22 Driving and traveling

Surely in your day to day life you use some method of transportation

To get to work, to go home, to go to see a friend or even better to take a break from your daily commute

daily routine and take a little weekend getaway

The funny thing is that we spend these trips absorbed in our thoughts, focused on getting there

We forget that during that period of time that we spend in the transport we are also alive and there is a lot of life around us

Today I propose an exercise for you to transfer it to your daily life whatever your method of transportation is

and your destination

To travel in a state of total consciousness, it is necessary that you sound the alarm when your internal dialogue automatic appears, it is then when I invite you to practice the following exercise

First of all, sit comfortably and find a posture in which there is no tension when you are in a position in which there is no tension

you go by car or travel by public transport

Predispose yourself to take a few conscious breaths and then you will be in a state of alertness

Do you remember how to do conscious breathing? Observe first of all what is happening inside of you, how you feel, what your body is telling you

Then contemplate what's happening outside, look at the road, look at the faces of the people around you, the trees, the clouds, pay attention to the small details, the subtle sensations that will come to you

Is there someone sitting next to you? What is that thing you just passed? What's the temperature? Are you cold? Warm? Next I want you to feel a spatial vision of you at this moment, visualize yourself in the vehicle in the that you are riding in, sitting or standing

Moving you horizontally to the ground, parallel to it, moving at high speeds, alone or accompanied

It's kind of magical

Don't you think? You are heading somewhere without the need to walk, no need to tire yourself out

Be aware that you are traveling

Activate the illusion, the desire to discover, look at everything as a child

Feel in your feet the vibrations of the ground

Feel in your hands the texture of the steering wheel, of the metal bar or of your pants

Breathe slowly and smile at the world, ask yourself how you feel now

Leave behind worries, leave behind hurries, leave behind fears just exist this very moment and it is perfect

Enjoy the path without labeling any thought that comes along, just receive it and let it go, let them flow and concentrate more and more on what is happening inside your body and outside of it

Observe the landscapes, the gestures of your companions, the smells, the colors, the textures and the temperature

make every trip a moment of openness and perception

Admire the small details and enjoy the present moment

This state of mindfulness will make your journeys more pleasant and you will arrive at your destination with a special calmness

and an unbeatable capacity for enjoyment

Use this exercise to go to work every day or even for your travels

If there is a traffic jam or the train is temporarily separated don't let your mind distort what is happening and let go of negative thoughts

Try to concentrate on your breathing and see this moment as an opportunity to pause, to live in the here and now

I hope you find this exercise helpful

See you in the next chapter, happy present moment