To not go into waking sleep is hard to do. It takes staying in the moment and not letting the mind wander. Staying in the moment requires me to stay focused on the task at hand whatever it may be. If I'm driving, I have to concentrate on what I am doing and what other things are doing around me.
I feel my hands on the wheel, foot on the pedal, cars ahead, cars in the rearview mirror, the speedometer, clouds, my thoughts. Yes, my thoughts. If my thoughts begin going into the future, I notice them and bring my focus back to the moment. If my thoughts go into the past, I bring them back to the present. Who is noticing the thoughts?
By practicing mindful meditation I have learned to observe thoughts coming and going. As I focus on my breathing, thoughts appear and 'I' notice them. The 'I' is not thinking. The 'I' is simply observing and watching for the next thought to appear. The 'I' is not the body or the mind. It is not the breath. I cannot explain nor describe what the 'I' is. It is impossible for me to say who it is or what it is. It is just an entity that exists when I am in the moment and aware. It may be another part of the brain; I really don't know. But I know it is there.
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