Turning driving into an opportunity for mindfulness can be done with a simple strategy we call Notice-Shift-Rewire. Noticing is the act of awareness – the moment we wake up to the distractions of the inner and outer world. Shifting is the act or redirecting the mind to the experience of the present moment. And Rewiring is staying with and savoring the experience. Through rewiring we have the opportunity to take advantage of the neuroplastic nature of our brains to our advantage. What makes this inner technology different from many other forms of meditation is that it’s designed to be integrated into the everyday moments of life. You don’t have to be sitting on a cushion with your eyes closed. You could be standing in line at the airport, waiting for an appointment, or, the subject of today’s practice, driving your car. That’s right. It turns out that driving is the perfect time for mindfulness practice. And that is because, when many of us are driving, we are anything but mindful. In our experience, we often spend the better part of each drive oscillating between random mind wandering, feelings of agitation, and a background anxiety that we are not getting there fast enough – even when we have plenty of time! And that’s why driving is such an amazing practice for cultivating the skill of Notice-Shift-Rewire and changing your life (and your brain) for the better.
Three Road-Tested Mindfulness Practices
As you drive, use stop signs, which are designed to grab your attention, as your reminder to return to the present moment.The next time you approach a stop sign, Notice. Let the approaching stop sign heighten your awareness.Then , Shift, bring your car to a full stop and do it with complete presence.And finally, Rewire. As you continue driving, stay with the experience of “driving here now.” Notice sights and sounds. Let them ground you in this moment.
Notice each time you’re in a yielding situation – become aware of the sensations in your body, your habitual way of responding.Then, Shift to compassion. Do this by letting the other person in, while simultaneously repeating in your mind, “may you be well.”Rewire by savoring this powerful shift.
Use rushing as your cue to shift to non-judgmental awareness – to be with, rather than resisting, the uncomfortable urges that arise in these moments.Notice the next time you catch yourself rushing.Then, Shift by slowing down to the speed limit and brining your full attention to the sensations happening in your body. Become an investigator of the sensations in your body that accompany this rushing state.Then Rewire by staying with this experience of driving the speed limit or waiting patiently in a traffic jam for just a few more minutes. It’s a practice in building what the great American philosopher Henry David Thoreau calls “the determination not to be hurried.”
The goal of these practices is to turn an activity that has the potential to create intense irritation and anger into an opportunity to experience greater presence, loving-kindness, and awareness. Of course, this isn’t easy. Our habitual pattern of driving in a state of rushed agitation is so strong that these practices require extreme attention and will. But if you are successful in integrating even just one of these practices into your everyday life, you will experience a profound shift in your life. And even more importantly, you will also improve the lives of everyone you meet on the road. Eric Langshur and Nate Klemp, PhD. are co-authors of the New York Times Bestselling book: Start Here – Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing and co-founders of the wellbeing training company Life Cross Training (LIFE XT).
Elisha Goldstein July 15, 2016
Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter April 13, 2016
