MBSR Week One: Automatic Pilot, by Sharon Theroux

9/21/2013

Our first adult MBSR class is behind us now, and I am so happy to be guiding you all on this new journey of self-discovery! I am very impressed with the courage and conviction of each and every one of you to grow and evolve. I truly feel privileged to be in such wonderful company.

In class one, we learned about how often our minds are on "automatic pilot", without really being aware of what we are doing. This makes us more likely to "react" versus "respond" to life. By doing our homework this week, and practicing the body scan, we will be working on increasing our awareness so that we will begin to respond to sensations with choice, rather than acting automatically. We also will become more aware of our "Monkey Minds", and how frequently they jump around from thought, to thought, to an emotion, etc., etc. SEEING what is happening in our minds, in the moment it is happening, is the first step towards change.

Please feel free to share your observations of doing the homework this week, but please remember to use your first name ONLY, to preserve confidentiality! I have asked a lot from you, and the support may help us keep the pace!

4 Comments

Toni

9/21/2013 06:25:48 am

I am doing the body scan every day, but not liking it. I find myself getting impatient and wishing it would move faster. The first time I did it I fell asleep between the upper right leg and the chest, but woke up in time to do the chest. Yesterday I really had trouble focusing and bringing myself back. My shoulders felt very tense. Is anyone else having any of these problems or is it just me?

Joe

9/21/2013 07:36:21 am

Hi Toni,
I struggle too; I think it will get easier. For me I just keep doing it and my experience is just what it is. It's hard not to judge my performance, so I’m going to try not to do that.

Dr. Theroux link

9/22/2013 12:04:31 am

My Dear Toni,
Those were my initial feelings as well, doing the body scan for the first week! Dislike, impatience, wanting things to be different. Common emotions when switching from the "doing" mode to the "being" mode. The awareness of these feelings, and how the body feels when we feel these things, is one of the many things we are cultivating in the body scan. You are exactly where you should be! Keep it up!

Mike

9/22/2013 12:23:44 pm

I have to say that I'm really enjoying the body scan when I'm doing it but I fight myself on starting it each day. I keep putting it off until right before bedtime and end up falling asleep part way into it. My mind drifts a lot. I feel like it's somewhere else 80% of the time but when I regain my focus my body just melts...it's a great feeling. I too get tense at times. Rarely it goes away with breathing into the area but usually I end up stretching during the scan to relieve the tension.

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MBSR Week One: Automatic Pilot, by Sharon Theroux

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