(3:01) This practice is great for people who prefer to practice with their eyes open or who enjoy looking at things. Some visual artists love this and some find it too distracting to have visual input, so try it out and see what you think!
Mindfulness Practice: Field of Vision
- Start by becoming present to the location you are in: look around at what you can see right now.
- Close your eyes and gently shift your attention to your breathing. Notice your breath moving in and out of your body right now. Be curious about your breath. “How am I breathing right now?”
- Open your eyes and look in front of you. Shift your attention to your vision and notice what you can see right now.
- Soften your physical eyes and your vision and begin to notice your whole field of vision. Take in your whole field of vision with a soft focus.
- Without needing to move your head or eyes, widen your noticing to include your peripheral vision. Notice that you can see what is in front of you as well as quite a bit to the right and left, above and below what is in front of you.
- Take a few breaths here. As much as possible just notice the objects that you can see with out going into stories about them. If it helps, you can say, “Seeing” to yourself as a way to occupy your mind and remember to just look.
- Shift your attention back to your breath. Notice your breath moving in and out of your body.
- When you’re ready, open your eyes to end the practice, noticing the space that you’re in right now.
When your mind wanders, as it inevitably will, gently bring it back first to presence by noticing your breath and the quiet between thoughts, and then re-focus on the heart of the practice.
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