Day 6 – Best Thing Today – Subway

Click to see where I described the exercise reflecting on the best thing that happened this day, and re-experience the sensations of that experience. Do this exercise daily and in the end of the 30 days you experience deeper and fuller sensory awareness of your life, that many people call being alive.

Today is Day 6. 

I know a lot of people living in the city, like me, hate riding in the subway. I actually like riding in the subway. I prefer subway to any other way of transportation, particularly in the city proper. I don’t mind riding in a car, and I also like to drive. Years ago, when I moved to Florida from New York, I enjoyed the great heat in the floridian sun and the humidity that makes my hair curl into tight curls (any girl’s dream, and mine especially, coming from a country of dry winter nine months a year.) Living in Florida I quickly realized that the absence of subway, and therefore, an easy way to commute in a public transport, would leave no people without a car. They were all in cars driving. Therefore, I, who likes taking walks and who is accustomed to communing with others in public places, I have a real problem with the fact that there are no people in the streets of this otherwise wonderful southern state. So I moved back to New York, after only 6 months of living in Florida and decided that for now this is where I want to be with its subway system in first place.

Early this cold rainy Sunday morning I hurry to catch an express subway train to get downtown to Wall Street to the place where a group was waiting for me to give them a class. I regularly teach newly pregnant couples the amazing techniques and philosophy of HypnoBirthing – using self-hypnosis to create a smooth and comfortable birth. This morning, while on my way, I ran into the doors of the train as they were closing, and I felt lucky that I made it. Even though it takes me 15 minutes to cover the length of the isle of Manhattan from my home to the place of work, and usually prefer not to sit, now I sit down to enjoy the fast ride. Not many people ride the subway on a rainy Sunday morning, so many seats are available. Now I was sitting in the cool hard plastic seat in a well air-conditioned train car, as I breathed easy, staying warm inside my down parka. My face still felt the traces of rainy dew and the coolness of the outside air. On my lap I was holding a bag with my Mac, that I will use in the class, and it’s pressing into my right leg, making it slightly heavier than my left one.  I balance the bag to spread the weight more evenly. I direct my attention to watching a few people yawning across from me, and a couple of deer-eyed tourists looking around for signs that they are on the right train. All is well.

I check for my experience. The top of my head feels a cool breeze coming from the vent above caressing my hair. My coat keeps my body heat inside. I follow the warmth from my light weight scarf on my neck to around my chest and then to my back, down to my seat, and back in the front around my belly and my thighs. My feet are stable on the trains vibrating floor, and I am aware of a pretty good grip the soles of my boots make with the surface of the floor. My gaze is directed forward and whereas I am not looking at anyone in particular I am aware of the people around me, bright coloring of the advertising and rustling of the newspaper the man next to me is reading. I keep my eyes open, gazing into the dark wall of the tunnel streaming by, as I continue to check for my sensations inside. Warm and tingly, relaxed and energized. As the ride continues, I feel more relaxed and settled into my seat, and the gentle rhythm of the train rocking me into a trance. Tingling in my hands and feet slowly becomes pulsing, which I  begin to count. One-two, with the rhythm of my pulse, three-four, my breath coinciding with the rocking,  five-six, back to the pulse in my fingertips… Deeper and deeper relaxed. My mouth swallows, my throat relaxes, my breath slows down.  My shoulders drop, and I experience the soft touch of my gloves on my hands continuing the grip of my purse. I feel more and more light-weight. The tingling continues into my ears, and down into my lower back, and further into my feet. Calm and relaxed. Suddenly the rocking moves my body off center of gravity and regaining gravity, again, I become aware of my body weight, balancing myself in the seat. I continue to follow the relaxed calmness in my body, and begin to experience joy, finding myself grateful for being so fully functional. My joy escalates and becomes excitement. I feel more tingling and take another deep breath. Exhale. The train arrives to a stop. I feel the pulse in my fingers grabbing my bag. Another breath, standing up. This is my stop.

Tags: best thing today, new york subway