment from the
rich sensory environment of sounds, smells, and sights, but nothing
demands our attention. We dont focus on a specific tree or bird-
call, but rather attend to the symphony-like integration of sensory
stimuli. In contrast, walking down a busy street requires more of
both our direct and indirect attention. Our indirect attention is
consumed by dramatic stimuli, like sirens, provocative window dis-
plays, and interesting smells. Our direct attention not only tries to
suppress this competing information but also focuses on dodging
oncoming pedestrians and making sure we dont step on anything
too disgusting.
So, attention restoration theory suggests that one reason we
feel better in nature is that it requires less attention (Kaplan 1995).
By not demanding such an intense use of our directed attention,
being in nature allows us to rest and recharge our attentional bat-
teries, if you will. Previous research indeed supports the corre-
sponding hypothesis that our attention and memory improve when
were in nature (Berto 2005). Fortunately for us city dwellers, we
can get similar relief without retreating to the country.
In 2008, a group of University of Michigan researchers tested
attention restoration theory by comparing a walk downtown with a
walk in the park (literally) (Berman, Jonides, and Kaplan 2008). In
a well-designed experiment, they discovered that both conditions
helped improve participants attention and short-term memory.
However, the participants in the group that walked in the park (for

|
about an hour) had a significantly greater improvement in ability to
concentrate. They also felt better moodwise, which was unrelated
to their improved attention.
So if you ever struggle with flagging attention at work or simply
need a break, maybe youll benefit from a little dose of nature.
Check out the many options around you:
Take a stroll in your local park. Be sure to venture
into areas where you are more surrounded by plant
life, rather than merely walk around the periphery or
near a main road. Ideally, try to have as few as pos-
sible of the usual urban distractions.
Explore the unexpected green space around you, like
a rooftop garden, museum spot, florists shop, or natu-
rally scenic area on a local college campus.
Check out your local botanical garden, which provides
a nice opportunity to view a lot of different kinds of
plants within a relatively small space.
Theoretically, looking across an ocean or lake brings
similar relief. So if you live or work near a large body
of water (like in Chicago or San Francisco), spend
some time looking toward the horizon. Admittedly,
this might look a little bizarre to passersby. But if
anyone asks, just say youre waiting for your lover to
return from sea.
In all of these circumstances, try to simply be in the space and
experience it mindfully. Resist the temptation to bring a book or
check your phone messages. Immerse yourself as much as possible
in the nature around you.

l!..|s o :..:
Water cascades down a vertical wall of rock, creating a muffled roar
as it splashes into the pool below. Pink and purple flowers burst like
fireworks. Sunlight peeks through the canopy of trees overhead,
casting shadows that dance across the mottled stones underfoot.
Sounds nice, huh? A bucolic retreat to nature? Not quite. What if
I said you can have this pleasant experience in a small lot between
office buildings in midtown Manhattan? Paley Park, a private park
made available for the public, is located near the intersection of
Fifth Avenue and Fifty-third Street.
Since the creation of cities, weve set aside natural areas for
public use in the form of parks. Typically, these parks required that
a large amount of space be dedicated for this purpose. For example,
the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is over three hundred
acres, San Franciscos Golden Gate Park is over a thousand acres,
and San Diegos Balboa Park is about twelve hundred acres. Over
the past few decades, there has been a growing movement to create
smaller urban spaces dedicated to nature too. Literally sprouting all

over town, these smaller parks are known by many names, includ-
ing microparks, pocket parks, and miniparks. Some of these
parks are professionally developed (for example, Waterfall Garden
in Seattle), while others reflect the actions of neighbors armed with
trowels and seed packets.
Old, abandoned rail lines have also been converted into parks,
providing a strip of nature through crowded urban areas. In New
York, an abandoned elevated train track was reclaimed as an urban
garden and dubbed the High Line. According to Friends of the
High Line (personal communication), in less than six months of
operation, over a million people had visited the park. In Chicago,
people have organized to try to create a park along another ele-
vated rail line, called the Bloomingdale Trail.
Rebar, an interdisciplinary collection of San Francisco artists,
developed another interesting reclamation of space. In 2005, they
created an art installation of a small park located literally within
the confines of a parking space. Since then, Rebars PARK(ing) Day
has been celebrated annually in cities worldwide, as artists, citizens,
organizations, and companies create small oases of green in parking
spots. If you want to learn more, visit the Rebar website (www.
rebargroup.org) or the PARK(ing) Day website (www.parkingday.
org), or even join the community of people dedicated to creating
these spaces (my.parkingday.org).
Whether in the form of a micropark or the temporary greening
of a parking spot, these flecks of green in the city can be hard to
find. They typically have a small footprint, despite their growing
numbers. If youre interested in exploring new locales for contem-
plation, here are a few suggestions:
Conduct an Internet search of your city or neighbor-
hood with the terms micropark, vest park, pocket
park, and minipark. You might be surprised to dis-

;
cover a small park tucked around the corner from
your work or home.
Visit the website of Project for Public Spaces (www.
pps.org), an organization operating for over thirty years
that lists Great Public Spaces in cities worldwide.
Find a satellite image or birds-eye view of the area
around your home and work. From this new perspec-
tive, you might discover an open space thats hidden
from view when youre on the street.
Regularly visit blogs that reflect whats happening
in your neighborhood. Local blogs reflect the word
on your street and thus can reveal interesting green
spaces in planning or development.
Finally, be on the lookout for any vacant, overgrown
lots around you. By conducting a little research on the
address, you might discover some unused public space
that you can convert into a small park or community
garden (with a lot of help from your friends!). The
land for a recently inaugurated community garden in
Brooklyn, for example, was initially discovered while a
local resident was trying to find a vacant lot for parking
his car. The overgrown lot seemed like a perfect
choice, until he discovered that it was owned by the
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
A quest for parking unearthed a new space for urban
gardeners! Maybe you can find a similar undiscovered
treasure in your neighborhood.

8
!odd!.: !i:.
Young children are very mindful beings: theyre curious about their
experiences, accepting of their emotions, and exquisitely attuned to
whats happening in the present moment. For example, as a toddler,
my oldest son showed an avid interest in pigeons. He was quick to
spot them and squealed delightedly as he chased after them. After
theyd flown away, he would pick up a forgotten feather, which
became an object of meditation for the whole day. The rest of us
either dont usually notice pigeons or judge them negatively (for
example, rats with wings). Of these perspectives, which do you
think would bring you more happiness?
It seems as if, through our contemplative practice, were often
trying to regain these childlike qualities. Though we might not
want to run through flocks of birds, we certainly envy the excite-
ment, freshness, and lack of self-consciousness of those who do. If
you have children (or see them around), you can learn valuable
lessons from them as they interact with you and the world around
them:

Observe what consumes a childs attention. Children

have a plethora of first-time experiences as they go
through the day. They readily carry the Buddhist per-
spective of beginners mind, which refers to the ability
to experience aspects of life with openness, devoid of
preconceptions. Children havent developed many of
the rigid ways of thinking about the world that we
adults have. Also, because theyre shorter, they natu-
rally notice things that are closer to the ground more
than we do. Watching a toddler discover the many
joys of playing in a fountain can help us reconnect to
some of the same enjoyable sensory experiences, like
feeling cool water soothe our skin on a hot day.

But our interactions with children arent always
so beatific and happily inspiring. Sometimes we get
stressed around children, such as when they have tan-
trums or refuse to eat dinner at the appropriate hour.
These frustrating times can also serve as opportuni-
ties for mindfulness practice.
Practice acceptance and mindful breathing whenever
you start feeling angry or stressed around children.
Typically, we get angry because theyre not doing what
we want them to do. In reality, they have exactly the
same experience: were not doing what they want
either. Rather than forcefully assert what we want or
threaten yet another punishment, what if we took a
time-out? Take a few moments to settle down and let
go of your own agenda, at least temporarily. Reengage
children to empathically uncover what they want or
the basis of their objections. Often, this simple act of

o
understanding can break down resistance, facilitating
a mutually satisfying compromise. For example, a sick
child who refuses to take medicine and demands apple
juice can, in fact, have both.
Ask yourself what kind of parent, grandparent, or
watchful adult you want to be. Like writing in wet
cement, its easy to communicate messages to children
that become concretized as beliefs about themselves,
others, and the world. Being aware of your actions
and demeanor, consider what you want to communi-
cate. Do you want to convey judgment, disapproval,
or criticism or to emphasize love, kindness, and com-
passion? How do you embody these principles to get
your message heard loud and clear? How do children
respond to what youve done?
Offer to help when you see a parent or caregiver strug-
gling to manage a difficult situation. Rather than get
embroiled in your own judgments about whats hap-
pening or ignore it entirely, see if you can lend a hand.
Perhaps do this literally, for example, by lifting one
end of the stroller as a childs caregiver navigates the
subway-station stairs, or by holding open a door. You
might also try to coax a smile from a crying child. In
such circumstances, consider what kind of help you
might appreciate if you were this childs caretaker.

1
\i:du!:.ss \.st.:
We love to play games. As children, we spent hours playing catch,
tag, and hide-and-seek. As we grew, our games and tastes became
more sophisticated. We now play organized sports, gather around
board games, and challenge ourselves with puzzles like crosswords
and sudoku.
Over the past thirty or so years, since the invention of the
arcade video game Pong, weve become more and more avid about
video games, which grow more visually appealing, realistic, and
elaborate in their depictions of alternative worlds every year. Video
games are also more widely available than ever. Whereas before, we
needed a computer or video game console, now we play games on
our phones, MP3 players, and other handheld devices.
As we get involved in playing a video game, we naturally lose
contact with the world around us. Our total engrossment in the
games action doesnt allow us to be mindful. A snack consumed
while playing can seemingly disappear because we dont even regis-
ter that were eating. These games provide such enticing distraction

.
because they are inherently fun and use a powerful psychological
principle of learning and behavior.
Based on the pioneering work of B. F. Skinner, operant con-
ditioning is a compelling explanation of how playing video games
(and gambling) can be so addictive. Essentially, this principle
shows that were more likely to perform an action when we receive
a reward afterward. Furthermore, our tendency to repeat this
action becomes stronger based on several factors, including receiv-
ing bigger rewards, getting them very soon after the action, and
receiving them intermittently (see, for example, Skinner 1953). If
we hear a satisfying explosion or get points whenever we shoot
an alien, we want to shoot more aliens. Our action has been rein-
forced. However, if we receive the same reward for everything we
do, we can become bored with it. Were also more likely to stop
performing that action if we suddenly cease receiving rewards.
So the secret to getting us to keep doing something is to provide
rewards periodically. The possibility of scoring higher, unlocking
special characters or abilities, or getting a bigger payout next time
keeps us motivated to continue.
With a dash of playfulness, we can also use this same principle
to promote our self-care and mindfulness practice. So, let me intro-
duce you to the game thats captivated people all across the globe
for generations: Mindfulness Master. Uncover the secrets of ancient
civilizations as you challenge yourself to walk the mystical path of
mindfulness. Youll need a pen and paper to record your score. Oh,
you need to breathe, too. Before I introduce the rules, put down
your cell phone, PDA, or handheld video game. You wont need it
to play Mindfulness Master.
Select a period of time (such as five minutes) or dis-
crete experience (such as walking to work) for playing
this game.

|
Bring your attention and awareness to your breath-
ing. The main goal of the game is to count how many
complete breaths (inhalation and exhalation) you can
follow mindfully before becoming distracted. Give
yourself one point for each breath cycle.
Continue breathing and giving yourself points until
your mind wanders away from your breathing. As soon
as you stop focusing on your breath, the game is over.
Record your results.
Play as many times as you like and try to beat your
score. How high can you go? Can you reach the
highest level, nirvana?
This game obviously introduces some competing and striv-
ing, which isnt really consistent with mindfulness. However, it
reflects your underlying intention and encourages you to unplug
your devices and focus on your breathing, which cultivates concen-
tration and awareness. Playfully engaging in the present like this
helps you find encouraging ways to cultivate and support your own
practice, especially whenever your interest and commitment fade.

|
You :.. l:, \us.u::
Every city has at least one art museum and thus a wonderful oppor-
tunity for getting a little dose of culture. Many cities have more
than just one. The DallasFort Worth area has over twenty prom-
inent art museums and art-related cultural centers, for example.
Despite the plethora of opportunities, evidence suggests that people
actually spend very little time appreciating exhibits and artwork.
Beverly Serrell (1997) discovered that visitors usually spend less
than twenty minutes in special exhibitions. A New York Times cor-
respondent more recently decried how visitors to the Louvre spend
more time snapping photos than actually looking at the paint-
ings (Kimmelman 2009). Given arts visually stimulating nature,
museums provide inspiring opportunities for mindfulness practice,
and even instill a kind of relaxation similar to being in nature
(Kaplan, Bardwell, and Slakter 1993). If youre willing to spend a
little more time and energy appreciating what your museum has to
offer, here are some suggestions:

Bring a sketchbook and charcoal, pastels, or colored

pencils, and spend some time drawing a painting or
other artwork. For at least twenty minutes, focus on
drawing what you really see. Often, our drawings
are based on our mental representation of something
rather than how it actually looks; for example, even if
sunlight causes color and shadow changes, we might
draw something as though evenly lit. So, sit down and
spend some time drawing the colors, forms, and shapes
you actually see, making your drawing as realistic as
possible. If youre not an artist, notice the judgments
that arise as you consider doing this activity.
Take a mental photograph. Visually take in all a par-
ticular artworks details, and then close your eyes. See
if you can re-create or envision the artwork in your
minds eye.
Change your position and perspective relative to an
artwork. What changes when you move closer or
farther away? Is your attention drawn to different
aspects of the work? Where do you start seeing the
whole piece, rather than merely specific parts of it?
Reconsider the masterpieces. Many works of art are
universally recognized as historical treasures, like
Michelangelos David, da Vincis Mona Lisa, and
Monets Water Lilies. But why? When you see such a
work, look at it with beginners eyes. What do you
notice? How do you feel?

Wander and get lost among the artwork, rather than

race to particular pieces. Stroll from room to room,
drawn by the visual appeal of whatever attracts you.
Become aware of how it feels to be in a particular
space. Considerable thought and planning go into the
design of museums and exhibits. Curators pay particu-
lar attention to the aesthetics of the space. Notice the
architecture, interior design, lighting, and arrange-
ment of art around you.
While this chapter focused on art museums, you can apply
many of these practices to art galleries and other kinds of museums.
A science museum, for example, has many interactive displays that
invite experimentation. You might notice the degree of force you
exert while interacting with an exhibit on magnetism or suction.
Natural history museums have engaging dioramas of wildlife and
indigenous peoples that you can mindfully observe. Regardless of
the particular museum, give yourself permission to slowly appreci-
ate whatevers present. Dont concern yourself with making it edu-
cational; were more likely to go to museums as an escape than
a learning experience (Slater 2007). If you follow some of these
suggestions, you probably wont get to see all the museums exhibits:
mindfulness takes time. While you might not see everything, the
alternativerushing through the museumpretty much ensures
that you wont really see anything.

;
!|. !ot|.s \.|. t|. it, \.:
A fun aspect of city living is shopping, especially for clothes. You
can find many beautiful and stylish outfits at department stores,
thrift shops, discount chains, consignment stores, and boutiques.
Sample sales also crop up in previously vacant storefronts, offering
ephemeral chances to find something special. Budding designers
and artists offer their latest creations in flea markets and sidewalk
stands.
Given all of these options, its easy for us to get wanty
(despite our lack of closet space). We see something and we want
it. Sometimes, we simply get swept up in the allure and fantasy of
our purchases. We imagine ourselves wearing them to an impor-
tant function or a night on the town. Sometimes we simply go
for the label, whether based on personal experience (like knowing
this brand usually fits well) or what we associate with the designers
name. In fact, designer clothing usually has extra cachet: its pre-
sumed style, exclusivity, and high price make us want it more!

8
At such times, we can get carried away by the moment and
make impulse purchases. I imagine each of us can point to a few
things in the closet that we bought with much fanfare and now
regret. What seemed so desirable in the past, wed now like to give
away. This process is nothing new; in fact, its related to one of the
central tenets of Buddhism: desire causes suffering. Typically, this
refers to the desire for things to be unlike how they actually are.
In this case, we initially were dissatisfied by not having this item of
clothing, so we bought it. And a little while later, we feel unhappy
because we wish we had something else instead.
With a little self-reflection, we can become aware of the per-
sonal factors that influence our decision to buy something. Without
becoming mindful of our own habits and motivations, were more
likely to buy things we dont really need or want. We also can over-
spend or buy things carelessly. More subtle influences are at work
as well. Research into consumer psychology reveals many factors
that influence our decision to buy something; for example, if some-
thing is touchable, on sale, and not immediately obvious (that is,
we discover it), were more likely to buy it (Underhill 1999).
To reduce the influence of these conscious and unconscious
factors, it can help to introduce a little awareness to your shop-
ping decisions. Next time you look for clothes, consider these
questions:
Before you go shopping, look in your closet. Based
on what you have, what do you need? Given your penchant for
buying shirts, you might notice you need pants instead. Thus, you
can focus specifically on getting pants without wandering over to
the shirts section of the store.
If
you buy organic food, for example, you might look for clothes made

with organically grown materials. Or you might decide its impor-

tant to buy stylish, trendsetting, well-made, or bargain clothes.
Whatever principles you choose, be sure to uphold them when you
shop.
Too often, we buy clothes that dont
fit. We tell ourselves its a good deal or promise to lose weight.
And typically, we rarely wear what we bought, precisely because it
doesnt fit well. Accept the reality of how it feels on your body. If
its too tight or too loose, thats too bad.
See what clothes look appealing
to you based on their actual appearance and fit. Avoid looking for
designer clothing first, unless you know you like the collection.
Try to see each outfit from a fresh perspective, untainted by its
pedigree.
Obviously, this question
carries more weight if you ask it before you look at the price tag.
Determining how much something is worth to you puts the pur-
chase on your terms. If the price is within your range, go ahead and
buy it. If not, seriously consider the purchase. Notice whether your
mind tries to justify the extra expense and how.
With these questions, we can approach our spending more
mindfully, buying outfits that fit our bodies and budgets. We can
also be more purposeful in our purchases once we understand our
values.

;o
\i:du! :!i:. l.ti:
Online dating is a very efficient and convenient way to meet
people. You can describe whom youd like to date, cruise pro-
files, and screen potential dates by e-mail, online chat, text, and
phone before actually meeting in person. You can also consider
and develop criteria for your ideal partner. If you want to meet only
people who live in your zip code, you can screen out everyone else.
If its vitally important to be with someone who, like you, loves
pugs, you can find that type of person too. And you can do all of
this without even leaving your home!
A consequence of this process is spending an awful lot of alone
time writing (and updating) your profile, selecting the best photo
of yourself, and poring through everyone elses profile. During this
time, youre vulnerable to two very unmindful phenomena: stewing
in others opinions about you and concocting fantasies about others.
In both situations, exercising your judgmental mind can make you
easily fall prey to disastrous dating experiences.

;1
Developing your dating profile requires you to articulate who
you think you are. Typically, this conjures both positive and nega-
tive views of yourself. You might easily identify all of your good
qualities, like being honest or having a healthy head of hair. Or you
might feel bad about who you are, particularly relative to someone
else or an idealized version of yourself. For example, Im too fat,
Im not successful, and Im not as funny as my friend are all
variations on the Im not good enough theme. Regardless of
whether your self-assessment is negative, positive, or some com-
bination, the bottom line is that you spend considerable time and
energy being distracted by opinions of yourself.
Related to this issue, you spend a lot of time thinking about
whom you want to date. Maybe youre looking for a vegetarian chef
or a fellow Christian. A quick search might identify plenty of suit-
able matches in your neighborhood. Having so many search options
can actually lead you to select poorer matches as you become dis-
tracted by irrelevant details and less attentive to what you really
want (Wu and Chiou 2009). In addition, it can create fantasies
of how you expect or want someone else to be. Again, youre dis-
tracted from the present momentin this case, the actual experi-
ence of being with someone.
In both situations, as you consider yourself and others as dating
material, these fantasies (and they are fantasies) get concretized in
a way that leads to dissatisfaction and dating disasters. If you think
youre a loser, for example, you likely set your sights low, easily
misperceive yourself as being rejected, and try to cover up your self-
determined flaws. If you think that person with the cat photo is a
freaky animal lover who cant relate to people, you might shy away
from (or be attracted to) him or her. And because youre famil-
iar with this mutually evaluative process, you make compensatory
adjustments. Consequently, your profile reflects not who you truly
are, but rather who you think you need to be to get who you think

;.
you want. So what do you do? You want to date, and you already
paid money for the online matchmaking service. So you might as
well use itbut mindfully. Here are a few questions to ponder:
As you imagine yourself dating, how do you feel?
Excited, nervous, discouraged, triumphant?
Given these emotions, what do you notice yourself
wanting to do? Edit your profile, conduct another
search, shut down the computer, go out on another
date?
In creating your profile, how did you describe yourself?
What did you decide to share and why? Does it truly
reflect your opinions of yourself? Does it include the
opinions of your friends, family members, or previous
partners?
As you read others profiles, be aware of what you
notice. Do you focus on the picture, the persons
occupation? To what degree does your reaction reflect
whats actually written or shown versus the judgments
youve made in your head about the person?
Without getting too analytical, consider for a moment
where these judgments originated. With curiosity and
openness to whatever arises, investigate what got your
mind started down this path.
Finally, spend a few minutes breathing mindfully
before taking yourself back to the task at hand. As
you reengage with the present moment through your
breathing, you develop your ability to see people
yourself and othersas they truly are. Afterward, you

;|
can return to whatever you were doing online, if it
still seems appropriate. Increasing your awareness of
your judgments and reactions can reaffirm your com-
mitment to a particular action or change your course.
You might decide to continue editing your profile, for
instance, or to just let it be. Either way is okay.

;|
L:|.: \i:.u!:.ss'
Many of us drink alcohol. The citys plentiful diversity of bars,
wineshops, happy hours, and events ensures that we can always
find a drink when we want one. Usually, our reasons for drink-
ing alcoholic beverages are fairly benign, based on enjoyment of
the taste or a desire to unwind (as opposed to a pathological urge
to numb emotional pain). The pleasant effects of drinking come
pretty soon after we start. By mindfully attuning to the experience,
we can continue to enjoy a series of pleasurable moments without
drinking too much. When we get disconnected from our bodily
feelings, we become vulnerable to drinking excessively. We fail to
notice our diminished ability to taste our drinks and dont observe
the decline in our physical, mental, and social faculties. Many reli-
gious traditions eschew drinking, especially by spiritual leaders,
because they consider it to interfere with awareness, purpose, and
divine will. While it might be going too far for some people to
consider not drinking at all, most can recall times when drinking
led to some poor decision making or a nasty hangover.

;
Introducing mindfulness to the times when we drink can be
an interesting and enriching experience. Consider some of the fol-
lowing activities:
Be aware of your need or urge to drink. Ideally, drink-
ing is enjoyable and voluntary, not compulsive and
necessary. In stressful times, were more likely to crave
a drink as a quick way to feel better. However, we can
also relieve stress through exercise, meditation, and
diaphragmatic breathing. Mindfully observing what
judgments or feelings lead us to drink can provide
valuable insights into our own behavior. In fact, using
mindfulness to bring attention towithout acting
onthe urge to drink is a key component of relapse
prevention for alcohol abuse (Marlatt and Gordon
1985).
Drink slowly. Bring your full awareness to the taste
and aroma of your drink. The taste of some beverages,
like wine, beer, and whisky, changes as they further
aerate and adjust to room temperature. See if you can
detect any subtle changes in flavor. While a primer
in tasting is beyond the focus of this chapter, it might
help to know some of the characteristics associated
with different drinks. Beer, for example, has flavors
associated with malt (such as sweet, earthy, and cara-
mel-like) and hops (such as crisp, bitter, and grassy).
Notice when you start to feel buzzed or drunk. How
does this feel in your body? Is it pleasurable or unset-
tling? If you start to feel bad, its clearly time to stop
or slow down. Similarly, if you find yourself losing the
ability to taste your drink, you might be going beyond
the point of a pleasant experience. Consider taking
a time-out or stopping altogether, and drinking some
water or club soda instead.
Remain cognizant of your reason(s) for drinking right
now to ensure that your actions are consistent with
your goal(s). Sometimes, your intention to hang out
with friends or watch a ballgame might be superseded
by your desire for another drink. Presumably, you dont
want to miss an interesting conversation or the best
play of the game by standing in line at the bar.


;8
o.. it| \i!|, :u.:,
.:d \i:du!:.ss
In all likelihood, you drink coffee. In fact, every day, over 50
percent of Americans drink coffee (National Coffee Association
2009). What do you like in it? Cow or soy milk, or cream, or do
you just take it black? Do you like coffee with sweetener or sugar?
You can probably answer these questions pretty easily. You know
how you order coffee and what you like to add to it. In fact, it
has probably become part of your morning routine, something you
tend to do mindlessly, on automatic pilot. This process of habitua-
tion can be adaptive because it allows us to dedicate our attention
and mental capacity to novel stimuli and thoughtful analysis. But
there are times when it screens out pleasant experiences, tastes,
and sensations simply due to familiarity. Thus, chances are that if
you drink coffee regularly, you rarely actually taste it. In fact, its
almost as if you stop enjoying your coffee once you figure out what
you like and grow accustomed to its flavor.

;
It may come as a surprise, but no two cups of coffee taste
exactly the same. Many factors influence the taste of coffee: its
region (and farm) of origin, its roast, its blend with other beans,
and the seasonal growing conditions of the coffee plants them-
selves. Once youve brewed a cup of coffee, many other factors
come into play, too: the water, the ratio of beans to water, the grind
of the coffee, its temperature, the ratio of coffee to milk, and even
the precise number of sugar granules that pour into your cup. Many
people have opined that the present moment is always changing,
and so is your morning cup of joe.
As mentioned earlier, in Buddhism mindfulness is often asso-
ciated with the concept of beginners mind. Essentially, it involves
approaching the present moment openly, as if you were experienc-
ing it for the first time. In fact, this is actually true. You havent
experienced this precise moment before because it didnt exist. Its
unfolding right before you. You have, of course, been introduced
previously to many of the elements of whats happening right now.
Based on your prior experiences, you know what coffee is and how
you generally prefer it, which helps streamline the whole process:
if you approached every liquid as a mysterious, potentially danger-
ous substance, it would take you a long time to drink it! However,
selectively reintroducing mindfulness to your experience of drink-
ing coffeeas if for the very first timecan be quite enjoyable
and provide a nice way to reconnect with something you used to
enjoy.

Next time you order or make a cup of coffee, pay atten-
tion to its aroma before even taking a sip. How does it
smell? Earthy, spicy, carmel-like, chocolaty, fruity?

8o
Then take a sip and notice its flavor in your mouth.
Be sure to allow yourself to smell the coffee as you
taste it, because the aroma influences how it tastes.
This means, of course, that you might need to take off
the lid to invite a new flavor experience.
Professional coffee tasters typically take note of the
flavor, body, sweetness or acidity, and aftertaste:
Flavors can include some of the following, many
of which mirror the aromas you initially detected:
chocolate, caramel, berry, nutty, winelike, or
earthy.
You can describe body as how the coffee feels
in your mouth. Is it light, heavy, or somewhere in
between? Does it cling to your tongue or quickly
wash away?
Sweetness or acidity refers to the degree of tangi-
ness in your brew. Does it leave you flat, or does
your tongue pucker up a little?
Finally, take note of the aftertaste. Whats the lin-
gering flavor of the coffee?
If all this seems too complicated, try using a much
simpler tasting system: yum, yuck, or meh.
In addition to tasting your coffee, try bringing mindful
attention to the physical sensations involved in holding
your cup. How does the cup feel? How hot or cold is
it? Can you feel its temperature transferring to your

81
hands and fingertips as you hold it, and then slowly
subside after you put it down?
Once youve enjoyed your coffee, learn its name and
roast so youll know what to buy later. Depending on
the day, you might decide youre in the mood for a
light, citrusy coffee or an earthy, caramel-like brew,
and make your selection accordingly.

8.
\|.: lo.s You: \o:|d.
L.i: .:d l:d.
At your job, you probably have a predetermined schedule. Youre
expected to show up at work and go home at a particular time. If
youre a freelancer or consultant, you might not have designated
work hours, but youre expected to produce a certain amount of
work or labor an approximate number of hours. Despite these
limits, you probably spend a lot more time working than you realize.
Maybe you take work home or compulsively check your e-mail and
voice mail for important messages. Even if you try to establish some
boundaries for what you do, you probably think about work when
youre trying to do something else, like sleeping or spending time
with the kids.
Suppose I asked you this question: When does your workday
begin, and when does it end? You might respond with the times
you show up and leave your workplace. What if I asked, When do
you first start thinking about work each day, and when do you stop

8|
thinking about work? Now your answer will be different. Some of
you might reply that you never stop thinking about work!
What effect does thinking about work outside your workplace
have on your life? In some cases, it might help you perform your job
more successfully. While mulling things over at home, you might
come up with better ways to deal with a difficult customer or teach
a complicated subject. In other situations, you get mired in regret
over something that happened in the past, or worry about what
the future holds. In all of these situations, youre getting lost in
your thoughts and losing contact with your immediate experience,
which can lead to multitasking and an unwitting increase in stress.
Further, your lack of mental presence causes you to lose the expe-
rience you could have had in the present moment. Why bother
doing anything if you cant be there for it?
To practice mindfulness more effectively, youll need to get a
better handle on your thinking about work, especially when youre
not working. Here are a few approaches to help you leave work at
work, and thus attend mindfully to your life experiences as they
develop:
Become aware of when you first start thinking about
work each day. If its difficult to catch your thoughts
about work, you might more easily perceive a shift in
your emotions. For example, you might start feeling
stressed, anxious, or excited about something you
expect to happen that day. When you observe a
change in your mood, ask yourself what just passed
through your mind.
Give yourself permission to enjoy some of the sensory
pleasures associated with the start of each workday.
For example, let yourself feel the warm water of the

8|
shower in lieu of planning the days schedule. You
might also decide to eat breakfast mindfully or devote
100 percent of your attention to your children once
they get out of bed.
Decide to leave work behind once you leave your work-
place. If theres nothing else for you to do between
now and the next time you go to work, make a mental
note to let go. You might even imagine yourself shut-
ting the door on your thoughts about work, or leaving
them in a particular place for you to visit later. Like
it or not, your work and these concerns will be there
when you return.
Consider setting aside some time for a morning or
evening meditation (or both) to help you transition
between work and home. Meditation at these times
helps you recognize the degree to which thoughts of
work distract you. Also, please note that your medita-
tion need not be a formal, sit-down event. You can
practice a walking meditation or select another exer-
cise from the Out and About part of this book.
Develop some rules about how much youll work or
think about work when youre not there. For example,
consider never checking your work e-mail once you
enter your home. Or perhaps dont answer work-related
calls after midnight. Decide on something that seems
like a reasonable accommodation between your job
responsibilities and mental health.
Leave reminders to yourself in places where youre
likely to fall prey to thinking about work. Sticky notes

8
can suffice, or it can be something more elaborate,
like setting a bell to chime or setting your computer
screen saver to change automatically at intervals. You
can also set a countdown alarm on your phone, watch,
or PDA to prompt a mindful pause several hours from
now.

8
!|.:|s, :t.!.::
To accomplish our work, we rely on many people to help us. While
its easy to recognize others helpful contributions when they do
something to help us directly, like deliver a phone message or help
write a memo, its more difficult to appreciate the assistance of
people well never meet who have helped us tremendously through
their labor.
Consider the stapler. Presumably youve had occasion to staple
papers together. Its a tremendously convenient and easy way to
bind pages, right? There might even be a stapler close to you right
now. If so, please pick it up and examine it for a few moments. If
you dont have a stapler handy, just pick up whatever random work-
related object is close by.
Examine the stapler solely with your sense of touch
(you might want to close your eyes). How heavy does
it feel to you? Can you estimate its weight? Allow your

8;
fingers to glide over its surface. Does it feel smooth or
rough? How would you describe its slickness or sticki-
ness? What about the edges? Do they feel rounded or
sharp? How would you describe the staplers surface
temperature? Does it feel cool or warm? Does its tem-
perature differ depending on where you touch it? As
your fingers explore the stapler, allow yourself to notice
areas of empty space and openness, where your fingers
fall away from tracing its shape or outline.
As you examine the stapler, notice what thoughts
and judgments come to mind. Whatever they are (for
example, This is silly or I have to make that phone
call ASAP), simply make a mental note and return
your attention to this exercise.
Now, visually examine the stapler. What do you see?
What color is it? Do you notice differences in shading?
What about reflections? Can you see any light reflec-
tions or aspects of the surrounding room on its surface?
Does the stapler sparkle or look dull? Can you detect
any variability in these attributes across its surface? Is
there any writing on the stapler? What does it say?
Now, hold the stapler up to your ear (not too close)
and squeeze it shut. Notice the sound the stapler
makes. How long does it resonate? Is it high pitched
or low pitched? Does the sound change over time?
Now that youve examined your stapler in a sensory way (well
skip tasting and smelling it), take a couple of moments to appreci-
ate how it connects you to others in the world. Sharing the stapler
with someone else in the office is an easily identifiable example of

88
this connection; this simple office tool also serves as an example of
interdependence. Consider these questions:
How did this stapler end up on your desk? Who put
it there?
Where was it before it came to be in front of you? Did
it come from home, a supply closet, or a store?
How was it transported there? Who helped bring it to
that location?
As you trace the origins of this stapler, consider all the people
who were involved in making it appear on your desk at this time
and place. If you noticed earlier that the stapler was made in China
or another country, you can imagine its long journey and the vast
number of people who facilitated its safe arrival at your workplace.
The factory workers, the delivery people, the customs agents, and
many others helped deliver this simple stapler to you. If you expand
this consideration further by noting all the people who helped
them do their jobs (such as the workers who designed and built
the factory), this web of interconnectedness becomes even wider.
Quite an incredible journey for a common office tool, huh?
As you finish considering and appreciating your stapler, men-
tally note that you can appreciate all your workplace items (includ-
ing your clothing!) this way. On your way home from work, try
to maintain this perspectiveeven for a little whileas you note
your interrelatedness to all of the other people around you.

8
\o:|' is . lou:l.tt.:
\o:d:o is l!.'
What comes to mind when you hear the word work, as in I have
work to do, I have to go to work, or Heres some more work
for you? Does it make you feel joyful and carefree? If so, count
yourself as one of the fortunate ones. For the rest of us, work has
fairly negative or sober connotations. It suggests duty, obligation,
seriousness, and a sense of having to do something we dont really
want to do. Work also suggests a certain amount of importance
or priority. How many times have you excused yourself from some
event (such as a party, conversation, or family gathering) because
you had to work?
Given these associations, its not surprising that we often have
negative feelings about work. We gripe about our jobs, the stress,
the workload, and our annoying colleagues. We carry this mind-
set with us, precluding our ability to experience work differently.
Is there any way you can have fun, be silly, or play at work while

o
doing what needs to be done? What a ridiculous question! Yet many
innovative companies try to promote this new attitude by making
games and fun activities available on site. Google, for example, pro-
vides pool, foosball, Ping-Pong, and massage chairs. Employees are
allowed to bring their dogs and even to wear their pajamas to work.
And these folks work hard, too.
Assuming your company or workplace doesnt have a rock-
climbing wall on site or a gourmet cafeteria, how can you have fun
there? Here are five ways you can incorporate more play into your
workday:
Notice your attitudes toward work and the tasks
you have to do. What judgments pass through your
mind? How do you feel? Inspired, resentful, stressed?
Curiously examining your thoughts and feelings pro-
vides a little emotional distance from them.
Reorient yourself to the task at hand. What do you
need to accomplish? What kind of attitude do you
need to do it? Do you need to be serious (perhaps you
work in a funeral home), or can you do whats neces-
sary with a smile on your face? See if you can choose
what attitude to hold. How does it feel to do so?
Make a conscious effort to smile more at work.
Typically, we embody our emotions. When we feel
stressed, we tend to be more stiff, rigid, and unsmil-
ing, for example. Our bodies not only maintain this
state but also use it for information on how to feel
later, as part of an ongoing feedback loop. We can
purposefully change our emotional state by pursuing
new activities, considering something in a different
light, or adjusting our postures and facial expressions.

1
Indeed, mimicking the physical embodiment of a par-
ticular emotion can lead us to actually experience it.
Essentially, we can trick our brains into thinking we
feel relaxed even when were not. For example, its
hard to feel stressed if youre smiling while bouncing
up and down, allowing your body to jiggle naturally
(literally shaking things up). Dont believe me? Try it
for just three minutes. Through this practice, you can
recognize some intuitive wisdom in the adage Fake it
till you make it.
Accept that you dont like certain aspects of your job
as you try to identify some positive aspects. Though
you might not like your boss, maybe you have lots
of autonomy, which you enjoy. Or maybe you dont
like making sales calls, but enjoy talking to people.
Identify what makes work meaningful for you, and
remind yourself of these important values.
Share a joke or funny story with one of your cowork-
ers. While there are many subjects to avoid discuss-
ing at work (such as politics, sex, and religion), you
can surely find some funny jokes or even groaners to
tell your colleagues. What? You dont know any jokes?
Then try this one: What did the Zen monk say to
the hot-dog vendor? Make me one with everything.
If youre having trouble giving yourself permission to lighten
up at work, it might interest you to learn that taking the time to
de-stress can actually improve your efficiency; that is, by allowing
yourself to do less, you, somewhat paradoxically, do more! Stress
research suggests that we reach a point of maximal efficiency at a
medium level of arousal (Yerkes and Dodson 1908). Beyond that

.
point, our performance worsens. Perhaps you can imagine how
some athletes psych themselves up for a game and perform really
well, while others get too stressed and blow it? This same prin-
ciple (and underlying physiological mechanism) applies to us and
our work, too. So whenever you fear youre about to choke, give
yourself permission to take a fun break, and then check on your
work performance afterward. Did you do your job better, worse,
or the same? Whatever the outcome, apply what you learned
from this experience whenever you find yourself feeling similarly
overwhelmed.

|
\i:du!:.ss li:st\id lit
Sometimes, we get stuck in a rut and just cant break out. We need
a little extra help to disengage from automatic pilot. We might
resist sitting in meditation, or find ourselves too distracted when we
actually do sit down to meditate. At these times, it can really help
to turn to something we previously created or compiled to support
mindfulness practice. It might be a collection of songs, a photo
album, or a poetry compilation. You can also create a mindfulness
first-aid kit to use in such situations.
During my clinical internship, I worked with gifted psycholo-
gist Lorraine Allman, who used mindfulness in group therapy for
people with chronic mental illnesses. As part of the program, she
advised participants to develop a sensory first-aid kit (Allman
1999, 30), which included items that appealed to each of the per-
sons five senses (that is, sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch).
For example, one participant loved to go to the beach, so she put
together a box of things reminiscent of her favorite place, including
a postcard (sight), a CD of ocean sounds (hearing), suntan lotion

|
(smell), and saltwater taffy (taste). She then filled the box with sand
(touch). When she felt stressed or overwhelmed, she went through
her kit and spent several minutes immersing herself in the sensory
experience of these objects. Like other people in the group, she
not only found herself feeling less stressed, but also really enjoyed
taking time out for her mindfulness practice. In fact, she came to
see feeling stuck as a positive thing, because it meant it was time
to deliberately practice mindfulness! Here are some tips for creating
your own mindfulness first-aid kit:
Before you even begin, notice your attitude. Do you
feel excited, or perhaps pressured to come up with
something creative or perfect?
Select a specific place to keep this kit. Do you antici-
pate needing it most at work, at home, on the bus?
You can keep it in a drawer or take it with you in a
purse or bag. Determine the most appropriate place
to keep it.
Select a few items as your go-to objects for mindful
attention. Any good first-aid kit includes various
medicines and bandages, so your kit should include a
variety of objects, too.
Dont pick items that will bring up a lot of thoughts.
Youll use these things as objects of attention, not
inspiration. So, for example, a collection of poems
wouldnt be an appropriate selection unless you plan to
spend time appreciating the curves of the font instead
of considering the content of the passages. Such is the
difference between mindful attention and thinking.

As you decide what specifically to include, remember that your

items dont need to be related thematically. Simply select objects
you find enjoyable. Your kit should be inviting, not off-putting.
Here are some more pointers for selecting objects that correspond
to each sense:
Visually, select a picture or object thats not too thought
provoking or emotionally stimulating. Something
pleasant fits the bill. You dont want to stare at a
picture of your ex.
Tastewise, pick something that has a reasonably long
shelf life, like a granola bar or a piece of chocolate.
You dont want to store peaches or sushi. Otherwise,
youll find yourself practicing mindfulness of flies!
For sound, use either a guided meditation or prayer,
or a few select songs. Though relaxing and soothing,
nature sounds dont lend themselves readily to mind-
fulness practice. Because these recordings are often
looped, theyre repetitive, which can lead us to tune
things out more easily. Remember, youre looking for
something thats easy to use to shake things up.
For touch, your object can be anything with a notable
texture or temperature, like a rock, a piece of fabric,
or an instant ice pack. A piece of paper or something
similarly smooth might have a texture too subtle to
notice easily.
Because smell is a particularly strong sense for us,
many nice possibilities are available. Personally, I
really enjoy the aroma of coffee, so I like to keep a

few beans handy. You might decide to use an air fresh-

ener, a room spray, or even perfume-scented magazine
inserts.
Consider combining some of these sensory elements in
a way that makes sense or promotes a peaceful ritual.
For example, if you include a tea bag, you can smell it
first, feel the warm mug as it brews, and taste it once
its ready.

;
lus|i: Lutto:s
Regardless of where you work, you push a lot of buttons. If youre
an office worker in a high-rise, you push buttons in the elevator
and on your computer keyboard. If you work in a caf, you push
buttons on the cash register, espresso machine, and microwave. If
you deliver packages, you push buttons to ring bells and to get sig-
natures on the computerized tablet. You might not even be aware
of the degree to which you push buttons all day.
In addition to these physical buttons, we also push buttons in
our coworkers, colleagues, clients, bosses, patients, and customers.
Unlike the deliberate finger poking we do to type a phone number,
were often unaware of the degree to which our actions and speech
affect those around us. However, its simply inevitable that as we
relate to people around us, they respond and react, just as we do
when they talk to us.
While something we do or say might initially prompt another
persons reaction, it has to come through the filter of that per-
sons perceptions, thoughts, emotional states, culture, relationships

8
with others, and entire life history up to that particular moment.
Thats quite an amazing series of things to consider! Your seem-
ingly benign request for a pen might be directed at a coworker
whos having a miserable day and who has never seen his or her
loaned-out pens again, which could explain the persons reactive
sneer and eye roll. Now, you might be thinking, So what? Its that
persons problem. Indeed, it is the other persons problembut it
becomes your problem when youre dependent on that persons help
to write something down. And its even more of a problem for you
when you allow your own buttons to get pushed by interpreting the
other persons response as disrespectful, dismissive, and insulting.
At our jobs, its generally important to get along well with our
coworkers. Typically, were reliant on their help and support in some
way, and it simply feels better to be nice and supportive, as opposed
to bitter and vindictive. If treating your colleagues with respect is
important to you, please consider some of the following activities:
Become aware of how you greet and talk to your
coworkers. Do you begin with Hi, how are you? or
immediately start talking about a problem or what you
need the other person to do? Do you smile when you
talk to others? Essentially, do you give others the same
civility and respect you would like to receive?
As you approach someone, notice that persons behav-
ior, facial expressions, and posture. Do they seem to
suggest a particular emotion? If it seems as if the
person is having a difficult time, ask one of the most
powerful questions: How can I help?
Put particular attention on how your coworkers
respond to what you do or say. Notice whether they
seem to react to something by getting angry or sud-

denly becoming cold and indifferent. With empathic

curiosity, ask what just happened to find out what
button you might have pushed.
Notice when youve made a negative judgment about
a coworker. What did this person do or say that led to
your assessment? Is it possible that this same circum-
stance could be interpreted differently? The concept
of fundamental attribution error in psychology contends
that we explain our own poor behavior as the result
of circumstances while regarding others bad behavior
as reflective of their personalities. Given this cognitive
bias, is it possible that some external situation could
have contributed to the other persons actions?
What about people who treat me poorly? Do I have to be
nice to them? you ask. In a word, no. But notice the difference in
you. How do you feel when you treat an undeserving coworker
with contempt and disrespect? In contrast, how do you feel when
you treat that person compassionately? In all likelihood, the latter
situation feels better for you. So, given the choice, doesnt it feel
nicer to be nice?

1oo
:.:so: _ui:t.t|!o:'
One of the most demanding physical experiences is to participate
in a triathlon. The combination of swimming, biking, and running
forces you to use different muscles and transition smoothly between
very different, strenuous activities. At work, you can rise to a similar
challenge. Presuming you dont have the time (or energy) to sud-
denly start exercising vigorously, you likely can do a sensory quin-
tathlon. This event requires you to bring full attention to each of
your senses in sequence, which naturally cultivates concentration
and awareness in mindfulness practice. The rules for participation
are rather simple:
Focus your eyes on a particular object or area.
Regardless of its distance from you, the object should
be about the size of a half-dollar. You might select a
spot on the wall or ceiling, for example. Essentially,
you want to stay still and keep from moving your head
or eyes during this practice.

1o1
Bring your attention to what you see in this area or
object. Notice its color, shape, and shading without
resorting to labels (for example, Its a wall). As soon
as you have an appreciation of how the object or area
looks, move on to the next event.
Hear whats happening around you. Mindfully bring
your attention to everything you can discern. See if
you can experience it solely as sound, without label-
ing the likely source (for example, footsteps, ringing
phone, and so on). As soon as youve identified every-
thing you can possibly hear, youre ready for the next
stage.
Smell your surroundings. By breathing deeply through
your nose, see what odors and scents you can detect.
Maybe the area smells musty, lemony, or beery? Once
you think youve adequately identified the smells in
your area, move to the next sense.
Tune in to whats happening in your mouth. Notice
what tastes might be lingering there from lunch or
a recent mint. Does your mouth feel thick and dry,
or wet and smooth? Whats going on in there? Once
youve explored your mouth and tongue, move to the
final stage.
Notice how your skin feels. Check the temperature
of different areas of your body. Your exposed arms
in an air-conditioned room might feel cold, relative
to covered parts of your torso and legs. Your feet
might feel airy or humid, depending on your shoes.
Particularly notice where your body makes contact
with something. If youre sitting, for example, notice

1o.
where the chair touches your legs, buttocks, and back.
Once youve thoroughly explored your sense of touch,
youre finished!
Congratulations, you have successfully competed in this event.
Did you get a fast time? Were you able to cycle through your senses
quickly? Oops, I forgot to mention that the winner is actually the
person with the slowest time. Better luck tomorrow!
Say, are you interested in a post-event warm down? Within
Buddhism, thoughts are considered to be something you perceive,
just as are the five senses. If youre up for it, you can end by taking a
few moments to check in with your thoughts. Observe what comes
to mind. See your thoughts as thoughts, rising into and falling from
awareness. Spend a few minutes in this space as you prepare to
reengage with your work.

1o|
oi: L .:d lo:, \i:du!!
Oh, the ups and downs of working in the city! Every day, we take
stairs and ride elevators and escalators to get from home to work
and back. Maybe you dont live in a high-rise apartment or work
in a skyscraper but, rather, climb stairs to change trains or get
back to your third-floor walk-up. Because all of these up-and-down
movements go by relatively quickly on our journey, we tend not
to notice them. Yet they can serve as interesting opportunities for
mindfulness.
When riding an elevator or escalator, become aware
of your breath. If youre traveling up, pay particular
attention to each inhalation. If youre going down,
focus on each exhalation. Try not to exaggerate the
different aspects of breathing. Remember, the purpose
is simply to notice how youre actually breathing.

1o|
Climb and descend stairs slowly, feeling each footfall
or bend in your knees. Notice how if feels as your
muscles contract to lift your body one step, or how
your knees absorb the shock of stepping down. Be
aware of any pain, and rest if necessary.
Practice patience as you wait. The elevator wont move
much faster (if at all), no matter how many times you
hit the close door button. Similarly, escalators move
at a preset speed. Allow yourself to be taken for a ride
without trying to rush it.
Use these experiences to transition mindfully between
home and work. When you leave one place, imagine
leaving all your stress behind. On your arrival at the
other place, as you walk through the door, adopt the
demeanor youd like to carry into the space.
Accept that others need to travel to their destinations
too. This means the person walking slowly up the
stairs in front of you has as much right to be there as
you do. Respect others personal space; dont tailgate
on the stairs or crowd others in the elevator.
Observe what reactions and judgments come to mind as people
violate the rules of going up and down. Maybe someone stands
in the middle of the elevator and makes eye contact. Or maybe
someone stands on the walking side of the escalator. If you notice
yourself making negative judgments, let go of your expectations and
see if that feels different to you.
In addition to these practical exercises, consider the process
of taking the stairs, elevator, or escalator as a metaphor for how
we prioritize different areas of life relative to each other. That is,

1o
where you work, live, shop, and see friends might happen at dif-
ferent points from one another in space, with some being physi-
cally higher than others. Does this hierarchy of locations reflect
your own values? If you live in a basement and work on the 30th
floor, does this reflect a priority of your career over your personal
life? Of course, any correlations here are simply spurious and coin-
cidental. However, reflecting on these level changes as you move
from space to space helps you identify, and take ownership of, the
personal significance you place on the different domains of living
they represent.

1o
l.:: \.dit.tio:
Research consistently demonstrates that we feel better when were
connected with nature. A nice, bucolic view from your window
has been associated with better recovery from a hospital stay
(Ulrich 1984), and having plants in your office has been related
to lowered stress and improved productivity (Lohr, Pearson-Mims,
and Goodwin 1996). While these studies have not tested other
possible stress-relieving distractions (like fish tanks) or alterative
explanations (like improved air quality), they suggest that theres
something inherently relaxing in viewing nature.
Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time cut off from nature when
we live and work in cities. Trees are confined to very small plots on
the sidewalk, and youre more likely to see flowers in a florist shop
window than growing spontaneously from the ground. If you work
in an office, youre surrounded more by plastics and manufactured
goods (for example, computers and staplers) than anything occur-
ring organically in nature. However, some workplaces provide a
sprinkling of plants as decoration. You can also get a small plant for

1o;
your work space, even if its a cubicle, retail store, or taxicab. Many
types of plants thrive even with poor lighting and little water. Some
hardy indoor plants include the snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata),
devils ivy (Epipremnum aureum), Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema
sp.), and airplants (Tillandsia).
To practice this meditation, select a plant to serve as your
visual anchor. Youll rest your eyesight and mindful attention on
this plant for the duration of the exercise. Ready?
Position yourself fairly close to the plant, up to three
feet away. Ideally, your field of vision will mainly center
on the plant and its pot.
Starting from the base of the pot, examine the colors,
finish, and presumed texture. Notice the shading on
the pot and any reflections on its surface. If you see
some dirt, dust, stains, or water droplets, try to per-
ceive them solely through your senses based on their
color, shape, and relationship with the rest of the
pot. Notice whether your mind passes judgment on
these elementsfor example, by noting, Its dirty or
Thats ugly. Bring your attention back to noticing
the visual aspects of the pot as you slowly scan its
surface toward the top.
As your gaze draws upward, spend some time notic-
ing the parts of the plant that might have spilled over
the sides of the pot. Maybe you see some leaves or
branches hanging over the sides.
Select one leaf or branch to notice closely. Invite your-
self to notice its shape, color, and shading. Notice that
no leaf is merely green. You might notice that some
appear olive, gray, brown, or even black. Depending

1o8
on the surrounding light, you can detect different
shades of color, brightness, reflections, and shadows
on any particular leaf.
Again, notice any judgments that come to mind.
Droopy leaves or brown edges might prompt you to
consider watering the plant. A vibrant, healthy plant
might lead you to congratulate yourself (or the person
who cares for the plants) on a job well done. Whatever
evaluations you make, simply note them for later and
return to appreciating the visual aspects of the plant.
Moving your gaze upward, allow yourself to see more
of the plant. Scan the outline of each leaf and branch.
Appreciate each fold in the leaves and each tendril of
the branch. It might take you a while to examine even
a single branch or frond. Notice how your mind wants
to move forward or skip over the details of what you
see. You might also notice how you lose track of par-
ticular leaves and branches as other parts of the plant
or pot hide them from view.
As you move toward the center of the plant, focus
your attention on a spot in the middle while allowing
yourself to take in more details with your peripheral
vision. Maintain this diffuse visual awareness of the
plant for several breaths.
Continue your inspection of the plant as you move
your gaze upward. Notice how the tips of leaves and
branches point skyward. Allow your attention to follow
this flow from the plants tangible surface to open air
thats free of form.

1o
Nearing the end of the meditation, thank yourself for
taking a moment to get grounded during your workday.
Also, extend gratitude to the earth for producing such
a wonderful, live focus for your meditation. Finally, if
necessary, go get that plant a much-deserved drink of
water.

11o
l.. . :i.. l.:
What do you visualize before you start work? Do you imagine your-
self managing the day (or night) successfully and calmly? Or do
you anticipate all the stressful things that might come up and how
overwhelmed youll feel? Many of us tend to ruminate or cata-
strophize about the negative events we expect to happen at work.
Maybe you worry about dealing with irate customers, dread making
a phone call, or cringe at the prospect of hurting your back again.
Regardless of whether or not these situations are likely to happen,
we often dont imagine ourselves handling them well. When we
worry, were prone to focus on how bad something will be, without
doing any concrete problem solving or realizing that life will con-
tinue even if this anticipated disaster occurs (Leahy 2005).
Before work, rather than worry about the coming day or prac-
tice mindfulness during your morning rituals, visualize in a posi-
tive way what will happen today. Imagine yourself having a nice
day. If youre likely to confront some obstacles or setbacks, visu-
alize managing them well. In fact, research shows that this kind

111
of mental rehearsal improves later performance (Driskell, Copper,
and Moran 1994). If you dread making a sales call, for example,
youll likely manage it better if you picture what youll do and say.
The American swimmer Michael Phelps, who set a new record by
winning eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics, uses this mental
technique as part of his training regimen. Specifically, he imagines
not only each stroke hell take in the pool but also the ways hell
successfully manage potential setbacksfor example, if his goggles
filled with water (Crouse 2009).
Here are the necessary requirements to create the most effec-
tive imagery:
Be as vivid and specific as possible in your visualiza-
tion. In your minds eye, picture where youll be, whom
youll see, how youll talk, and what youll do. Its very
important to pay attention to detail. The better you
can describe or see the scene, the more effective it
will be.
You can focus on a very specific situation, like meeting
an important deadline, or envision the entire day. As
you can tell, creating and envisioning this situation
takes time. A review of such rehearsal strategies sug-
gests they should be about twenty minutes long to be
effective (Driskell, Copper, and Moran 1994).
Make a clear distinction between what will happen
during the day and how youll react. Regardless of
whether the days events are positive, negative, neutral,
or some combination, imagine yourself managing your
work calmly and effectively. If you anticipate having
some problems in the coming day, also visualize your-
self addressing them productively. This approach is one

11.
technique used as part of cognitive therapy for anxiety
disorders (Beck, Emery, and Greenberg 1985).
Envision your day or experience sequentially, from
beginning to end. This will help you construct the
scene better and recognize all the minute steps that
will unfold.
Smile while doing the visualization, and see your-
self smiling within it. When you imagine yourself at
work, see yourself smiling and feeling relaxed. As you
visualize, try to embody that same sense of peace and
calm.


11|
L:|.: :.: L!o.|.:
Living in the city, we are bombarded by ads and written messages
whenever we go out. Signs, T-shirt logos, billboards, and flyers litter
the visual landscape as we go through our everyday lives. Standing
on a street corner in Brooklyn, I was amazed to count twenty-
one ads in my line of sight over the course of a minute. Even the
relatively simple city garbage truck is festooned with signs, ranging
from certification stickers to departmental logos and exhortations
like Dont Litter.
We have spam filters and pop-up ad blockers for our computers,
and we go to extensive lengths to ensure safe Internet surfing and
to avoid unwanted viruses and e-mails. Unfortunately, nothing like
this exists for our urban experience. Written messages and adver-
tising are so intertwined with public settings that we cant remove
them. While on a hike in the woods or wading at the beach, youll
see very little (or even zero!) text or ads. But try finding a taxi
that doesnt show its name, phone number, and an advertisement;
you simply cant do it. Even in our own homes, book spines on the

11
shelf, cereal-box labels, and junk mail exert a subtle influence on
our brains and attention. Outdoors, the only alternative is to wear
a blindfold (or close your eyes), which I certainly dont recommend,
especially when crossing the street.
So we need to find a way to coexist peacefully and mind-
fully with the citys ubiquity of advertising text and images. In this
respect, we have two options: use these messages as a reminder to
mindfully focus our attention on some other aspect of our experi-
ence, like breathing; or focus more deliberately on the messages,
noticing what we see (and what thoughts and feelings arise within
us).
Choose some message or image as a prompt to focus
mindfully on something else. For example, perhaps
check in with your posture and roll back your shoul-
ders whenever you see an Open sign. Or subtly
finger your pants seam whenever you see a jeans ad.
What you specifically decide to do isnt as important
as the process, which prompts you to be more aware
and mindfully present in your environment.
Pay more attentionmore mindful attentionto text
and images you encounter. When looking at words,
simply choose a letter, noting its color and shape. Note
your minds tendency to identify the letter, name the
font, or make sense of certain letter combinations. For
example, your mind might jump ahead to note that
delivery is composed of deli and very, instead
of simply following the lines and curves of the text.
When looking at images, notice whats depicted. What
do you see in terms of color, shading, and placement?

11
As you focus on the ads and signs, be sure to notice what
thoughts and emotions arise within you. While noticing an ad for
Thai food, you might realize youre hungry, or when you see bill-
boards for luxury goods, you might lament your limited budget.
Clothing ads might prompt you to reflect on your own wardrobe
or body shape. By encouraging you to be dissatisfied with the way
things are, advertising is designed to make you want whatevers
being promoted. If you felt content and comfortable with what you
have (and dont have) in your life, youd buy a lot less. So, as you
conclude your mindful appreciation of such messages, ask yourself
what judgments came to mind and what desires surfaced. By notic-
ing our own reactions in this way, we can become more indepen-
dent of these influences.

11;
\i:du!! :.d i: lu|!i.
You cant believe this is happening. Its not fair. It doesnt even seem
possible, yet its a heartbreaking reality. How? Why? Words fail to
describe the depth of your shock and sadness. As the news slowly
sinks in, tears well up in your eyes. So much pain and anguish
bubble up from within. Youre almost breathless with emotion.
Then you realize where you are. You cant cry here! screams your
brain. Fighting back tears, you struggle valiantly to manage your
sadness while considering a more suitable place to cry.
Times of intense sadness like this can be difficult to bear. Of
our myriad emotions, sadness seems to be the least acceptable one
to display publicly. Opportunities for privacy in the city are few and
far between. Unless were at home alone, were almost always around
other people. And many of us try not to be sad when we think
the situation is inappropriate or the place is too public. However,
our emotions arent always so responsive to social norms, circum-
stances, or our attempts to control them. For example, hearing
that a dear friend or relative has died would likely prompt intense

118
grief regardless of where we were. Would we cry? Would we try to
control ourselves? How would we express the sudden sadness?
In my experience as a psychologist, I have worked with many
people who valiantly tried to suppress painful emotions. Theyve
rejected them, intellectualized them, numbed themselves out
(through overeating or drug use, for instance), or avoided situations
that prompt them. Usually, the primary reason for such reactions
is fear, intense fear over potential catastrophes or fear of the lack
of control in letting feelings flow. Akin to holding a big, buoyant
beach ball underwater, this process requires you to exert a lot of
concentration and strength, and inevitably, you lose control, only
to have the ball resurface unexpectedly in a random location. The
resultant waves ensure that youand everyone around youget
splashed with the emotions you were trying to hold down. The
healthier, more mindful reaction in such circumstances is to accept
whats happening and allow it to surface. In recent years, psycho-
logical research has provided evidence supporting this approach,
by revealing the negative and counterproductive results associ-
ated with suppressing thoughts and emotions (see, for example,
Campbell-Sills et al. 2006).
So what does it mean for you to experience a strong emotion
like sadness in public? Primarily, you need to accept how you feel
and recognize that you cant exactly control your emotions. In fact,
controlling them can just be more problematic. In such moments,
its much more helpful to have compassion for yourself in these
feeling states. In other words, self-compassion, not self-control, is
the answer. Some other practices also facilitate this state of mind.
Next time you feel a strong emotion, such as sadness,
notice your reaction. Do you try to stifle it by keeping
your face straight and holding back your tears? Do
you look for a corner so you can hide your face when

11
the tears fall? Without judgment, notice what your
fears and worries are about, and share the depth of
your emotions with those around you, whether theyre
friends, family members, or strangers.
Recognize that youre not alone in having emotions.
Ask yourself, Who else might feel like this right now?
In the present moment, there are people all around
you in the city who feel sad too. Perhaps this intense
experience exemplifies your connection to others.
Extend kindness and compassion to others when you
see them crying or struggling with difficult emotions.
Empathize with how they might feel and consider how
you feel when you have such emotions. Can you feel a
connection to others emotions even if you dont know
why they feel that way?
Trust that you wont be overwhelmed by how you feel.
You might feel intensely sad for a while, but it will pass.
Emotions are often compared to waves or weather. In
addition to reflecting our inability to control emotions,
such comparisons underscore the ephemeral nature of
whatever we feel. No matter how intense the emotion,
we eventually feel differently. Such is the nature of
being human.

1.o
:.tu:., :.tu:., l.:|.:.
Despite being surrounded by bricks, steel, and concrete, nature
manages to flourish in the city. However, unless we go to a park or
community garden, such signs are likely to be subtlefor example,
tufts of grass emerging through a sidewalk crack or potted shrubs
framing a hotel entrance. Nature isnt limited to plants and vegeta-
tion, though. We see squirrels, pigeons, rats, cats, and dogs on a
regular basis, too. An observant New Yorker even noted the pres-
ence of fish in a puddle in the subway (de Lucia 2008)!
Given the health benefits associated with viewing nature (Park
and Mattson 2008), being more aware of plants and animals around
us can be helpful. In addition, mindfulness of nature also allows us
to notice seasonal changes in the city. Trees, flowers, and plants all
grow in accordance with the seasons. For example, vines quickly
grow up the sides of buildings during spring and summer, only to
die back in fall and winter (assuming you live in more northern
cities). Cities with less seasonal variation in weather still experience
differences on a daily or weekly basis. For example, a particular

1.1
constellation of flowers will likely change as blooms die off and
get replaced by other ones. Animals, too, are susceptible to these
variations. Squirrels that appear plump in summer and fall seem
noticeably leaner in spring, after a cold, food-scarce winter. Even
dogs get into the act as their owners dress them in sun-shading hats
on warm days and sweaters on cold days.
Here are a few suggestions for becoming more mindful of the
nature surrounding you:
Select one patch of greenery youll notice each day on
your commute to work. Pick something relatively small,
such as a tree, a window box, or shrubbery. As you
pass this area, stop and spend a few moments observ-
ing and describing what you see. You might even take
a series of digital photos, which allows you to compare
how the plants change daily and seasonally.
Challenge yourself to notice nature around you. Even
on the busiest street corner in downtown Singapore,
you can see natural objects. You might notice stalks
of green bamboo for sale in a Chinatown shop, or see
someone deliver a bouquet of roses to an office build-
ing, for example. Whatever the circumstances, invite
yourself to be on the lookout for nature.
Nurture a spot of nature close to home or work. Find
something growing wild, like a patch of colorful weeds
or a city-planted tree, and commit to helping it grow.
Perhaps water it weekly, or pick out any accumulated
litter. If youd like to get more involved in this kind of
activity, look into municipal resources for trees. Many
cities, like New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco,
have agencies and organizations dedicated to planting

1..
and maintaining trees. Usually, they welcome volun-
teers to help plant and care for them (like pruning).
They also field requests to plant urban trees, in case
youd like to have a nice shade tree in front of your
home or apartment building.
Observe any critters you encounter during the day. On
your way to an appointment, maybe stop by your local
dog park and spend a few moments watching the dogs
run and play with each other. Later, perhaps notice
rats moving across the subway tracks (and maybe your
corresponding feelings of disgust and revulsion). Even
in stores, elevators, and offices, you might be surprised
to discover a snout or whiskers poking out from some-
ones purse or handbag!

1.|
lo You li|. li. \usi..
In 2007, the Washington Post (Weingarten 2007) conducted an
interesting experiment. It recruited world-renowned violinist Joshua
Bell to perform a series of pieces in a busy subway station. Dressed
in a T-shirt and jeans while brandishing a Stradivarius, Mr. Bell
skillfully played selections by Bach, Brahms, and other great clas-
sical composers. Over a thousand people passed within earshot of
his forty-five-minute performance, but how many of them stopped
to listen?
Consider that heres a virtuoso whose performances are always
sold out or standing room only. Tickets can cost well over a hundred
dollars apiece. He has won the Avery Fisher Prize for outstanding
achievement and excellence in music, and was even selected as
one of People magazines 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
So, did the accomplished artist gather a crowd of aficionados
and admirers? No. Out of the thousand or so passersby, only seven
stopped for more than a minute to listen to his performance.

1.|
In the city, we spend a lot of money on arts and culture. We
like to see the latest hit musical, go to plays, attend dance recitals,
hear musicians, and laugh at stand-up comics. But we often miss
out on these experiences when they arrive in the guise of the street
performer.
There are many reasons why we dismiss these experiences.
The very fact that the performance is free causes us to devalue it.
Were likely to think, If that guy were any good, he wouldnt be playing
here! Also, we havent been told what to think of this persons per-
formance yet. No critic or trusted friend has passed judgment, so
its up to us to decide whether we like it. While this invites us to
be mindfully present, it also can be intimidating, especially in situ-
ations where were presumed to have an opinion. In addition, we
tend to make quick judgments based on our personal tastes. If you
already know you dont like classical music, you wont listen to any
violinist, stringed quartet, or the like. In some ways, these kinds
of judgments are the antithesis of mindfulness. In particular, we
dont allow ourselves to hear this music with fresh ears. Maybe, as
we expected, we wont like it. However, theres also the possibility
that we could be transported to a new emotional place and spark
a nascent, avid interest in all things classical. When we hear a
street musician, the worst reaction is to resent the intrusion. Such
a mind-set not only prevents us from experiencing the music but
also makes us miserable with the feeling that something has been
imposed on us. (Of course, if you feel this way about a particu-
lar street musician, I wont ask you about that dude who practices
guitar at the farmers market.) So, rather than pause to appreciate
the performance, we turn up the song on our MP3 players and try
to drown out the offending music. Contributing to our own hearing
loss somehow doesnt seem like the healthiest reaction.

1.
The next time you pass a street musician (or any
street performer), why not pause a moment to observe
the spectacle? What notes and sounds do you hear?
Does the song seem familiar? If so, see if you can
allow yourself to simply hear it as its played rather
then compare it to another performance or jump a few
measures ahead.
Notice whether you tend to dismiss the performer or
the musical genre. What judgments come to mind
when you first hear the music or see the performer?
See if you can let go of these judgments temporar-
ily and simply listen to the performance. How does
it sound? Do you like it or not? If you dont like the
music itself, what judgments do you make about the
proficiency and enthusiasm of the performer?
Finally, notice what comes to mind as you consider
donating. Do you feel compelled to give money, or
stubbornly refuse to bow to such societal pressure? Do
you feel sorry for the musician or guilty if you leave
without donating? Notice these thoughts, and return
to reflecting on your experience of the performance.
If you found some part of it enjoyable, you might con-
sider expressing gratitude to the musician with a simple
thank-you, polite applause, a heartfelt Awesome! or
a modest donation. What was this performance worth
to you?

1.
\.!|i: \.dit.tio:
Typically, we do a lot of walking in the cityto stores, to restau-
rants, and to work. In contrast, suburban or rural dwellers spend
a lot of time in cars, going from driveway to parking space (and
back). Meanwhile, many of us urbanites dont even own cars but
rely on walking, biking, public transportation, and taxis.
Walking in the city is not a leisurely stroll. We dont meander
down the sidewalk, checking out the architecture or smiling at
other people. Instead, we walk purposefully and quickly to our des-
tinations. Often, we tune out en route by listening to music or
making calls. Mentally, we distract ourselves, too, by getting lost
in our thoughts.
A walking meditation is a powerful way to introduce mindful-
ness to a very basic human activity. Traditionally, walking medita-
tion is practiced very slowly so we can focus on the physical sensa-
tions associated with our bodily movement. However, if we tried
to walk that way down a busy street, wed likely get run over by

1.;
everyone else. In New York, we have a word for people who walk
this way: tourists!
Thus, walking meditations in the city, especially ones you can
fold into your daily life, need to be faster. But this requirement is
often not conducive to focusing on physical sensations or breath-
ing; were simply moving too quickly to do so. However, we can
change our mental focus to introduce some stress relief as we walk.
Specifically, we can adopt a repetitive mental phrase and synchro-
nize it with our steps. Changing our mental focus helps us reduce
the aimless distraction associated with rumination, and exercise
better control of our attention. Plus, were practicing a basic form
of meditationalbeit quicklythat research associates with stress
reduction (see, for example, Benson and Klipper 1976). So here are
some guidelines for developing your fast-walking meditation:
Decide in advance where and when you intend to
start your meditation. I recommend taking at least five
minutes for the walk so you can get into the groove.
Turn off your electronic devices. You can keep wearing
your headphones, but turn off the music. Similarly,
you can wear your Bluetooth headset, but turn off the
power. You want to be able to hear and see whats
around you as you walk.
Pick a simple, neutral phrase that you will repeat men-
tally. When you reach the end of the phrase, repeat it.
I suggest picking a phrase relatively benign or descrip-
tive; for example, you could mentally count, one-two,
one-two, one-two, or say, I am walking. You can also
experiment with counting your steps from one on;
your last number will vary depending on the distance
to your destination.

1.8
Start walking and bringing each successive syllable to
mind with each successive step. For example, you might
think, I (step), am (step), walk- (step), -ing (step), or one
(step), two (step), one (step), two (step), and so on.
Visually, keep looking ahead while remaining aware
of your surroundings. Youll likely start to observe the
interesting phenomenon that you can concentrate on
something artificial (for example, your walking-medi-
tation phrase) while maintaining a responsive aware-
ness of your surroundings.
When forced to stop, such as at an intersection or red
light, bring your attention to your breathing. Notice
the sensations of air entering your nostrils, or the rise
and fall of your abdomen and chest. As soon as you
can go, resume your walking phrase.
When you reach your destination, check in with your-
self about your experience of practicing the walking
meditation. Did it differ from your usual city walking?
If so, how? What will you do similarly or differently
next time?

1.
\i:du!:.ss to o
A unique aspect of urban living is the seeming omnipresence of
street vendors selling all kinds of food. No matter where we are,
we can always find a quick bite. We dont even have to bother
with the laborious task of opening a restaurant door. Pushcarts
and trucks abound with all kinds of food options. In fact, you can
almost travel the globe, from a culinary perspective. Here are just
a few of your options: teriyaki bowl (Japan), pork buns (China),
dirty-water dog (New York), burrito (Mexico), rice ball (Italy),
corn arepas (Venezuela), fruit crepe (Belgium), and halal shawarma
(Middle East). Sounds pretty good, huh?
Such a tremendous variety is very tempting, and the food can
be quite delicious. Unfortunately, we dont often take the time to
savor its actual taste. The setting and our own activitystanding
or walking down the streetmake it difficult to pay attention. How
can we savor the spicy, salty chewiness of a mustard-laden pretzel
while dodging cars in the crosswalk? Also, the inherent messiness
of some to-go foods makes us more likely to gulp them down.

1|o
So next time you buy some food from a street vendor, take
some time to enjoy its flavors. If youve decided to order this par-
ticular food and pay money for it, you might as well taste it! Here
are some tips:
Notice your approach to eating this food. Are you
gobbling it down, or can you appreciate its tastes? If
you ate it quickly, recall what judgments or percep-
tions preceded doing so. Were you focused on the
experience of eating, or was your mind elsewhere?
What thoughts and emotions arise when you consider
slowing down?
Synchronize your steps with your chewing, by chewing
once for each step. This exercise can help you bring
more attention to the flavors arising in your mouth.
Take one bite every twenty steps, which will help you
eat more slowly, also potentially increasing your focus
on how the food tastes.
Make one bite last a whole block. Keep chewing and
tasting a mouthful of food for a whole block before
swallowing it. Notice how the urge to swallow and
quickly proceed to another bite can arise.
Mindfully lick or suck the drippy parts. If your falafel
sandwich leaks tahini, mindfully suck the sauce from
the bottom, rather than eat faster from the top. Yeah,
this might not be the most sanitary activity, but
remember, youre the one who chose to eat in the
middle of the street.

1|1
Sit down to eat for a while. Just because you bought
some on-the-go food doesnt mean you need to keep
going! Take several minutes to sit and enjoy your food.
You might also notice what you see in the city scene
before you.
Practice mindfulness of eating (youll need to stop
walking to do this one). Prior to each bite, smell your
foods aroma. What can you detect? Any particular
spices? As you bite down, notice how your mouth
greets the food. Do you detect an increase in your
salivation, or does your tongue curl up? As you slowly
chew, move the food around in your mouth. See how
you detect more distinct flavors of saltiness, bitterness,
sourness, and sweetness, depending on where the food
is on your tongue. Notice the urge to swallow before
you actually do. Whats transpiring in this moment?
Are you poised to take another bite before youve even
finished and swallowed this one? After each bite, see
how long you can detect that mouthful of food in
your body. Can you feel it go down your throat? Can
you feel it in your belly? Do you feel as if youre one
mouthful heavier?

1|.
\.:.:.ss o t|. lo:.!.ss
In the city, we see the homeless almost every day. Verbally or with
written signs, they tell us a sad story and seek donations for food,
shelter, or transportation. Theyre often willing to take even a
penny to get a little closer to their goals. We typically respond by
looking away, developing a sudden interest in our books or phones,
or digging into our pockets to produce some spare change. All of
these efforts are designed to minimize our discomfort with the situ-
ation by allowing us to move on as fast as possible. Seeing someone
suffer close up can be simply too much to bear.
Homeless people also bring up many automatic judgments.
Some of us feel sorry for the person. Some of us assume the person
is a drug abuser or criminal. Others assume the persons crazy or
unstable. Some blame homeless people for their circumstances and
shout, Get a job! Others blame society, and consider the homeless
to be victims of our misplaced priorities and resources. Depending
on the reaction, we likely feel sympathetic, hardened, guilty, gener-
ous, or scared. However, in the moment, all these assessments are

1||
wrong; theyre based on preconceptions rather than actual engage-
ment with the homeless person.
Im not suggesting you run out and start talking to every home-
less person you meet. There are many valid reasons why you might
decide not to do that. However, that moment of encounter can be a
very powerful lesson in mindfulness. Can you become aware of your
thoughts about the person without getting carried away by them?
Can you simply be, even in the presence of something or someone
very challenging? Is there a way to enter into the experience of
being with or seeing a homeless person without prejudging it? The
original mindfulness sutra in Buddhism contains instructions on
how to meditate while watching dead bodies decay. The purpose is
to deal with discomfort and appreciate the ephemeral nature of life.
Observing a homeless person can deliver similar messages to us.
Indeed, there are many spiritual traditions that espouse com-
passion and support for others. The Bible is filled with references
to love thy neighbor. Buddhism encourages the practice of loving-
kindness toward others. Judaism speaks of such duties as helping
others through charity (tzedakah) and living in accordance with
religious commandments (mitzvot). Out of respect for the wisdom of
these traditions, as well as our own desire to be more mindful, are
we willing to practice mindfulness even in respect to the homeless?
Here are some ways to approach these situations:
Extend a blessing of protection and wellness to the
homeless person. Mentally send a quiet wish that this
person find a way to be happy, healthy, and whole.
For as long as youre in the presence of the homeless
person, see if you can breathe in the persons suffering,
while breathing out compassion and kindness. This
tonglen practice from Tibetan Buddhism addresses our

1||
tendency to push away painful experiences. You might
also imagine taking in the heaviness or darkness of
the persons difficulties, while sending out lightness
and brightness.
If the person asks for money or something else, can
you be mindful of your decision whether or not to
give? How does your judgmental mind react to your
decision? Do you feel like a helper, a sucker, an uncar-
ing lout? Whatever your response, notice what comes
to mind about yourself and the homeless person.
Consider how you might feel if your circumstances
were reversed: What if you were the person without
a home, money, or other resources? How would it feel
for you to beg for money? How would you want pass-
ersby to treat you?
If the situation seems safe, see if you have the courage
to talk with the homeless person directly. Ask about
the persons circumstances and the reason behind any
requests made of you. What judgments come to mind
as you interact with this person? Does the story seem
compelling, plausible, or unbelievable? What does this
person want or need? Given your resources and judg-
ments of this person, what are you willing to do?

1|
:u|. \.dit.tio:
As urbanites, we typically spend a lot of time using public trans-
portation. Subways, buses, trains, and trolley cars all serve to take
us to our destinations. More often than not, we spend this time
immersed in distractions en route. We read books, listen to music,
play video games, and catch up on e-mails and text messages.
Rather than tune out, however, we can use this time to practice
meditation.
While its not ideal in terms of providing a quiet, relaxed atmo-
sphere, we can indeed try to meditate while using public transpor-
tation. The key to meditating in this way is to turn our attention
to whats happening in our bodies. We can bring our attention
to our breathing or our thoughts, but typically, I advise people to
become aware of their somatic sensations as they move along. For
example, if youre standing on the subway, youre likely to experi-
ence sensations in your feet from the cars rumbling, and tensing
of various muscle groups as you try to maintain balance. Bringing

1|
your attention to this experience helps you eventually integrate a
mindfulness practice into your daily commute.
Before I provide some guidelines for this kind of meditation,
let me issue a word of caution: Always be aware of your safety and
the environment around you. Particularly in urban areas, which are
more prone to violence and crime, we must be vigilant to ensure
our own protection. So when it comes to meditating on the subway,
be sure its a risk-free place to do so. If you see anyone who looks
suspicious, menacing, or erratic, its probably best not to meditate
but, rather, to maintain your focus on your personal safety.
Though there are different ways to meditate on public trans-
portation, depending on whether you stand up or sit down, some
commonalities exist between the two situations:
Be sure to meditate with open eyes. Gently rest your
gaze on something in front of you. Perhaps look at
a spot on the floor or wall, rather than at a specific
person. Otherwise, you risk getting interrupted by a
brusque What are you looking at?
Turn off your MP3 player, but consider keeping the
earphones on to reduce the likelihood that someone
will disturb you.
Focus your attention on your bodys physical sensa-
tions. Either maintain awareness of one area of your
body (like your feet), or systematically scan your body,
starting from your feet and working your way up to
your head.
Whenever the train stops, take a moment to check
whether this is your stop. Although it disrupts the
flow of your meditation, each stop serves as a gentle

1|;
reminder to return your attention to your body; it
helps you catch your minds occasional drifting.
For a standing meditation, its important to maintain your
balance, so its best to stand with your feet about shoulder-width
apart. Try to position your feet at a forty-five-degree angle from
the trains centerline, if possible. Roll your shoulders back, and raise
your chin up to keep your head level. Mentally focus on whatever
bodily feelings are prompted by the movements of the train or bus.
In particular, notice the way your feet and leg muscles tense and
release to help you maintain balance. You might also become aware
of a shift in your body weight as the car accelerates and brakes.
For a sitting meditation, try bringing your attention to your
breathing or your body. If you focus on your breathing, simply
notice the gentle rhythm as you inhale and exhale. You can choose
to notice the sensation of air entering and exiting your nostrils, or
the rise and fall of your chest and abdomen. If the subway is par-
ticularly smelly, try focusing on breathing through a slightly open
mouth, making sure to keep your jaw relaxed. If you focus on your
body, simply notice the bumps that happen as you move along and
the tightening of different muscle groups as you react to the cars
movement.
Spend as much time as youd like in this activity, depending
on your commute time. Once youve reached your destination, exit
carefully and congratulate yourself on taking a few moments to
introduce mindfulness to your day.

1|8
X.: \i:d, !ou:ist \i:d
Youve seen them on the street. They walk slowly, gawk openly, talk
loudly, and wear fanny packs unabashedly. Im talking, of course,
about the bane of urban existence: tourists. Unfamiliar with the
surroundings, tourists spend considerable time taking in the citys
details. Of course, they get in our way, and have the audacity to
smile and make eye contact on the subway. Such flagrant disregard
for the rules of city living earns them scorn, yet theyre probably
more aware of whats happening than we locals are!
As we go about our daily lives, we soon develop a routine based
on our typical work schedule, commute, weekly chores, and pre-
ferred activities. We take the same subway train, go to the same
workplace, see the same coworkers, and go to the same grocery.
And we go to the same parks, theaters, bars, and clubs. As our
lives become more predictable, practicing mindfulness becomes
more difficult. We become habituated to our surroundings and
pay less attention to them. Research demonstrates that we tend to
better appreciate novelty than familiar things (Chong et al. 2008).

1|
The particular bus we take today looks almost exactly like the
one we took yesterday, so it receives little additional attention or
consideration.
In particular, we tend to tune out while on the way to another
of our predictable destinations. Sometimes were lost in thought,
lingering on something that happened before we left home or on
what we expect to greet us once we arrive at our destination. At
other times, we purposefully try to distract ourselves by reading,
listening to music, or typing text messages. Alternatively, we might
be embroiled in lively conversation with a friend, partner, or fellow
passenger. In all of these circumstances, we dont notice whats hap-
pening around us as we travel.
Maybe its time to act like a newcomer in your own city. Im
not suggesting that you check out all the local tourist traps (be
careful of your judgments here) but, rather, that you start seeing
and experiencing your life in the city as if for the first time. Here
are some suggestions for invoking such a fresh perspective:
Carry a camera and take pictures of the area around
your home and workplace. By taking a few photos (or
even one) every day, you start to look at the world
in a different way. Visually examine your surround-
ings for interesting and photogenic things. Youll start
to notice shapes, patterns, and the interplay of light
throughout the day, all of which are essential elements
of photography that help you develop awareness of
your environment.
Look up. Many of the buildings around you have
interesting architectural details, which youll miss if
you only look ahead or keep checking your e-mail. See

1|o
if you start to recognize similarities in architectural
styles as you travel around the city.
Notice what tourists get excited about. Maybe you
spot some people who are entranced by a particular
monument or other attraction. What judgments do
you make about what they like or find interesting? Are
you dismissive and critical? Have you actually experi-
enced what they find fascinating? Try to take a step
back from your cynicism and note whats interesting
or engaging about this attraction.
Smile. People usually have a good time when they
travel, so theyre apt to smile and laugh. Adopt a
smile yourself, perhaps allowing your citys tourists to
prompt you.
Offer to help a visitor if the person seems lost or needs
some guidance. Through your kind assistance, youll
not only serve as a goodwill ambassador on behalf of
your city, but also possibly feel happy afterward.
Practice acceptance of, and patience toward, tourists
struggling with being in an unfamiliar place or vio-
lating the citys unwritten rules. You might get stuck
behind someone whos trying to figure out how to use
an automated ticket dispenser or ATM. Or someone
might do something thats verboten in your neighbor-
hood, like spitting in the street or walking on the
wrong side of the sidewalk. Whatever the affront,
bring awareness to your annoyance. If necessary, dis-
creetly offer some advice if you think the offense is
serious enough to warrant correction.

1|1
Through these and other relatively simple practices, we can
become mindfully aware of the city again, plus we start noticing
our critical judgments. It all takes practice to ensure staying on
track. Of course, if we really want to embody a tourists perspective,
the most effective way is obvious: take a trip!

1|.
\i:do to t|. i:sid. \o:!d
One of the fundamental properties of mindfulness is the ability
to notice whats happening in the present as it unfolds moment to
moment. Life and our surroundings are constantly changing and
in flux; for example, the breeze on your skin changes as you walk
down the street. The dynamic nature of our experience can be even
subtler. What youre thinking, feeling, and doing right nowat the
beginning of this sentenceeven differs from what youre think-
ing, feeling, and doing right nowat the end of this sentence. Your
eyes are now focused on a different part of this page, for example.
Change also occurs beyond the detection of our normal sensory
experience. Scientists note that our bodies constantly change on
an atomic and molecular level as well; for example, old cells die and
are replaced by new ones in our skin, internal organs, and brain
(see, for example, Eriksson et al. 1998).
Meditation provides a way for us to become aware of change
by focusing on our bodies shifting conditions. We notice our dis-
cursive thoughts, tingling legs, and periodic bouts of itchiness (if

1||
not the growth of neurons in the prefrontal cortex). With practice,
we can appreciate how meditation provides an observation point
for these internal fluctuations. Over the years, I have used various
metaphors to describe this observational process, such as stepping
out from under the waterfall of thoughts that cascades and inun-
dates the mind, or standing on a platform watching the trains of
thought pass by. While these examples provide an interesting per-
spective on the process, you can also take them somewhat literally,
thus providing a sensory way to appreciate the ephemeral, dynamic
nature of your surroundings. Now, Im not suggesting running out
and getting underneath a waterfall, but you can stand still and
observe, becoming aware of the changing information you receive
from your senses. If youre in a crowded caf, you can attend to the
various sounds you perceive, such as music, conversation, bursts of
steam, clanking plates, and so on. On the street corner, you can
pause and see what enters and exits your field of vision, perhaps
including pedestrians, cars, and passing clouds.
A more concrete example in which we can notice change while
remaining slightly removed from the experience is looking out the
window. When we do so, we can view the unfolding scene before
us without directly participating in the experience. If youd like to
try this exercise, here are a few pointers:
Select a spot where you can look out a window for a
few minutes. It can be a window in a restaurant, store,
or even a bus.
Focus your attention on whats happening outside the
window.
Pick a specific point or object of reference and then
draw your attention back several feet toward you. Dont
concentrate on the object at that point, but rather try

1||
to detect movement within your visual field. Things
might look, or even feel, a little spacey to you in this
diffuse state of awareness.
Notice what movement and variations you detect. See
how things come and go, stop and start. You might, for
example, notice people passing in and out of your field
of vision, or leaves blowing in the wind. Even things
that emerge in your awareness very powerfullylike a
fast car or strong gust of windsoon disappear.
Spend a few minutes in this practice, simply breathing
and watching. Let your face and jaw muscles soften.
As you close this practice, consider what you observed.
How does this process compare to experiences within
you?



1|
l.ti.:.. is .
l., \|.:.'s \ Lus.
In life, we spend a lot of time just waiting. In the morning, we
might wait for our toast to cook or tea to brew. In the afternoon,
we might wait for some photocopies to print. In the evening, we
might wait for a bus or taxi. Sometimes the wait can be longer
than the duration of the event were waiting to participate in.
For example, it might take fifteen minutes of standing in line at
the store in order to complete a speedy checkout. Often, we get
impatient. We try to distract ourselves while waiting, or anxiously
ruminate about why it takes so long, but in doing so, we essentially
reject whatevers happening in the present moment. We become
less aware of our surroundings, make more judgments about the
unacceptability of whats happening, and strive to have something
else, other than what is. We react negatively to the fact that things
arent as we want them to be. And, indeed, were correct: the toast

1|;
isnt fully cooked, the copier isnt finished printing, and the bus is
nowhere to be seen.
Waiting, of course, can happen anytime, anywhere, and for any
duration. To a certain degree, its relative. You might be waiting for
your daughter to hurry up and go to college even though she just
started high school. Or you might feel anxious while waiting for
your food to arrive, because you feel starved. The essential issue
is how we approach these waiting periods, in terms of both our
actions and our attitudes.
Typically, when were waiting, we find ways to distract our-
selves by reading a book, checking e-mail, or listening to music,
instead of simply allowing ourselves to be. Indeed, waiting rooms
usually provide some entertainment for distraction, like magazines
or a TV, presumably to take our minds off the fact that the office
is behind schedule. Sometimes we might use these moments as
opportunities for meditation or mindfulness practice. But usually
we just tune out. Distraction isnt necessarily bad. In fact, it can
be a very effective strategy for enduring pain or distress (Kleiber
and Harper 1999). The distinction lies mainly in your underlying
attitude toward whats happening in the present. Do you resent the
wait and feel desperate to move on, making yourself miserable as
you try to focus on your book? Or do you wholeheartedly accept
your present experience of waiting, while turning your attention to
an interesting novel?
Given that waiting is a reality of our existence, we have little
choice but to find a way to be in these moments. When things are
poised to be the way we want them, but theyre not quite there,
what kind of attitude is healthiest or most effective? In the present,
is it best to keep focusing on something we expect or want to have
in the future, or, similarly, to ruminate on what happened in the
past?

1|8
For much of life, things happen when they happen. The bus
arrives when it arrives, not necessarily when it should arrive. Our
soup is warm when its warm, as a function of how much heat it
receives over time. We can generally do things to influence this
process, like take a different bus route (or write a complaint letter
to the transit authority) or buy a more powerful microwave, but
even in those moments, were still waitingwaiting while wishing
for some other experience.
Notice how your body responds to waiting. Do you
keep looking down the street for the bus? Do you keep
hitting the elevators close door button? Whenever
the urge to reject your waiting time surfaces, see if you
can bring your attention to the moment before taking
action. Resist the urge, and instead bring your atten-
tion to the experience of not acting on it. How does
this feel?
When waiting, bring your attention to your breath-
ing. Notice each breath going in and out of your body.
Consider this time as a precious opportunity to prac-
tice mindfulness and integrate awareness into your
daily life.
Notice your facial expression. What kind of face are
you making? Are you carrying any stress or tension in
your brow or jaw? See if you can change your relation-
ship to this present moment of waiting by greeting it
openly and with a slight smile.

1|
l., !|.t's \i:.:
We urbanites can easily develop a competitive streak while striv-
ing to meet our daily needs. We tend to suspect that others are
threatening to take away something we desire, like that subway
seat or that parking spot across the street. In some areas, people
lay claim to the parking spots in front of their homes by blocking
them with garbage cans. You take the spot at the risk of having
your car vandalized or, at the very least, incurring the wrath of the
home owners.
Perhaps the crowdedness of urban life or an accumulation of
experiences where someone else beat us to our rightful place in line
prompts us to become very possessive and defensive of things and
experiences that really dont belong to us at all. Recently, in a store
someone exclaimed to me, Hey, thats mine! when I selected a
broccoli stalk to put into my cart. Though she was all the way on
the other side of the aisle, she believed she had rights to it because
her eyes presumably fell on it before my hand did.

1o
Biologists and economists argue that such competitiveness often
emerges out of our desire for scarce resources (see, for example,
Moore 1999). Not surprisingly, we also tend to evaluate scarce
resources as being better than the same things when abundant
(Mittone and Savadori 2009). This is consistent with the basics of
supply and demand: a limited supply combined with a high demand
means you can set a higher price. In other words, a parking spot in
front of your favorite city art museum is much more valuable than
one at the suburban mall.
What does this kind of possessiveness or competitiveness get
us? Sure, we might succeed in getting something we want, but this
state of mind also prompts us to feel stressed and defensiveplus,
it can easily lead to anger and conflict (Griskevicius et al. 2009).
Ive seen many arguments erupt over taxicabs, for example. When
a taxi pulls over, whose is it? Does it belong to the person who
saw it first, whoevers closest, or the one who has been waiting the
longest time? The correct answer, of course, is always, Its mine!
Mindfulness can be a helpful touchstone to realistically assess
our judgments and curb excessive emotional reactions. By becom-
ing aware of your own perspective on why you believe something
is yours, you can see implicit assumptions that might not even be
accurate. For example, the broccoli lady in the store became quite
embarrassed when I offered to give her the desired vegetable, espe-
cially when we both recognized that the bin was full of other stalks.
Even when our assessment is correctmaybe there is only one stalk
leftmindfulness can help us be less angry and potentially work
out a satisfying solution. The woman could have bargained with
me for the broccoli or considered other vegetables after I took it.
By gaining some distance from her emotional reaction, she would
at least feel better, even if she wound up making cauliflower for
dinner instead.

11
So the next time you tell yourself (or someone else) that some-
thing in a public space rightfully belongs to you, here are a few
tips:
Bring your attention to the emotions, such as anger,
stress, or fear, that arise in your body.
Ask yourself, What makes this mine? or Whom
does this belong to?
Talk with your competition about your shared diffi-
culty (that is, you both want the same thing at the
same time). Perhaps you can both take advantage of
the situation (for example, sharing a cab), or maybe
together you can determine which of you should take
it (for example, letting the person whos late for a
meeting have the cab). While you might not get what
you want or deserve when negotiating a solution,
the process can greatly decrease your stress, especially
when you might not have gotten the object of your
desire anyway.
Give whatever it is away to your competitor freely and
with your blessings. Here, youre making the choice
to forego something in exchange for peace of mind
and less stress. Youll have to deal with going without
whatever you gave up, but at least you can feel better
about your act of kindness.

1.
o:.stio:, l:ust:.tio:,
.:d \:..tio:
Living and working in the city means spending a lot of time in
crowds and stuck in traffic. You might be packed into a bus or
stuck in your car, immobilized by rush-hour traffic. You also get
surrounded by throngs of people as you exit a theater, sporting
event, or subway station. In such situations, you can be literally
face to face, elbow to elbow, back to back, and even belly to belly
with a bunch of strangers. And you get frustrated.
Research shows that being in crowded environments is inher-
ently stressful. Put too many rats in a cage and they get sick
(Dronjak et al. 2004). Put too many monkeys in a cage, and they
start to fight (Boyce et al. 1998). Not surprisingly, your human
stress response also gets activated when youre in a crowded place.
The release of stress hormones reflects the well-known fight,
flight, or freeze responses activation. As youre probably aware,
in stressful situations like these, your body prepares to run away,

1|
fight someone, or stay completely immobile. A host of physiologi-
cal changes facilitates these hardwired responses: your heart and
respiration rates increase to better distribute oxygenated blood
throughout your body; you start to sweat, which cools your body
and makes it more slippery (and thus less likely to be grabbed by
a predator); and blood rushes to major muscle groups to facilitate
action. Though they help you survive a life-threatening situation,
these wonderfully adaptive responses arent so helpful when youre
standing in a crowded subway car. You cant pry open the doors
and run for safety, and you (hopefully) dont start picking a fight
with the person next to you. What do you do? In a word, nothing.
Is there a way to change the situation? No. Youre stuck, and theres
no place to go. It will be stressful. But you dont have to add to the
stress by piling on a host of judgmental thoughts and attitudes.
Typically in situations like these, youll reflect on whats hap-
pening around you, and you wont likely think too positively. All
kinds of unproductive thoughts will flood your mind, making this
bad situation even worse: Its too hot, Get out of my way! Did you just
push me? It shouldnt be this crowded, and I cant take this anymore!
Unfortunately, all of these thoughts add suffering to an already
unpleasant situation.
So, how can mindfulness help? you ask. Why would I even
want to become more aware of how miserable this situation is?
You dont. However, mindfulness is about more than just aware-
ness. Its also about acceptance, curiosity, and nonjudgment. Here
are several ways to experience this bad situation differently, even
though you cant do anything about it:
Notice whats passing through your mind. What do
you tell yourself about the situation? What do you
think about yourself, about the people around you?

1|
Does having these thoughts help you feel better or
worse?
Notice whether youre dragging the past or future into
the present. Do any of your thoughts relate to things
that arent happening now? Do you tell yourself youll
be late, for example? Maybe you recall a prior time
when you had a panic attack in similar circumstances.
In either case, your dreaded situation isnt happening
yet, is it?
Now ask yourself whether youre willing to practice
accepting the present moment. You feel distressed and
dont want to be in this situation. What happens if
you give up your desire for things to be different than
they are now? What happens if you surrender yourself
to the present moment?
Invite yourself to consider your experience relative to
the people around you. Are they having a better time
than you are? Most likely, youre all suffering together.
Sometimes its comforting to know youre not alone.
Finally, introduce a new perspective relative to the
people around you. See if you can identify some-
thingbesides the present momentthat you might
have in common with them.

1
lu:: L .:d :!o lo:
City life is fast and dynamic. Things and people move quickly.
Taxis and bike messengers career down the street, people walk
briskly, and police officers give you a parking ticket (and disappear)
within the two minutes it takes for you to run into the bagel shop
for change. City life is fast, indeed!
Because we live and work in this high-paced environment, we
start to go faster too. We talk fast, move fast, drive fast, and think
fast. Unfortunately, our higher speed can have negative conse-
quences. Consistent with the adage Haste makes waste, research
shows that increased speed and time pressure cause us to make
more mistakes (see, for example, Wickelgren 1977). Yet despite this
obvious disadvantage, we continue to rush.
Our expectations eventually come to match this hurried life-
style. We want our Chinese food delivered before we hang up the
phone. In conversation, we want the other person to get to the
point quickly. And on city sidewalks, we expect others to walk just
as quickly as we do or get out of the freakin way!

1
When things and people dont move as fast as we want or
expect, we get frustrated and annoyed. Sometimes our annoyance
can flow easily into righteous indignation: What do you mean I
have to wait for coffee to brew? Youre a coffee shop! You should
have coffee ready all the time!
More often than not, life doesnt move as fast as we want. We
inevitably have to wait for things wed prefer to have instantly. At
a restaurant, for example, the waiter doesnt immediately make our
meal materialize on order; it takes time to prepare, even if were
really, really hungry.
When you feel pressured to move quickly or have something
immediately, take some time to do the exact opposite: slow down.
Stay still and take a few deep breaths. In making this
effort, you might notice your body reflecting how
antsy or frustrated you feel by bouncing up and down,
pacing, or not breathing deeply. Observe the thoughts
that come to mind. Are they familiar? Do they reject
the apparent slowness of whats transpiring in the
present?
Explore ways to appreciate things that move slowly or
take time. Buy a cactus and watch it grow. Make a
meal from scratch. Race turtles.
Ask yourself, Is there anything I can do to speed up this
process? If the answer is no, practice acceptance.
Investigate Slow Food (www.slowfood.com), a world-
wide organization with over a hundred thousand
members, thats dedicated to helping people appreci-
ate the benefits of living slowly by eating fresh, local,
seasonal foods.

1;
Check to see if theres a slow movement group in your
city. Similar to the one previously mentioned, these
groups also advocate slowness in other areas of life,
like commuting and socializing. London has a growing
slow movement community where people commit to
living life in real time (slowdownlondon.co.uk).
Maybe you can join a local group or create such an
organization in your own city.

18
lo:.! is \s lo:.! lo.s
If youve ever driven in the country or hiked in the woods, youve
undoubtedly had the thought Theres no one around for miles! In
these places, often we can go for vast stretches of time and distance
without seeing signs of others. Not so in the city! People are all
around us. In fact, we literally live and work on top of each other
in high-rise apartments and office buildings.
Despite being around people so much, we often complain of
loneliness. We feel alone despite a seemingly endless stream of
opportunities to connect with those around us. Usually, people
dont come up to us to talk, nor do we talk to them. This circum-
stance will likely get worse as we increasingly use advanced com-
munication devices that actually keep us isolated by screening our
calls or leaving us invisible to online friends (Baron 2008).
Lets do a little thought experiment. Suppose I ask you to con-
sider talking to the person beside you the next time youre in line.
What reactions do you have? What thoughts come to mind? You
might wonder what to say or how the person might react to you.

1
You think, Thats just too weird! Emotionally, you might find yourself
feeling excited about, scared of, intimidated by, nervous about, or
dismissive of this idea. Notice your reaction in the present moment
as you consider doing something outside your usual comfort zone.
Sometimes people wonder, What would I even say? In such cir-
cumstances, mindfulness can really help, because it provides an
opportunity to discuss whats happening in your shared experience
of the present moment. Of course, you (and the other person) need
to attend to whats happening to discuss it. After offering a smile
and a simple hello, you can readily ask a question or reflect on
whats happening:
Man, this line is really slow, huh?
What movie are you going to see?
This is my first time in this deli. Have you been here
before? What do you recommend?
Thats a nice shirt.
It feels so cold today.
In reaching out, you need to realize that you cant control how
the person responds. The person might be friendly and engaging,
or rude and dismissive. You wont know until you try to connect.
The potential reward in having a nice conversation or making a
new friend necessarily involves the risk of rejection. If you dont try,
youre pretty much guaranteed to continue feeling lonely. Before
you attempt conversation, you feel alone. In the worst-case scenario
of talking to a stranger, the person rebuffs you and you still feel
lonely. The best-case scenario is that you find the love of your life
or make a new friend. Isnt that worth the risk?

1o
\i:du! \.ss.i:
In the twentieth century, people often communicated by writing
letters, typically by hand. It took time and effort to compose
your thoughts and convey them in an effective, considerate way.
Etiquette and formatting rules soon developed to improve commu-
nication. For example, in her original 1922 etiquette guide, Emily
Post noted that correspondence to friends, family, and romantic
partners should always be handwritten. Letter writing was a delib-
erate exercise, because you carefully chose words to communicate
well, avoid offense, and preserve ink and paper. The whole process
was time consuming, because it included not only writing the letter
but also addressing the envelope and physically mailing it.
Today, this process seems grossly inefficient or antiquated, or
quaint at best. Over the past several years, the availability and
speed of communication has grown exponentially. Technology
allows us to communicate with each other more easily and quickly.
Interestingly, many of these technologies dont involve our actu-
ally talking with another person but, rather, sending short updates

11
in text messages or on social-networking sites like Facebook,
MySpace, and Twitter. By not talking to the other personeither
in person or over the phonewe lose the ability to discern subtle
messages and emotional meaning. Imagine meeting a friend for a
rushed meal before dashing away to a doctors appointment. Later,
you receive the text message Gr8 2 C U. Is this a heartfelt expres-
sion of appreciation or a passive-aggressive criticism? Its hard to tell
based simply on the text. Interestingly, using emoticons and punc-
tuation as facial expressions seems to have developed in response
to this lack of emotional clarity.
Whether its the lack of face-to-face contact, the ambiguity of
the messages we receive, or the immediate accessibility of com-
munication, we tend to react much more emotionally through our
text or e-mail messages, which creates problems, especially if the
recipient feels (justifiably) attacked. The person becomes defen-
sive and critical in response to our messages. As a result, a simple
inconvenience, annoyance, or misunderstanding quickly escalates
into a full-fledged fight, threatening our commitment to a friend
or partner. At work, it can prevent us from collaborating construc-
tively with someone. At the very least, texting in anger or under
stress usually causes more problems than it resolves.
Many of us also send text or e-mail messages on the go, which
recently has been associated with an increase in accidents, as drivers
become more engrossed with their phones than whats happening
on the road. Even pedestrians face this obstacle: its impossible to
see where youre going when your head is down and your attention
is consumed by reading and writing text messages.
Clearly, given these considerations, we need to bring more
awareness to how we communicate with these new technologies.
These suggestions cover a variety of circumstances:

1.
When you receive a text message, especially one
that prompts anger or sadness, take a few moments
to breathe. You can respond later, but first breathe
and allow yourself to settle into your body. Notice
what judgments your mind makes about this particu-
lar message. Invite yourself to consider other possible
ways to interpret this message. Would a stranger also
feel attacked or criticized by it?
After you write a message, especially one relative
to something that prompted you to feel angry or
stressed, take a few deep breaths. Read your message
and imagine how you would feel if you received it.
Would you feel happy, angry, attacked, dismissed? Do
you want the recipient to feel this way? If not, rewrite
the message to reflect the emotional tone you want
to convey.
Remember the past and consider the future in the
present. Some of our missives are readily available to
all of the people around us, especially the updates we
post on social networking websites and blogs. So, in
the present moment, as youre poised to gripe about
work on your home page, its helpful to recall that
your boss has the URL. Also, its well known that the
Internet has a long memory or tail. People can see
the info you post now for years to come. In fact, many
employers regularly conduct Internet searches on the
names of job candidates to learn more about them.
With this in mind, do you feel comfortable with the
idea that future friends, partners, and employers can
possibly view what youre writing?

1|
Stay still when youre messaging. Is it really so time
consuming to sit down for a moment to write a text
message or send an e-mail? Although this is based
loosely on a Zen Buddhist directive, think of it this
way: Walk when youre walking. Text when youre
texting. Above all, dont walk and text!
Extend love, kindness, and support to people in your
network. Sometimes we can use texting or micro-
blogging to focus too much on our own experience.
Is it really so important for all of your friends to
know what youre eating for lunch? If these relation-
ships are important to you, perhaps an encouraging
note or inspiring message would be more appropriate.
Recognize what youre actually communicating over
time, and the degree to which it reflects ego-driven
messages rather than compassion for those who matter
in your life.

1|
\i:du!:.ss l:.:.:.:
Urban living can be very loud. Traffic, nightclubs, and construc-
tion all contribute to quite a noisy landscape. In fact, noise pollu-
tion has gained recognition as a significant problem over the past
few decades. Research indicates that noise is the leading cause of
peoples dissatisfaction with their neighborhoods and one of the
principal reasons people move (U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency 1981). In recognition of this problem, some cities, like Paris
and San Francisco, have even developed noise maps outlining the
average decibel levels in different areas at different times of day.
Ambulance, fire engine, and police car sirens are one of the
noisiest and most disconcerting city sounds. At about 120 decibels,
sirens are about as loud as a jet engine during takeoff. Typically,
when we hear a siren, we do one of four things: cover our ears; turn
up the TV, stereo, or MP3 player volume; talk louder; or wince stoi-
cally while waiting for it pass. Three of these actions actually con-
tribute to worse hearing loss and constitute rejection of the present
moment. Can you tell which ones? The healthy, mindful action is

1
to simply cover our ears. Reflecting awareness of our pain, its an
appropriate action relative to a situation we must accept (that is,
we cant turn off the siren). Some people might think the stoic
response reflects mindfulness and acceptance. While it engenders
recognition of the noise and suggests a pause in our ongoing activ-
ity, it also rejects a very natural, normal response (covering our
ears). Often, we employ judgments or forecasting, by considering
this action to be wimpy or anticipating that the noise wont last
long. Neither of these attitudes accepts the painful reality ringing
in your ears, which leads you to take the protective actionpre-
suming, of course, that in covering your ears, you do so lightly and
without malice. No cursing the siren or telling yourself you cant
stand it!
Besides preserving our hearing by covering our ears, we can
use siren sounds to suggest a mindfulness emergency. Most likely,
weve been engaged in doing something while tuned out from our
surroundings. Or were about to act in a very unmindful way. So,
the siren can act as a wake-up call to practice mindfulness. Here
are a few strategies to use:
As soon as you hear the siren, focus on your breath-
ing. Notice each in-breath and out-breath throughout
the sirens duration. Keep returning your awareness to
your breath, as if it were a true emergency.
Send compassionate or loving wishes to the rescuers
and whoevers in need. The siren signifies that some-
ones in trouble. Rather than damning the interrup-
tion, why not extend some kindness toward whoever
needs help? Extend a wish that all the people involved
get through the ordeal safely and in good health.

1
Mindfully notice the sirens variations in pitch and
loudness. Stay aware of the sirens initial sound as it
progressively fades away. Meditation halls typically
use a bell or cymbal to reorient people to the present
moment, while inviting them to attend to the sound.
We can use sirens similarly, even if they arent as
soothing or pleasant.
Notice your own reactions to and judgments about the
siren. Do you react with anger at the loud noise? Are
you nervous and stressed while waiting for it to pass?
Do you damn this disruption of your life, as the offend-
ing car or truck slows traffic flow? Whatever thoughts
and feelings arise, simply note them as reactions to
your unpleasant experience in the present moment.
All of these strategies can help us experience our noisy envi-
ronment a little differently. Instead of rejecting loud disturbances,
we can see them as an opportunity to practice mindfulness. We all
need such reminders from time to time, and perhaps we can even
be thankful for them. It sure beats what we usually do, no?

1;
\i:du!:.ss o li.:sit
The relatively high populations of urban areas provide ample oppor-
tunities for encountering ethnic diversity. Indeed, many cities have
neighborhoods dominated by particular racial and ethnic groups.
New Yorks Central Harlem is predominantly African American.
East Los Angeles is mainly Latino. South Boston has a lot of
Irish Americans. And many cities, like San Francisco, Toronto,
Vancouver, and Washington, D.C., have a Chinatown, which is
home for immigrants from China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. So as
we travel around the city, we come into daily contact with many
people who look different from us.
When we perceive racial or ethnic differences, we tend to focus
on them. Sometimes we hold negative or even derisive views of
certain groups. Other times, we might glamorize or celebrate these
differences. In either case, our views are typically based on some ste-
reotype or fantasy of who we expect people to be, based on their
presumed race or ethnicity. In such circumstances, we interact with
others based on these predetermined judgments rather than actual

18
experience. Even if our judgments are based on past personal experi-
ence, they do little to inform us about the individual were engaging
with in the present. Further, our cognitive tendency toward a confir-
matory bias means we tend to notice characteristics consistent with
our predeterminations and dismiss contradictory evidence. The long-
term consequence is that we maintain ethnic and racial stereotypes,
contributing to the pernicious realities of racism and discrimination.
Mindfulness provides an opportunity for us to experience
people as they truly are, by becoming more aware of our stereo-
types. Cultivating an authentic appreciation and understanding of
another person promotes mutual respect, and even the development
of friendship. Here are a couple of ways to facilitate this process:
Find someone close by who appears to be from a differ-
ent racial or ethnic group. Consider things you likely
have in common with this person. Perhaps imagine
sharing a desire to be happy or win the lottery. Or
appreciate your shared experience of the present
moment (for example, youre both caught in the rain
without an umbrella). Imagine what might make this
person laugh. In your mind, extend a blessing, kind-
ness, peace, or good cheer to this person.
Again, notice someone who seems to have a differ-
ent race or ethnicity than you do. Bring to mind your
assumptions about who this person is, based on appar-
ent group membership. Or recall popular stereotypes
of this persons racial or ethnic group. Observe how
this person behaves in accordance withor against
these stereotypes. Consider if and when youve acted
the same way in the past, and the degree to which
your behavior reflected your ethnicity, personality, cir-
cumstances, or some combination of these.

1
\ li:. :os i: L:oo|!:, o:
!o|o, o: los \:.!.s.
As city dwellers, we spend a lot of time standing in line. We wait
to get into the theater, to buy produce at the farmers market, to
land a restaurant table, or even to relieve ourselves. Some of the
longestand most distressingwaits are when were in line to use
a portable toilet or the restroom at a bar, restaurant, theater, or
stadium.
Typically, we spend our waiting time completely removing our-
selves from the present moment. We dont want to wait, so we
distract ourselves. Sometimes we completely tune out by reading
a book, listening to music, checking e-mail, or playing with our
smartphones. Other times, we ruminate on the unpleasantness of
waiting by repeatedly checking the status of the line or complain-
ing about others ahead of us in line (Hey! How can it take you so
long to pee?). We want to rush through this experience to get to
more important things.

1;o
All of these efforts to distract ourselves or to complain about
the length of the wait boil down to dissatisfaction with the present
moment. Now is now, whether we like it or not. Jon Kabat-Zinn once
remarked that though were only alive in the present moment, we
have the attitude that we only want to be present in the moments
we like (Kabat-Zinn and Kabat-Zinn 2009). So what would happen
if we tried to bring mindfulness to moments we dislike or experi-
ences we usually try to avoid or rush through, like standing in line?
What do you think you would find? The next time youre in line,
try some of the following:
Check in with your body. Hows your posture? Do
you notice any tension anywhere? Whats your facial
expression? Are you smiling? Clenching your jaw?
Examine the thoughts traveling through your mind.
Maybe you notice frantic thoughts about whats hap-
pening, like She better move up! or Make up your
mind and order something already!
Resist the temptation to distract yourself. Maybe
you notice that your mind doesnt like being still; it
wants you to do something or, at least, ruminate on
something.
Look at the people around you. Notice the thoughts
and judgments that arise. Maybe you start to criticize,
praise, or envy those around you. Perhaps you start
coveting someone elses place ahead of you in line.
Can you find it within yourself to be happy for this
person, or do you simply feel resentful?

1;1
Identify something in your immediate experience that
sparks some curiosity or satisfaction. Maybe youll
notice an interesting painting on the wall, or realize
your headache is gone. Mindfully bring your atten-
tion to this experience, by noting what you perceive
through your senses or how it feels to embody a par-
ticular emotion.

1;.
lit.:.!!, \| \:. You l.:..
Cities provide a boundless variety of experiences. We can choose
from different cuisines, cultural opportunities, sporting events,
museums, and more. We also have the chance to meet many people,
visit family or friends, and contribute to diverse communities.
Despite all of these options, its easy to get caught in the same old
patterns. We either go to the same places and do the same things,
or always stay in. At such times, focusing some awareness on why
you live in your particular city at all might help. Presumably, you
could live elsewhere, but there must be certain things tying you to
this place, like work, family, friends, or the citys environment.
Ask yourself, Why do I choose to live here? Already, your
judgmental mind might resist this question. I dont choose to live
here at all, it argues. I have to live here for my job (or mortgage,
partners career, childs education, or whatever).
Seeing yourself as a victim of circumstances is certainly no way
to feel better. And its not even accurate, when you get down to it.
You clearly have certain priorities, and hopefully, your life reflects

1;|
most of them. If you live here because you have family nearby,
perhaps this value takes precedence over your desire to see the
world by boat. If your job keeps you in the city, maybe you place a
high priority on your career and finances.
Your reasons for living in the city might be plentiful or boil
down to a single one. If you dont even know how to answer this
question, consider some of the following possibilities:
Closeness to (or distance from) family
Job or career
Education
Your childs education
Cultural options (such as museums, recitals, the opera,
movies, and sporting events)
Diversity of lifestyles and ethnicities
Friends
Diversity of foods and cuisines
Excitement
Recreational opportunities (such as dancing, clubbing,
and so on)
Athletics (for example, the roller-hockey league and
running groups)
Here are some suggestions for further exploring why youve
chosen to live in your city:

1;|
For about thirty minutes, ponder why you live in your
city. Consider outlining the pros and cons of living
there, or thinking about what keeps you there.
Once youve identified your reasons for being where
you are, examine the degree to which youve tended to
them purposefully. Perhaps youve operated on auto-
matic pilot too long, which has taken you away from
your core values. If so, you can start doing more things
reflective of what matters most to you. Alternatively,
maybe things are going quite well and youve actively
pursued what you enjoy and appreciate about your city.
In the coming week, pledge to do something in accor-
dance with your reason for living in your city. If you
value the wonderful variety of ethnic foods, find a new
restaurant to visit. If you enjoy cultural opportunities,
visit a museum or see a play.
Express gratitude for the opportunity to realize your
goals and preferences by living where you do. Maybe
theres no one to thank, but you can find ways to
thank the city itself by adopting a spirit of good inten-
tion or performing an outward act of kindness toward
a fellow resident. Even watering one of the munici-
pally owned trees could be a way to say thanks.
Once youve completed these exercises and reconnected with
why youre in the city, the challenge lies in maintaining this sense
of purpose over time. Feeling dissatisfied or overwhelmed is often
a sign that what were doing in life isnt consistent with our chosen
values. So be on the lookout for signs that you have drifted from
what you treasure, and explore ways to keep yourself committed to

1;
living by the values that are most important to you. Perhaps you
can call it remindfulness: repeatedly assessing the degree to which
your current actions reflect your goals and purpose. The alterna-
tiveliving mindlesslyisnt any easier, and you risk straying far
from whats valuable to you. Ideally, youll cherish each successive
moment and find ways to connect to your life experiences. Its trite
and true: you have only one life to live. Its up to you to decide
what you want to make of it.

1;8
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Jonathan S. Kaplan, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who special-
izes in the application of mindfulness and meditation to psycho-
therapy. He founded UrbanMindfulness.org in 2008, and maintains
a private practice in New York City where he provides psycho-
therapy, professional training, and clinical supervision. He lives in
Brooklyn with his wife and two children.

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