By Kellie
To be or not to be…mindful while driving – can I do it? Will I be focusing so much on the feel of my seat or the sound of the engine that I miss a turn and end up lost? Today I decided to put this to the test. I picked a drive I undertake every week, a drive I have never really thought about before, it serves no other purpose than to move me from A to B. Can mindfulness change that thinking?
As I started driving I thought about the feel of the seat on my body. I noticed how comfortable and supportive it was, especially the back support at my lower back. I have never noticed that before. It is so interesting that the seat can be so comfortable and I have never even thought about it before, I wonder who made it, I think it is a Korean car, oops, now I realise my mind is wandering. This is not part of my mindfulness, but on the other hand knowing this and moving on is a part of my learning…ok, back to mindful driving.
I drive on, aware of the feel of the steering wheel in my hands and the rattling noise of the engine. My radio and my trusted USB song list are both banned today, I am trying to stay in the moment with the drive. When I move onto the highway I notice the long straight road ahead of me. The road is smooth and my car drives effortlessly along, passing green scenery on either side of the road. As I approach my exit I see an old red brick building right near the side of the highway. I have never seen this building before. I keep driving and I question if it is possible that the red brick building was built in the last week. I know that is not possible however the realisation that I have driven past this building for years without noticing its existence is hard to comprehend. I am shocked I have never noticed such a large building next to the road I drive along each week.
Should I be noticing buildings on the side of the road? Mindfulness or not, it seems reasonable to notice such things. Perhaps I drive along on auto-pilot? I accept these thoughts and decide to move on, placing my attention back on this moment driving.
The road is narrowing and I have an intersection to proceed across. I feel the click of the indicator as my hand pushes it down and I stop to wait for the passing traffic. It is busy and there are lots of cars so I have to wait a few moments, I notice the people driving them and I wonder if they too are driving on auto-pilot as I have obviously done. I bring my thoughts back to the drive and feel the hardness of the accelerator under my foot as I move on.
I arrive at my destination safe and happy. Safe because even though I may have been on auto-pilot it seems it has its uses at times. Happy because I know I did manage moments of mindfulness, even acknowledging then bringing my thoughts back when they had wandered. It gets easier every day.
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I’ve been looking for a driving related mindfulness post for ages – thank you for writing this. I often sit and feel the sensations underneath my body as I drive – it tells you something about the surface of the road and also the speed at which you drive. Feels quite odd, but it is taking in the present moment. I also try to notice every car around me just to acknowledge their presence – sometimes I’ll put the window down very slightly to feel the window blow against my forehead. Anytime I question whether this is “mindful practice” or not – I bring my focus back to what I can feel or see – I hope I’m doing it right anyway…
Lovely to find this post. You describe it so well. I have been trying to be mindful while driving on an hour’s journey I make once a week. I left a little late this week and felt anxious about getting there, then I chose to stay in the moment and stopped clock- watching and thinking about what I needed to do when I arrived. Instead, I tuned in to the vibration of the engine and the sensation of flow when steering round bends, the comfort of my seat against my back, and the amazing smoothness of the road. And despite the cold, I too found myself opening the window a little just to feel the air on my face. I arrived on time feeling happy and relaxed….. I think I was driving with more care and less on auto- pilot. Next week I will try to notice every car round me in a non-judgemental way, as you suggest.
Staying mindful while driving does take on an interesting slant at times.
Another good way to bring more mindfulness to a drive is when we stop. Taking a moment to be just where we are and to notice our surroundings – without getting lost in them – can be a good practice as well.
sandy