Automobile practice

Surely I am not the first person to do this:
While driving I've started to do a couple of things:
1. Notice the feel of my body on the seat, the wheel, the rest of the car. How tight am I grabbing the wheel? Which parts of each hand is touching the wheel and how does that change? Where are my arms - in the air or touching the inside of the door? How does that change? Which part of my butt, my back, my legs are actually in contact with the seat? How does that change? How heavy do I feel in the seat?
2. Note when I am about to signal, about to turn, turning.
3. Note whether I am looking straight ahead to the right, left or the rear? How does that change and when?
4. How do my feelings change as the drive progresses?
5. What am I thinking about as I drive?
6. What are the sounds I am hearing and when/how do they change?

As you would guess, it turns out there is a lot more going on while driving than I realized.

I do that kind of thing while I'm in meetings

I will post more later, but first a question.

Do you drive better, i.e. more safely, when you do this?

Ed

I probably do, but in my opinion, of course, I am always a great, safe driver.

Hey Mike, nice practice of mindfulness!
Same thing can be applied to any activity. I've tried doing this detailed mindfulness when taking a shower, it's surprisingly challenging to stay completely focused during these mundane activities that we generally do in auto pilot mode.

We don't have to turn the auto pilot off, we just need to pay attention while it does its thing.

Ed

We can't actually turn the autopilot off, can we?

No, we can't, I think one of the side benefits of mindfulness practice is that our autopilot gets an upgrade!

I do think that there is a potential pitfall in practice that we try to turn it off, not that we can do that. We just try, to the detriment of practice. "I am going to make every move consciously." instead of "I am going to be conscious of every move.

Ed

That is a beautifully made distinction. Thanks.

"No, we can't, I think one of the side benefits of mindfulness practice is that our autopilot gets an upgrade!

I do think that there is a potential pitfall in practice that we try to turn it off, not that we can do that. We just try, to the detriment of practice. "I am going to make every move consciously." instead of "I am going to be conscious of every move.

Ed"

As cmarti said, you made that distinction beautifully.

Most of our actions are -- quite appropriately -- done by the autopilot. Who wants to remember to breathe? What's more, any attempt to perform all actions "consciously" will either muck them up awkwardly or yield the false sense that "someone" is in charge.

Now if only English grammar would let us write that with out the personal pronoun "I". Oh, well, the actual practice of mindfulness will take care of that.

Ed

Ha! I said "auto pilot"...
Kinda funny how something can take flight in another direction, lol.

"...it's surprisingly challenging to stay completely focused during these mundane activities that we generally do in auto pilot mode" - What I meant was that we can use common routine tasks as an exercise in mindfulness. Simply being completely in the moment (Nowness) of the activity... thoroughly experiencing this present moment, all the sensations... taking in the whole experience, and giving attention to the details in a "noting" sort of manner.

We get in the habit of just doing such activities without any focused attention -- it's during such times that our thoughts are likely to buzz from one random thought to the next.
Have you ever noticed how many random wandering thoughts come and go whilst you're taking a shower, shampooing your hair, washing your face, etc.?

Practicing mindfulness. As the Zen saying: "chop wood, carry water."

[edit: added a word]

"Ha! I said "auto pilot"...
Kinda funny how something can take flight in another direction, lol.
"

Hi Khara,

Certainly no one was arguing with you nor did anyone misunderstand your use of the word. The colloquial use of the word autopilot is to carry through routine activities while the mind is elsewhere and I certainly know how many thousands of half formed thoughts can flit across the surface of the mind while taking a shower. I don't think of the autopilot that way. For me, the autopilot is the functioning of the unconscious mind and that mind is much smarter, functions much more smoothly, than the chattering conscious mind. To be fully mindful the autopilot must be fully engaged, allowed to do its thing without interference from the chatter box. Then true Conscious witnessing can take place. The chatter box uses up precious processing power and leaves the autopilot unable to function properly.

To bring it back to driving, when the chatter box is going and autopilot is left to drive the car by itself I am far more likely to have the bejesus scared out of me by some unexpected event that if I am in a state of witnessing while the autopilot smoothly gets me where I am going.

Ed

Hi Ed,

Hey, no problem. I just thought it was interesting how the meaning of a word or two could be pivotal for ongoing conversation. Thanks for clarifying your interpretation of "autopilot." It seems that we're basically saying the same thing regarding mindfulness.

I've been doing this practice with both my 4 hour motorcycle commute and with driving at times. However, lately I've really scaled back and only note sensations. I'm not trying to be aware of my posture, the touch of my hands or body on things, etc. I'm just noting whatever is the strongest sensation happening.
I'm not sure if this is a good change, but it feels right.
Any opinions?
(Also, through giving detailed descriptions of my sits over time to a couple of the senior people here I feel pretty certain that I am right at "mind and body" and hovering on the edge of A&P. My sits are intense with almost constant energy surges up my spine that force my head to twist my back and forth, and sensations are coming faster and faster and stronger and stronger although I'm only getting vibrations occasionally so far but a little more each day. My life continues to get basically better through all this practice though I certainly have experienced no bliss or strong dramatic "I saw the light" type experiences. I'm just seeing more and more of what is going on and have been able mostly to just stick with the present experierence)
(Note: I'm trying to be aware of the "maps" without getting obsessed. I'm using the maps to get a sense of where I am and where I may be next -- I really do believe that the progress of insight is somehow "hardwired" into our brains -- but while sitting I really try to be only concerned with where I am RIGHT THEN. There was a great section in the Bill Hamilton book about that - he said something like the best way to get to the next stage is go really be with and examine the stage that you are presently at)

"I'm just seeing more and more of what is going on and have been able mostly to just stick with the present experierence)"

Hi Mike,

Seems to me your doing everything right. have a look at this text Adam posted; - By what you have described, I think it will make a lot of sense.
www.fudomouth.net/rhizome/nnawareness.htm

"the root of all meditations, the conclusion of all spiritual practices, the juice of all esoteric methods, the heart of all ultimate teachings, it is necessary to seek to maintain a continuous presence without becoming distracted. What this means is: don't follow the past, don't anticipate the future, and don't follow illusory thoughts that arise in the present; "

"While sitting I really try to be only concerned with where I am RIGHT THEN. There was a great section in the Bill Hamilton book about that - he said something like the best way to get to the next stage is go really be with and examine the stage that you are presently at"- telecaster

Good pick, Mike.

Bill used to say that whatever is happening now is "the door to the door to the door..."

There is no way to progress other than to be fully with whatever is here now. Simply hoping for progress without paying attention is not only ineffective, it's downright counterproductive; thinking about the future distracts us from what is happening in this moment.

Kenneth

""While sitting I really try to be only concerned with where I am RIGHT THEN. There was a great section in the Bill Hamilton book about that - he said something like the best way to get to the next stage is go really be with and examine the stage that you are presently at"- telecaster

Good pick, Mike.

Bill used to say that whatever is happening now is "the door to the door to the door..."

There is no way to progress other than to be fully with whatever is here now. Simply hoping for progress without paying attention is not only ineffective, it's downright counterproductive; thinking about the future distracts us from what is happening in this moment.

Kenneth"

Thanks, Kenneth, for pointing out that "There is no way to progress other than to be fully with whatever is here now."

Sometimes we are prone to believe that if only we could get away from the damned experiences we're currently undergoing, we could really make progress in our practice. In truth, those damned experiences ARE the test of our practice.

How you engage with every moment shows in no uncertain terms exactly where you're at with your practice-realization. Ask yourself the following questions:

Are you showing compassion and kindness?

Are you paying attention to what is going on?

Are you noticing how swiftly everything changes? How less than perfect it all is? And how there's no "there there" -- no thing-essence or self in experience?

And finally and ultimately, are you sensitive to that (or who): does not change, does not feel dissatisfaction, and exists with or without any experience?

Regards,
Gozen

How can it get any simpler than that???????????????

"Sometimes we are prone to believe that if only we could get away from the damned experiences we're currently undergoing, we could really make progress in our practice. In truth, those damned experiences ARE the test of our practice." - Gozen

Truer words were never spoken! Ha!