Welcome back.
Today's lesson is an invitation to integrate the five elements within the art of seeing so you can see with new eyes.
For this practice,
You may wish to pick something that is very familiar to you.
If you're doing this indoors,
It could be an object such as a book,
A plant,
A piece of clothing or even a photo of someone you've known for some time.
You can also do this outdoors instead and visit a place you're familiar with,
Choosing a specific corner or feature that you know well.
If you do find a willing collaborator,
You may also wish to try this meditation with a person,
Letting this person be the object of your practice.
Feel free to pause this audio and take the next moments to decide where you'd like to do this practice and what or who you'd like to see with new eyes,
And you can press play when you feel ready to continue.
Please sit down comfortably somewhere where you can see the object or person you've chosen.
If it feels comfortable for you,
Gently let your eyes half or fully close.
Guide your awareness from outside to inside and let your awareness reside on the rise and fall of your breath.
Exhale and relax your body.
Release the weight of your body down to the earth.
Inhale and feel your heart and your lungs expand.
Continue like this for the next two breaths.
Begin now to guide your awareness to the well of your heart.
Inhale and feel your heart expand and overflow with love with your breath.
Exhale and feel the love and breath rising from your heart to the space between your eyebrow center,
Your third eye.
Inhale,
Allowing the breath of your heart to expand and overflow.
Exhale,
Letting this breath rise from the heart to your third eye.
Inhale,
Feeling your heart expand and overflow with love.
Exhale,
Feeling this love rise from your heart to your third eye.
Continue to allow your breath to connect these two sacred spaces.
Your heart chakra,
Anahata,
And your third eye chakra,
Your ajna.
Feel that what you see,
You see with love.
Feel that you see beyond the superficial.
You see what is essential,
That is invisible to the human eye.
If and when you feel ready,
Slowly and gently let your eyes blink open and allow your gaze to rest on the object or person you'd like to see.
With new eyes,
Zoom out,
Soften your gaze and allow your eyes to take in all of what you see.
The colors,
The contours,
The depths.
Where does it catch shadows or reflect light?
Notice any other qualities and features of what or who you're seeing.
Now let's zoom in.
Allow time and really explore the intricacies and subtleties of what you're seeing.
Perhaps you notice something you hadn't noticed from before.
Something unexpected,
Peculiar,
Even surprising.
Now let's take in not just what you're seeing but also notice how being in the presence of this thing or person,
How seeing it makes you feel.
How do you feel?
Where do you feel what you're feeling?
You might be experiencing more than one feeling or sensation.
Be patient with yourself and allow yourself to notice and be with whatever is rising to the surface within you.
Allow yourself to witness these feelings,
These sensations.
Remembering that these feelings and sensations are not you.
You are not the body,
You are not the mind.
You are the witness,
The observer,
The one who sees.
As you continue to stay connected with what or who you're seeing,
Notice if any judgments,
Memories,
Stories,
Beliefs about what you're seeing start to arise.
Notice if any judgments,
Memories,
Stories,
Beliefs about what you're seeing start to arise.
Acknowledge them and as you exhale allow them to settle and gently float away.
Inhale,
Letting the breath rise from your heart to your third eye.
Exhale,
Letting whatever may be clouding what you're seeing to gently disperse and float away.
Inhale,
Feeling the breath rise from your heart to your third eye.
Exhale,
Releasing judgment,
Old stories,
Beliefs.
Inhale,
Letting the breath rise from your heart to your third eye.
Exhale,
Allowing your eyes to reflect and take in the essence of what you're seeing.
And truth of what or who you are seeing.
Allow yourself to see this as it is.
You see things as they are.
You see the truth and beauty in front of you.
You allow yourself to receive the pure presence of this object or person.
Allow your gaze to soften and your field of vision to expand.
Let it expand and take in not just this person or object,
But everything around you.
Your surroundings,
Your environment,
All of the world that contains and holds you.
Let yourself see the world in this new,
Unbiased,
Expanded way.
Expanded way.
You are welcome to stay as long as you wish here.
When you feel ready to conclude this practice,
I invite you to come into a gesture,
A reminder of this practice and your journey through seeing with new eyes.
We do this by placing one hand on your heart.
Inhale here to connect with this sacred space.
And as you exhale,
Allow the breath from your heart to rise to your third eye.
And now move your palm and your fingers there.
Gently and slowly close your eyes just for a moment to feel the connection between these two sacred spaces.
Remember,
You can always return to this gesture anytime you need this reminder.
For example,
When you are in a meditation,
When you are noticing that you are seeing in old ways and you want to release old stories and judgments about how you see a person,
Place,
Object or experience.
To conclude this practice,
Gently and slowly,
Let your eyes blink open and allow your palm to gently rest and relax.
