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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today we're going to talk about waking up out of autopilot mode. So have you ever gone to get something from a room in your house only to get there and realize you have no idea why you're there? Have you ever started to drive to an event only to take the turn off you always take on that route out of habit. These are examples of when we fall into autopilot mode. So basically what happens in autopilot mode is that we're no longer fully present in the moment because our attention is caught up in our wondering thoughts.
So the problem with autopilot mode is this, when we're in that mode, we tend to act out of habit and automaticity and it's frighteningly easy to forget where we're going, get caught up in old habits and reactivity or completely lose our way when we're stuck on autopilot mode. So a way that I think about autopilot mode, it's a bit more like living your life as a passenger, rather than the pilot. You know, we tend to do things out of habit instead of making active choices. We tend to stay in the comfort zone and in our routines, even if it's not making us happy. And we tend to play out the same kinds of thoughts and emotions and reactive patterns, even if they're painful for us or even harmful.
Now, autopilot can feel really familiar and safe in a way, because you just kind of go through the motions, you go along for the ride. But if you're not deliberately choosing your path, it's easy to end up somewhere you didn't really want to be. You know, perhaps your relationship ends up breaking down or you're in a job that's just not right for you. Or maybe it's your health or lifestyle that just end up way off course. You know, most of us have experienced this at some point.
Another possibility is you end up living with a kind of robot, like existence, just putting one foot in front of the other, but not really living. So mindfulness wakes us up out of autopilot mode and gives us back more control of our lives. It puts us back in the pilot seat again, you could say. Now we may sometimes feel that we have no choice but to be pulled around by our thoughts, emotions, our habits and reactions. We may feel, in other words, that we're stuck as passengers.
But the truth is, is that we do have a choice and it's this ability to choose the direction of our lives and not to be pulled around that we're cultivating through the practice of mindfulness. So in today's practice, we'll focus on developing our ability to wake up out of autopilot and return to a greater awareness of the present one.
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Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today we're going to talk about waking up out of autopilot mode. So have you ever gone to get something from a room in your house only to get there and realize you have no idea why you're there? Have you ever started to drive to an event only to take the turn off you always take on that route out of habit. These are examples of when we fall into autopilot mode. So basically what happens in autopilot mode is that we're no longer fully present in the moment because our attention is caught up in our wondering thoughts.
So the problem with autopilot mode is this, when we're in that mode, we tend to act out of habit and automaticity and it's frighteningly easy to forget where we're going, get caught up in old habits and reactivity or completely lose our way when we're stuck on autopilot mode. So a way that I think about autopilot mode, it's a bit more like living your life as a passenger, rather than the pilot. You know, we tend to do things out of habit instead of making active choices. We tend to stay in the comfort zone and in our routines, even if it's not making us happy. And we tend to play out the same kinds of thoughts and emotions and reactive patterns, even if they're painful for us or even harmful.
Now, autopilot can feel really familiar and safe in a way, because you just kind of go through the motions, you go along for the ride. But if you're not deliberately choosing your path, it's easy to end up somewhere you didn't really want to be. You know, perhaps your relationship ends up breaking down or you're in a job that's just not right for you. Or maybe it's your health or lifestyle that just end up way off course. You know, most of us have experienced this at some point.
Another possibility is you end up living with a kind of robot, like existence, just putting one foot in front of the other, but not really living. So mindfulness wakes us up out of autopilot mode and gives us back more control of our lives. It puts us back in the pilot seat again, you could say. Now we may sometimes feel that we have no choice but to be pulled around by our thoughts, emotions, our habits and reactions. We may feel, in other words, that we're stuck as passengers.
But the truth is, is that we do have a choice and it's this ability to choose the direction of our lives and not to be pulled around that we're cultivating through the practice of mindfulness. So in today's practice, we'll focus on developing our ability to wake up out of autopilot and return to a greater awareness of the present one.
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Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
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