Week 1: Automatic Pilot and Mindful Awareness
“Automatic pilot” describes our tendency to react without awareness. When we experience cravings and urges to use substances, or engage in other reactive behaviors, we often go on automatic pilot, that is, we act upon urges without full awareness of what is happening and what the consequences might be. Practicing mindfulness can help us step out of this automatic pilot mode, raise our awareness, and make more conscious choices about how we respond rather than reacting in habitual and often self-defeating ways.
Integrating Practice Into Your Week
Body Scan. Do your best to practice the body scan daily between now and when we meet again. There’s no ‘right’ way to do this nor is there anything in particular you ‘should’ experience. Just notice whatever is arising in the present moment, including mind wandering, boredom, restlessness, and so forth.
Mindfulness of a Daily Activity. Choose an activity that you engage in each day (e.g., washing dishes, drinking coffee or tea) and, as best you can, bring your full attention to the experience in the same way we did with the raisin. You may notice qualities of the object or activity as well as sensations, thoughts, or feelings that arise.
Complete Daily Practice Tracking Sheet. Fill our the practice sheet daily, recording both your body scan and mindfulness of daily activity. Be honest and record what you noticed or what got in the way. There is no judgement about how much or how little you have integrated practices each week.