Most of them time we live our lives on “autopilot”. Our minds seem to have a will of their own. Thoughts come and go, and it seems as though we don’t have much say in what thoughts turn up in our head. If each of us were to stand back and observe our own mind, we would notice how easily our thoughts skip from one unfinished idea to the next, constantly interrupting each other and overlapping in a constant stream of pictures, ideas, memories and desires. Through mindfulness you learn to “take a step back” and observe all this mental activity and all the feelings and impulses that it causes, and you begin to separate yourself from their influence. This is the essence of mindfulness. When you are mindful, you become a relaxed witness to your inner life, and you are freed from being constantly affected by all your mental activity and by all your judgements about the world and everything that’s taking place within it. “Observation” is the key word here. You consciously observe your thoughts and feelings, rather than allowing yourself to swim around in them. The moment you become aware and conscious in this way, you are living in the moment, and not on autopilot. At first this feels like you are creating a sense of space within yourself. With time and practice it opens up a whole new dimension of freedom, relaxation and stillness. (The Guided Meditation Site)Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Switching off Your Autopilot
Most of them time we live our lives on “autopilot”. Our minds seem to have a will of their own. Thoughts come and go, and it seems as though we don’t have much say in what thoughts turn up in our head. If each of us were to stand back and observe our own mind, we would notice how easily our thoughts skip from one unfinished idea to the next, constantly interrupting each other and overlapping in a constant stream of pictures, ideas, memories and desires. Through mindfulness you learn to “take a step back” and observe all this mental activity and all the feelings and impulses that it causes, and you begin to separate yourself from their influence. This is the essence of mindfulness. When you are mindful, you become a relaxed witness to your inner life, and you are freed from being constantly affected by all your mental activity and by all your judgements about the world and everything that’s taking place within it. “Observation” is the key word here. You consciously observe your thoughts and feelings, rather than allowing yourself to swim around in them. The moment you become aware and conscious in this way, you are living in the moment, and not on autopilot. At first this feels like you are creating a sense of space within yourself. With time and practice it opens up a whole new dimension of freedom, relaxation and stillness. (The Guided Meditation Site)