Week 26 Day 6

MMedi object choiceless awareness Intention to monitor alertness Afternoon All! Today around 30 mins practice, attempted 5 mins metta and 25 mins noting on the tube. As I started I heard loud earphone leakage from a woman opposite. I couldn't believe how loud it was, I don't think she put the earphones correctly into her ears. She seemed oblivious so I tried to continue, however she kept playing the same track over and over. I found it hard to concentrate on my meditation object during metta, maybe I need a little more of a stable space to practice it? For noting, of course the earphone leakage was dominant until about 10 mins in when she stopped listening to it. Then my neighbour's perfume featured, it could have been the same person as yesterday but I wasn't sure. I then launched into a massive thought trail where I knew I was thinking but my mind wanted to stay there. This demonstrates that we really have little control over where the mind goes. I felt aversion to these thoughts yet was strongly drawn to them. The interesting thing was that although these were thoughts about a future event, it played as though the situation was happening at that instant. I watched myself addressing some issues then thinking about whether I was too sensitive. I was noting that I was thinking so not lost in thought, but not happy to move away until resolution. The thoughts were interrupted as I needed to change trains. The bracing wind soon cleared my mind of those thoughts replacing those sensations with a shivering body. Everyone else always looks as though it's not cold - is it just me? When I boarded the next train, I found a seat and continued my practice. The thoughts had well and truly gone by then so I was focusing on the sounds of the trains whilst keeping half an eye on a blind man opposite me (with white stick). I then pondered about how I could go about life with my eyes closed all the time, and that it was hard enough being observant for formal practice let alone doing it all the time! It's the weekend! Will need to fit in meditation either very early or last thing, would prefer the former but will see how it goes! Have a great weekend! 🐽💜🐽 26/5