LIFE ON AUTOMATIC PILOT

#AUTOMATICPILOT

Mindfulness starts when we recognize the tendency to be on automatic pilot (THE #BRAIN) and make a commitment to learning how best to step out of it and become aware of each moment.(#MINDFULNESS). As we continue to practice, purposely moving attention around the body in the #body #scan #meditation, we may discover both how simple and difficult it is to train the mind. (Check the Helpful Resources tab to practice with a body scan meditation).

In a car we sometimes travel for miles ‘on automatic pilot’, without really being aware of what we are doing. In the same way, we may not be really ‘present’, moment - by -moment, for much of our day. Our attention may be miles away from what we are doing, and then we miss the moment. Instead of tasting our food as we eat, we may be thinking of the baseball game or occupied with worry.

When we are living our lives on automatic pilot, we are more likely to get triggered or emotionally reactive. Events around us or thoughts we do not observe or feelings from a past event or cravings we do not notice, may cause us to react as we always do rather than mindfully. When we react, an old brain pattern lives our life. Mindfulness provides us with the opportunity to consider how we want to respond in this moment. Mindfulness introduces #choice into the same situation because now we are there rather than somewhere else. We don’t have to live automatically but can choose to be more of the pilot of our own life.

By becoming more aware of thoughts, feelings and body sensations, from moment to moment, we give ourselves the possibility of greater freedom and choice. We do not always have to go along with the brain, our old thought habits or old ways of reacting.

An aim of practicing mindfulness meditation daily is to increase awareness so we have more choice available to us. We do this by practice, practice and more practice. If you want to be a good reader, well then you need to practice reading. If you want to be a good cook, you need to cook. Our #brain is used to being on automatic pilot and running our lives. We begin to train our brain by practicing mindfulness exercises which require the focused attention of the mind. Mindfulness helps us know where our attention is and then deliberately changing the focus of our attention again and again when it strays. As we practice, we begin to train the brain by using our mind.