Welcome to this 10 minute eyes open meditation using the natural cadence of your own breath and guided by me,
Dani.
Most of our sensory stimulus comes from sight,
So meditating with our eyes open can be extremely challenging.
But know this,
We're still working on exactly the same thing.
We're practicing being here,
Right now.
I invite you to find a comfortable seat.
You can use a cushion or a chair with your legs and arms relaxed and your spine upright so that your shoulders are above your hips.
I encourage you to gently shift around,
Eventually coming to a place where you feel settled and supported.
Now,
With your eyes open,
Begin to turn your attention to your breath until you find its natural rhythm.
Starting to become aware of your full field of vision,
You might notice objects in front of you and in your periphery.
You might also notice your vision go blurry,
Objects begin to merge or even fade away into the background.
Simply allow this to be as it is.
Next,
Keep your eyes easily focused on what's right in front of you,
Taking in your full field of view with the attention distinctly on the breath.
You feel any strain in the eyes,
See if you can soften them,
Perhaps even closing and reopening them briefly to reset your practice.
Now,
I'd like you to practice in silence without any direction from me.
If you find that the mind is engaging in thought,
Simply invite the attention back onto the breath.
Remember that eyes remain open softly,
Staying focused on your full field of vision,
Allowing your focal point to become abstract.
Again,
If you feel any strain at all in the eyes,
You might try closing them and reopening them just briefly to reset your practice,
Coming back to your breath.
Gently.
Keeping the gaze steady,
Begin to deepen your breathing now.
Relax your body.
And once you feel ready,
Lift the gaze and smile.
Take a few moments to integrate your inner and outer worlds before you move about your day.
Reflect on what is more important,
Both balance and quality of your life.
