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Finding time to meditate in college dorm rooms?
So I'm going to be going away to college next year. I have no idea who my roommate will be. I was thinking about how it's going to be difficult (not to mention awkward) to meditate often with someone else always being with me in a tiny dorm room. Any suggestions?
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I, for one, prefer running up a hill and meditating on the top because it looks cool and keeps you fit.
If I were your room mate I would quietly read a book and respect your privacy.
Also, start or find a meditation group on or around campus.
I placed an analog clock directly opposite my bed, the ones with the jerky second hands. Whenever I wanted to meditate, I stared at the clock, and concentrated at the movement of the second hand round the clock. It's a neat trick to practice concentration meditation, and a great learning aid to stay concentrated during lectures and tutorials. Of course, needless to say it helps in your exams too!
Of course going to a secluded area is nice, but the fact is that there are very few truly isolated places in the world. Even if you were in a soundproof room with absolutely no outside influence, you still have the chatter of your mind to keep you company
I agree with @genkaku, talking to your roommate is a good place to start. If you're going to be living with someone for a while the topic will probably come up sooner or later. Personally I would just meditate in my dorm room and not worry about my roommate. It's not like sitting quietly is going to disturb them!
@buddhajunkie had a good suggestion in starting or finding a meditation group. It may help you connect with new friends on campus and strengthen your meditation practice.
(PS - This may be better in the "Meditation" category :buck: )
Meditating in front of a non-meditator could make one feel very self-conscious, which could hinder the practice.
Sometimes I mediate semi-discretely in public, yet I feel very distracted when someone comes near me.
My guess is that you just can't go as deep as you can when you are alone or in a group of other meditators. That's my experience.
btw, an obvious solution is to find out what your roommate's class schedule is and to meditate when he's gone.
In any case, it's probably a good idea to let him know that you meditate so that he doesn't freak out the day he comes home early and finds you hovering in the middle of the room in a triple full lotus
If you feel self-conscious about the possibility of him walking in on you, you might want to choose a less conspicuous position, like in a chair in front of your computer.
Up until then I used the cubbys in the stacks. Looked like I was studying LOL!