Healing Light Center
Mattea Nicchitta

(805) 300-0930

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Did you know that many things we do on a daily basis, either it be getting dressed, brushing our teeth, our morning routine or our evening routine are mostly done automatically, meaning they are habits that we don’t give a second thought to while we perform them. Every time we do things automatically, we lose touch with what is in the here and now. 


One might say, with such craziness as COVID, lockdowns, etc. there is just too much to worry about to think about foolish things as being in the present moment. But how can we manage what is going on around us, externally, when we are not even aware with what is going on within us. Every time we do things out of habit, we disconnect with ourselves, we are no longer in our bodies, and instead it becomes an everyday physical act rather than an act from within.
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Bringing our awareness within, being present with ourselves and our surroundings we then can have more awareness and control of how we act and react, how we think and speak and how we perceive and understand things. When we are not in our bodies, it is difficult to make the connection to our inner being and instead we become more reactive to people and situations.
              



Watch your thoughts, they become words
Watch your words, they become actions
Watch your actions, they become habits
Watch your habits, they become character
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
                                                                               Buddha

TRY THIS: It is helpful in bringing awareness to a habit by switching things up as you do the task. Observe when you get dressed in the morning, if you always put your right leg in your pants first, try putting the left leg in first. When brushing your teeth, if you always start at the top teeth, start at the bottom or the side teeth. At night, if you read in bed, try reading in the office or living room instead.

These are just some examples but as you go through your day pay attention to your habits, when you do things automatically, catch yourself, and bring your attention to it and switch it up so that you need to pay attention to what your doing.

Deeper Meaning: Recognizing our habits can bring more thoughtfulness to our daily living. The more we can recognize our habitual patterns, the more we become present. As we bring awareness to these habits, we realize that much of the day can be on auto pilot. The deeper question might be, "if I’m on auto pilot on such small tasks, can I be on auto pilot on bigger things such as how I react to people and things." 

Awareness of our habits and being in the present moment as we do things can give us more peace within for we will feel we have more control of our thoughts, emotions and actions.



Mattea

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