Hi everyone and today I would love to talk to you about awareness and why it matters so much in our everyday lives.
Have you ever driven somewhere and suddenly realized you don't remember the last part of your journey?
Or finish the meal without really tasting your food.
Or read several pages of a book only to realize you have no idea what you just read.
This is what psychologists often call autopilot.
It simply means that we are physically here,
But mentally somewhere else.
Thinking about yesterday,
Worrying about tomorrow,
Replaying conversations or planning what is next.
Scientific research suggests.
That we spend almost half of our waking lives in this state.
But why does this matter?
Because when we are not fully present in our lives,
We miss our own lives.
We miss small moments of connection,
Simply moments of joy.
And even moments of rest.
We may think we are relaxing,
But our mind is still busy somewhere else.
I know this from my own experience.
During one particularly difficult period of my life,
I found myself constantly checking the news.
I would scroll for hours even though it wasn't make me feel informed,
It was make me feel overwhelmed.
At one point I even started feeling nauseous.
Only when I became aware of this habit did I realize that I had a choice.
I could continue living on autopilot or I could gently bring my attention back to what was actually happening in my own life.
This is why awareness is so powerful.
Awareness doesn't mean forcing your mind to be calm.
It simply means noticing.
Noticing where your attention is.
Noticing when your mind has wandered noticing your thoughts,
Emotions and sensations without immediately getting carried away by them.
The good news is that our brain can change throughout our lives.
Scientists call this neuroplasticity.
And with this regular practice.
.
.
We can strengthen this beautiful ability to return to the present moment again and again.
And this is exactly what we practice in meditation.
Actually,
Meditation is not about stopping our thoughts.
It's about becoming familiar with our own mind.
Each time you notice that your attention has wandered and gently bring it back,
You are strengthening awareness.
Over time,
This simple practice doesn't just change the way you meditate.
It changes the way you live.
You become more present with it.
People you love.
More aware of your thoughts.
Instead of being controlled by them.
More able to appreciate the ordinary moments that make up your everyday life.
Awareness doesn't make life perfect.
But it helps us truly be present for it.
And I think that's one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
If you'd like to experience this for yourself,
I've created a short series called where to begin.
It's four simple practices that will help you start training awareness in your everyday life.
And if you're looking for a step-by-step approach to meditation,
You can continue with my course,
A Gradual Meditation Journey from Breath to Thoughts.
And thank you so much for watching this and I'll see you in the next practice.
