01 Stop on autopilot

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