Learn how to meditate like a Buddhist monk in Bangkok

Despite the glittering spires of its famed temples, Bangkok at times seems like the most unlikely Buddhist city on earth. But beyond the grit and glitz lies the opportunity to slow down, turn inward, and find some stillness through meditation.

Bangkok (CNN) — A pulsating cosmopolis of 10 million, Bangkok at times seems like the most unlikely Buddhist city on earth, despite the glittering spires of its famed shrines and temples.

It's tempting to view the latter as quaint background filler, or as clichéd tourist traps thronged with foreign visitors.

Meanwhile, everyone else seems to be stuck in slow-moving traffic shuttling back and forth between condos and office buildings, while hordes of workers from the outer provinces transform construction sites into makeshift villages.