Meditating outside?

[Indisguise]

Hey, I recently discovered a beautiful spot at the bank of a huge lake nearby where I live and I started to go ther every evening to meditate for a short while, the only thing is that there are also people walking by and they can see you meditate - even though the  only see your back. Sometimes I become a little bit self conscious about this (unless I'm in deeper meditation when I just altogether forget that I even sit at a lake😂).  Unfortunately I haven't yet discovered any place where you can sit where there are no people at all (because usually the really beautiful places are known to other people). Any advice? 

 

[Loop]

There was this time I was sitting on a bench looking out at the water and just basking in the beauty of nature well people walked directly behind me on a path. About an half an hour into to sitting this thought came up about how someone could just come up behind me and end my life right there without me even knowing what they were doing. Then all thoughts vanished for a bit, ended up sitting there for awhile before heading out, wonderful Nothingness. 

 

Sometimes what you think is a burden is actually something that could tip you towards a deeper state. Besides, it is easy to sit in the sun and bliss out alone, the real challenge is living life in Flow well going through the day. 

[Indisguise]

1 hour ago, Loop said:

About an half an hour into to sitting this thought came up about how someone could just come up behind me and end my life right there

Honestly I'm more afraid of this one insane male swan who always patrols the shore and who starts paddling right up to me the moment I plant my ass on the ground, two days ago he just aggressivley climbed up right to where I sat and scared me away😂😂 which is btw probably the most distracting thing when sitting there, the swans, not so much even the people. But it makes no difference, I feel watched.

[Loop]

2 minutes ago, Indisguise said:

Honestly I'm more afraid of this one insane male swan who always patrols the shore and who starts paddling right up to me the moment I plant my ass on the ground, two days ago he just aggressivley climbed up right to where I sat and scared me away😂😂 

😂 He wants to join your meditation, “Dam an enlightened being at my lake?!? Gotta get some of that fine wisdom!” 
 

Maybe he is looking for food from you? Or maybe you manifested the swan because there is a better meditation spot for you to find 😄

 

8 minutes ago, Indisguise said:

But it makes no difference, I feel watched.

That feeling, is feeling a thought. I love making a meditation out of that on the bus, deconstructing the feeling that there are other people, watching me, or judging things. There is really just a burst of mental images & talking, stories about the sensations, noticing it as it is, the story drops, you fall into What Is So. 

[Mandy]

@Indisguise Birds are just little dinosaurs with feathers. 😂

Sometimes you come across a beautiful spot that hardly anyone knows about. Problem is you are one of them. Put the desire out there and who knows? 

 

[Indisguise]

4 minutes ago, Loop said:

Maybe he is looking for food from you?

Yeah I think he is. People sometimes feed them bread and stuff, so I think he's become pretty complacent and demanding...Yesterday, I brought him some oat flakes and seeds in order to appease his feathered majesty, but he just hissed at me and so I gave it to the goslings (they're so cute!).

9 minutes ago, Loop said:

That feeling, is feeling a thought. I love making a meditation out of that on the bus, deconstructing the feeling that there are other people, watching me, or judging things. There is really just a burst of mental images & talking, stories about the sensations, noticing it as it is, the story drops, you fall into What Is So. 

Yes, this is all true of course. It's just a matter of practice to see though some of the more intrusive thoughts like "other people watching me", guess it's deeply ingrained in our minds because of social conditioning - although that too, is a thought😄

7 minutes ago, Mandy said:

Birds are just little dinosaurs with feathers. 😂

Indeed, thank god they don't have any dinosaur teeth😂

 

[Aware Wolf]

You don't need to seek out a perfect  meditation environment. If any indeed do exist. Most of my retreats at centers had noise issues. Chainsaws going? Yes. Wedding music so loud it shook the building's windows, check. 

 

U Tejaniya did short meditations, many times when he ran his family's shop in Rangoon in a busy marketplace. 

 

If there's other people around, or a swan, or a squirrel, notice that. Label that and any accompanying judgement. If there's other people around, you might meditate with your eyes open. Look at your mind "as-is"

 

Slow walking meditation might be a good method here. Just walk slowly and mindfully. 

[Loop]

2 hours ago, Indisguise said:

Yeah I think he is. People sometimes feed them bread and stuff, so I think he's become pretty complacent and demanding...Yesterday, I brought him some oat flakes and seeds in order to appease his feathered majesty, but he just hissed at me and so I gave it to the goslings (they're so cute!).

Wow! How rude! He should take some lessons  on manners from the goslings 😆

 

2 hours ago, Indisguise said:

Yes, this is all true of course. It's just a matter of practice to see though some of the more intrusive thoughts like "other people watching me", guess it's deeply ingrained in our minds because of social conditioning - although that too, is a thought😄

The deeper conditioning is continuous, ongoing thoughts that you can illuminate when you clear away the surface level stuff entangled with it. Illuminating the core beliefs is what bring lasting change.
 

Don’t let your brain rot,

From an intrusive thought,

Let it be, 

Then you’ll See.