When I meditate at the park people think I'm ill

[RMQualtrough]

I'm sat here cross legged with my eyes closed counting breaths, people often come over asking if I'm okay or ill. They probably think I'm sick or doped up.

Do I need to do this at home instead? I like to be out in nature for this purpose.

[impulse9]

Find a more secluded place. Or you can wear an orange robe, that will clue them in.

[TheSelf]

5 hours ago, RMQualtrough said:

I'm sat here cross legged with my eyes closed counting breaths, people often come over asking if I'm okay or ill. They probably think I'm sick or doped up.

Do I need to do this at home instead? I like to be out in nature for this purpose.

 Yeah in this super insane world, being sane is so fucking weird man, just ignore them and happily, carelessly practice whatever you wanna practice.

Edited August 6, 2021 by m0hsen

[Flowerfaeiry]

Yea, find a place where you are not so obvious. It's not polite to show off your meditation like that. 

[RMQualtrough]

22 minutes ago, Flowerfaeiry said:

Yea, find a place where you are not so obvious. It's not polite to show off your meditation like that. 

Well, the problem is if I go to a really remote part of the park, there are still dog walkers. If someone comes into an obscure corner of the park to someone just sitting on the floor cross legged with their eyes closed, that'd seem REALLY weird.

Maybe sitting on a bench would be better? Then I'd just appear to be resting.

[RendHeaven]

LMAO

[LastThursday]

Take a yoga mat.

[Breakingthewall]

Use Sun glasses, and no one will notice that you are meditating. Or if not, put on a robe, perfect lotus posture and meditate like this. maybe when you open your eyes you will see that you have a group of followers deifying you

[Carl-Richard]

Meditate in the mountains.

[Terell Kirby]

@RMQualtrough just ignore them. They’re obviously ignorant about meditation all together. Carry on, carry strong ?? 

[Tim R]

I don't like to be visible to passing people when I meditate. It makes me self-conscious, I can't help it

because it's as if you shove it in their faces "oh look I'm doing something special!"...

Find yourself a beautiful little spot, somewhere hidden, where only the animals can see you. And then sit there until you don't sit there anymore

[Consilience]

8 hours ago, Flowerfaeiry said:

Yea, find a place where you are not so obvious. It's not polite to show off your meditation like that. 

If people get triggered or weirded out by your meditation, that’s on them not you. There’s nothing non-polite about practicing in a park, that’s like the perfect place to practice meditation. 
 

@RMQualtrough if people approach you, just be friendly and understand that may be their first exposure to a real practitioner. You may be planting seeds for them to practice one day, or turn them off completely. But your emptiness, tranquility, and presence while practicing can be a powerful teaching tool for others.

[Eph75]

@RMQualtrough

It's only as complicated as we make it. 

Put a note that says "Am meditating - please do not disturb me" on the ground in front of you.

Poblem solved. 

[RickyFitts]

Are you counting the breaths out loud? I'm surprised people don't understand what you're doing, given that meditation is becoming more and more mainstream, but I guess there's more ignorance about it than I realise! On the plus side, it's nice that random strangers are concerned about your wellbeing (where I live, I'd probably be more likely to get the piss taken out of me ).

9 hours ago, Tim R said:

I don't like to be visible to passing people when I meditate. It makes me self-conscious, I can't help it

I'm the same, I'm pretty self-conscious at the best of times. Could be a very useful exercise, though, to be present with the feelings of self-consciousness that get triggered, just allowing them to arise.

3 hours ago, Consilience said:

@RMQualtrough if people approach you, just be friendly and understand that may be their first exposure to a real practitioner. You may be planting seeds for them to practice one day, or turn them off completely. But your emptiness, tranquility, and presence while practicing can be a powerful teaching tool for others.

Love, love, love this 

[Kensho]

This case seems strange to me. The straight-back, crossed-leg, closed-eyes individual I imagined that would have be been collectively imprinted as a 'meditator' by now. But I guess I am wrong.

Edited August 7, 2021 by Kensho

[Visionary]

14 hours ago, Carl-Richard said:

Meditate in the mountains.

Oh my, that mountain looks so filled with warmth and incredible grounding energy.

[Carl-Richard]

4 minutes ago, Visionary said:

Oh my, that mountain looks so filled with warmth and incredible grounding energy.

It's Mount Kailash – a holy mountain That's Sadhguru sitting there btw.

[wavydude]

17 hours ago, Flowerfaeiry said:

Yea, find a place where you are not so obvious. It's not polite to show off your meditation like that. 

"So this guy can just sit peacefully on the grass while I have to go around stressed and agitated trying to fulfill my endless desires?! How rude of him... "?

[gettoefl]

19 hours ago, RMQualtrough said:

Well, the problem is if I go to a really remote part of the park, there are still dog walkers. If someone comes into an obscure corner of the park to someone just sitting on the floor cross legged with their eyes closed, that'd seem REALLY weird.

Maybe sitting on a bench would be better? Then I'd just appear to be resting.

yes making a spectacle of yourself can be construed as attention seeking

be unobtrusive, be low key, be ordinary

ego wants to broadcast look at me

if we  do make a display of ourselves in public, will anyone benefit?

and perhaps looking so entranced and otherworldly will taint their idea of spirituality for life

sit on a bench instead

Edited August 7, 2021 by gettoefl

[Thought Art]

@RMQualtrough Ahaha, the looks I get doing Qigong sometimes