This session opens the Awakening Stage. In the next session we will tell you how most of us function on "automatic pilot". Follow this short mindfulness exercise in the present with mindful breathing.
In our day-to-day life we function without paying attention to what happens to us, we live by inertia and we let ourselves be carried along by routine, overlooking the details of what we do at every moment, We call this living on autopilot
Have you ever come home from work without remembering any details of the journey? This is the proof of how sometimes we totally disconnect from reality, we get carried away by routine
and we are immersed in our thoughts, in what happened to us yesterday or what we have to do tomorrow
Awakening is the natural process of change that you will feel throughout this course, and with it you will be able to experience consciously your life here and now
You will go from being a mere spectator to being the protagonist, to rediscovering the magic of life, to savour each moment as it comes, without judgement and without expectations
You will release the burden of looking to the future for the peace you need today and let go of the burden of nostalgic living in the past
Let's start by doing a simple mindfulness exercise: Sit in a chair where you are comfortable, with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight
You can rest your arms on your legs, it is important to find a place and time where you are not interrupted and away from distractions, this is the time to silence your mobile phone
Are you ready? Let's get started then
Close your eyes and relax your eyelids, You can do this more easily if you look down once they are closed, This way they will rest more calmly and the muscles in your face will gradually lose tension, take a deep breath taking in as much air as you can
Pay attention to how the air enters your body and fills your chest
Feel it come out of your mouth when you expel it, how your chest empties out and the sound of the air leaving your body
Repeat this deep breath again, focusing on the sensation of the air moving gently in and out of you, lifting your chest or your abdomen
And again, take a deep breath through your nose, visualizing how it fills your chest and how it comes out of it leaving you with a full feeling of well-being
Now breathe relaxed, as you normally would
Concentrate on some point in your body that is involved in breathing, the nose, the throat, your chest, your abdomen, feel in the breath and focus on it to keep your attention there
If something distracts you, a thought, a noise or something physical, don't worry, Redirect your attention to the place you have chosen, without disturbing yourself, and continue to feel your breath
Every time you move away from your breath, come back to it gently, observe it and take a breath of fresh air
Quietly
Enjoy this unique moment
Is for you
It's a gift
You exist and that's a wonderful thing
And to finish, I would like to invite you to do this exercise again throughout the day, It won't take you long but it will help you to switch off the autopilot and live in the present moment by being aware of your breath
Happy present moment and see you next time
Audio:
Subtitles:
15 Conscious movement
04 Past, present and future
23 Outdoor writing
06 Being, being and appearing
16 Attention to internal dialogue
05 Thoughts and reality
22 Driving and traveling
03 Fight vs Accept
Welcome Stage 3: Outside Mindfulness
01 Stop on autopilot