Auto-Pilot

Day four of the seven days of calm is called, "Pulling out of Auto-Pilot." What does this mean you ask? Well I will tell you!

We go into an "auto-pilot" state everyday. We think we are present, but most of the time we go through the motions of our everyday lives without even thinking about them. For example, think about driving. For myself, when I first started driving, I was extremely aware of my surroundings and the rules of the road. I paid way more attention to other cars on the road, or how slippery the roads were on a rainy/snowy day. However, once we get comfortable with a certain action, that action doesn't require the same amount of attention it once did. Thinking is no longer require, so basically, we are driving without a conscious thought.

I started out in a comfortable position (as per usual), arms by my side, eyes closed, relaxed, and I brought all my awareness to my body. I focused on my breath, and settle into that specific time, place and moment. After breathing in and out for awhile, the woman instructed me to notice what I was giving my attention too. The distractions that clouded my mind during this meditation were mostly worries of all the school work I had to get done within the next two weeks, some were sounds of the construction happening outside of my apartment, and others were body sensations like an

itchy nose or how tense my back was. She then told me once I noticed the pull of these distractions, I was to simply come back and focus on my breath. A lot easier said than done.

The whole point of this exercise was to realize that we have been stuck in, "auto-pilot," for so long, we have become accustomed to the distractions coming and going, not being able to stop them. As well as, noticing the distraction as it is happening and being able to stop it earlier, rather than realizing later we were pulled out of focus and already deep into the thought. This is something I need to do when I get overwhelmed with work and school. Summer classes have definitely been tough, and my mind tends to wander when I am in the middle of getting school work done. This exercise has taught me how to stop the distractions that pop into my mind before they fester and keep me from doing things I need to get done.

If you are ever feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath, realize it is just your mind running wild and focus in on what you want to pay attention to!!

Thanks for reading!

Until next time, Take it easy!

- Meditation Mads

Picture from Google!