Re: driving and mindfulness

[Guest guest]

That sounds like how I "mindfully" drive, Wanda. Driving mindfully means being mindful of, as in paying close attention to, driving - not the mindfulness of meditation where we want to empty our minds, which would be dangerous while driving. I used to automatically do the meditation kind of mindfulness when I took a bus ... and I can't tell you how many times I stayed on the bus well past my stop! I even did that as a child on the school bus - always daydreaming. The driver soon learned to tell me it was time for me to get off the bus.

Helena

To: "ACT for the Public" <ACT_for_the_Public >Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 9:35:28 AMSubject: driving and mindfulness

I have found that driving and mindfulness are a perfect practice. When I am driving my goal is not to get from point A to point B.My goal is to be 100% present; and to be present in each new increment of time as it appears. I want to create a safe space for my truck of course, AND the next vehicle. As I move forward, vacating the space I was in, I am paying attention that that space I have left is safe for another car. I am not speeding, quickly stopping and starting, racing towards stop lights, squeezing into tiny spaces in the next lane over, etc.I make sure there is space around my car for others to be safe. If another car is attempting to enter or exit the traffic flow, I notice it, because I am not on automatic pilot, rushing on to point B, and I am conscious of the other car, the flow of traffic and slow down and open a space for them.I am aware of the feeling in my feet and legs as I use the foot pedals, the reach of my arm as I shift gears, aware of the sound of the surrounding traffic, etc. etc

[Guest guest]

Wow, would you take me for a spin? :-) Driving is a very interesting activity to discuss here in terms of our ACT work. I have noticed I am a better driver alone...I tend to get a bit more easily distracted with my passengers, lost in the conversation. I think this is important information for me in general because I do see I get distracted in many other areas. I get on "overload" very easily. Anyway, interesting thoughts about driving. I noticed a beautiful tree the other day doing a routine errand that somehow I had never noticed. It got me wondering what else I have been missing in my life.terry To: ACT_for_the_Public Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 6:35 AM Subject: driving and mindfulness

I have found that driving and mindfulness are a perfect practice. When I am driving my goal is not to get from point A to point B.

My goal is to be 100% present; and to be present in each new increment of time as it appears.

I want to create a safe space for my truck of course, AND the next vehicle. As I move forward, vacating the space I was in, I am paying attention that that space I have left is safe for another car. I am not speeding, quickly stopping and starting, racing towards stop lights, squeezing into tiny spaces in the next lane over, etc.

I make sure there is space around my car for others to be safe. If another car is attempting to enter or exit the traffic flow, I notice it, because I am not on automatic pilot, rushing on to point B, and I am conscious of the other car, the flow of traffic and slow down and open a space for them.

I am aware of the feeling in my feet and legs as I use the foot pedals, the reach of my arm as I shift gears, aware of the sound of the surrounding traffic, etc. etc

[Guest guest]

Advanced stuff for me, honestly. I like the goal of being more aware and attentive as a driver, but I am definitely on automatic pilot from time to time when I drive. It's just something I allow for. It's really not my goal now to be 100%

present in each new increment. It's not like I'm completely on auto-pilot, but more like I come in and out of being as present as Wanda describes it. My level of "presence" seems to depend a so many varied factors, like how tired I am, how long the trip is, what the pattern of traffic is, who is in the car with me and so forth. These days I'm just glad to be mindful of safety basics like staying off my phone, not

eating,applying make-up, not driving if overly fatigued, etc. Some days I'm a much more present driver than others. To: ACT for the Public <ACT_for_the_Public > Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 6:47 AM Subject: Re: driving and mindfulness

That sounds like how I "mindfully" drive, Wanda. Driving mindfully means being mindful of, as in paying close attention to, driving - not the mindfulness of meditation where we want to empty our minds, which would be dangerous while driving. I used to automatically do the meditation kind of mindfulness when I took a bus ... and I can't tell you how many times I stayed on the bus well past my stop! I even did that as a child on the school bus - always daydreaming. The driver soon learned to tell me it was time for me to get off the bus.

Helena

To: "ACT for the Public" <ACT_for_the_Public >Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 9:35:28 AMSubject: driving and mindfulness

I have found that driving and mindfulness are a perfect practice. When I am driving my goal is not to get from point A to point B.My goal is to be 100% present; and to be present in each new increment of time as it appears. I want to create a safe space for my truck of course, AND the next vehicle. As I move forward, vacating the space I was in, I am paying attention that that space I have left is safe for another car. I am not speeding, quickly stopping and starting, racing towards stop lights, squeezing into tiny spaces in the next lane over, etc.I make sure there is space around my car for others to be safe. If another car is attempting to enter or exit the traffic flow, I notice it, because I am not on automatic pilot, rushing on to point B, and I am conscious of the other car, the flow of traffic and slow down and open a space for them.I am aware of the feeling in my feet and legs as I use the foot pedals, the reach

of my arm as I shift gears, aware of the sound of the surrounding traffic, etc. etc

[Guest guest]

I have noticed how hardly anyone takes notice of the architecture when

walking about town, but I have a thing about buildings so I'm always

looking at them. Even in modern shopping centres there are often some

old buildings there but hidden with modern front. So I look up and these

amazing structures and see the domes, spires, tall chinmeys, fantastic

huge and antique arched window, ect. I was in the City of London

recenttly and I became immersed in the enormous structures but my

girlfriend, or the people around me, didn't seem so overwhelmed. Yes,

people did noticed the City's magnificance (all built through crime and

stolen money, of course) but no one seemed to be completely emmersed in

it like I was. Hmmm, even walking down the road where I live I study the

differences between houses. Oh well, I guess I'm just weird. Nothing

changes.

Kv

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> That sounds like how I " mindfully " drive, Wanda. Driving

mindfully means being mindful of, as in paying close attention to,

driving - not the mindfulness of meditation where we want to empty our

minds , which would be dangerous while driving. Â I used to

automatically do the meditation kind of mindfulness when I took a bus

.... and I can't tell you how many times I stayed on the bus well past my

stop! I even did that as a child on the school bus - always

daydreaming. The driver soon learned to tell me it was time for me

to get off the bus.

>

>

>

> Helena Â

>

> driving and mindfulness

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> Â

>

>

>

>

> I have found that driving and mindfulness are a perfect practice. When

I am driving my goal is not to get from point A to point B.

> My goal is to be 100% present; and to be present in each new increment

of time as it appears.

>

> I want to create a safe space for my truck of course, AND the next

vehicle. As I move forward, vacating the space I was in, I am paying

attention that that space I have left is safe for another car. I am not

speeding, quickly stopping and starting, racing towards stop lights,

squeezing into tiny spaces in the next lane over, etc.

>

> I make sure there is space around my car for others to be safe. If

another car is attempting to enter or exit the traffic flow, I notice

it, because I am not on automatic pilot, rushing on to point B, and I am

conscious of the other car, the flow of traffic and slow down and open a

space for them.

>

> I am aware of the feeling in my feet and legs as I use the foot

pedals, the reach of my arm as I shift gears, aware of the sound of the

surrounding traffic, etc. etc

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Helena,

I have been learning `mindfulness' to be more than just the meditation of

`emptying our minds'.

http://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2003_Brown.pdf

" " The concept of mindfulness has roots in Buddhist and other contemplative

traditions where conscious attention and awareness are actively cultivated. It

is most commonly defined as the state of being attentive to and aware of what is

taking place in the present. For example, Nyanaponika Thera (1972) called

mindfulness " the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to

us and in us at the successive moments of perception " (p. 5). Hanh (1976)

similarly defined mindfulness as " keeping one's consciousness alive to the

present reality " (p. 11). " "

Wanda

> That sounds like how I " mindfully " drive, Wanda.  Driving mindfully means

being mindful of, as in paying close attention to, driving - not the mindfulness

of meditation where we want to empty our minds