Being Mindful in Traffic (& Other Difficult Situations)

Last week, one of my most wonderful, most-beloved, long-time private students cut me off in traffic. Or, I should say, in the horrible, frustrating, overpowering machine that is DC traffic.  Don't worry--we've laughed about it together now, and I even told her that I was going to blog about it (have to!), but the poor thing spent the entire weekend feeling guilty and telling her friends that she "cut off her yoga instructor" in traffic. I died laughing when I heard this and felt so bad that she would worry about it at all, because if anything, the situation was a great reminder for me to be more mindful in these types of everyday situations--in traffic, while in a crowded metro station, when in the line at the grocery store, etc.

The day that she cut me off, we were stuck in traffic at one of the most annoying intersections in NW DC (near Woodley Park--Connecticut and Calvert for those who live in DC and will understand!), she had tried to let a bunch of people go before me, and they hadn't gone so she was annoyed (plus she had a van-full of 3 young children!), and I was annoyed because I had gotten stuck behind a broken-down bus and no one would let me out. Both of us were frustrated in traffic, and didn't even think that the person in the next car could be someone that we knew--someone that we spend time with every week and care about, respect, and enjoy being around! In the car, people aren't people, they just become pods that are in your way when you're in a hurry. So, I am very thankful that this situation occurred last week, because it is such a great lesson for me. I often honk at people when I'm frustrated (especially at crazy taxi-drivers!), and I'll admit that I've pushed back a bit in the metro when a rude person tries to push me out of the way--but what if these people that I honked at, or pushed back (just a bit!), were my students? How horrified would I be? As yogis, and as a yoga teacher, we practice being mindful, present, and conscientious on the mat,  and then we can easily forget how important it is to learn to take these qualities off of the mat. It's easy to be mindful when you're having fun, but how about when you're running late and stuck behind a broken down bus?

It's easy to be mindful on a road like this...

In his book, Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic, Darren Main talks about driving consciously when he says:

There are few experiences in our modern world that can push me into insanity like a traffic jam. As my yoga practice deepened, I noticed that my reactions in traffic were much more centered, not to mention more polite...There was a time when I would use my middle finger at least as much as the clutch while I was driving. Now I have turned driving into a conscious practice. As my body and mind become uncomfortable, I deepen my breath and smile. Sometimes I'll even turn off the radio and chant for a while, of repeat my mantra silently to myself. This does not change the external circumstances; I still sit in traffic until it starts to move, but my body and mind are at peace.

Now I'm not saying that you should start chanting in your car every time you're stressed out, but it is helpful to think of driving as an exercise in mindfulness--watch the body as you begin to feel frustration in these situations and apply whatever tools help you to calm down to this moment. Then maybe, just maybe, you won't cut your yoga instructor off in traffic :) Haha!

What situations transform you into your most non-yogic self? How can you practice mindfulness in these situations?

Happy commuting!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

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