Field of Vision is a practice I was first taught by a dear friend who practices Tibetan Buddhism. I’ve simplified it a bit and turned it into a mindfulness practice.
I adore this practice. If you like eyes open practices, or want to experience one this is a great one to play with. And you’re welcome to do just that, play with it and make it your own.
8 minute version:
This is an 8-minute version which includes a fuller explanation of the practice. Start here if you want to have more guidance or suggestions for how to do it.
5 minute version:
And here is a shorter 5-minute version. Use this one if you prefer less guidance or you simply want a quicker practice.
Right click on the players (the grey bars) and choose download to download them onto your device(s). As always, you’re welcome to download, use and share these as often as you like for non-commercial use.
(meditation: 10:47 min) This meditation is a combination of two practices. It starts with Field of Vision and then shifts to Sensational Awareness.
This meditation is great for people who prefer eyes open practices and who also want to work with pain or discomfort in their bodies.
Instructions:
Begin by getting into position, whatever position works best for your body. This position will become your body-mind’s signal that you are starting a practice. I suggest the following:
Sit on a chair (sofa, bed, etc) with your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands in your lap. Feel your sit bones pressing down. Float the crown of your head up so that it softly lifts your torso into alignment. Let your back body be a bit firm to maintain this posture and your front body be soft and relaxed.
Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Notice how it feels to breathe for a few breaths.
Then, soften your eyelids and open your eyes. Look down, comfortable distance in front of you at the floor or desk/table if you are sitting at your desk/table.
Let your physical eyes be soft, relaxing the muscles around the eyes. Your vision may get blurry at some point, and let that happen.
Notice what you can see in front of you and also widen your attention to notice your whole field of vision. With out moving your eyes or head, take in your peripheral vision.
Let thoughts float through the background like passing clouds.
If you find that your attention has become absorbed in your thoughts and you’re no longer noticing what you’re looking at, gently bring your attention back to what you can see.
After a few minutes, shift your attention to your breath for a few breaths, and then into body. Find an area of the body that is stiff, sore or painful.
Bring your attention to this part, honoring it with your attention. You are not trying to make it go away, instead you are noticing it in all of it’s uncomfortable glory. It is there for a reason, and we’re honoring the wisdom of our body – the signals that it is giving us.
Notice the qualities of the area, how big it is (where are the edges?), how dense? how sharp/dull, what texture? if you could see it what color would it be? etc.
When you feel ready or when your timer rings, end the practice by bringing your attention back to your breath for a few breaths and then gently opening your eyes.
To Download:
Click on the Download button below.
If it does not download automatically:
A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.
Note that you are welcome to download and share this files as many times as you like provided you do so in it’s entirety and it is used for personal or educational use only (no commercial uses).
(meditation: 6:18 min) This practice is also a classic mindfulness practice that is very old. In this practice we focus on what we can see in the space in front of us.
As with River of Sound, some people love this practice. It really suits them. “Now this is a practice that I like!” And other people really don’t like it.
This is why I offer it, because I find that different people like different practices, and the best practice is one that you like! Why? Because you are more likely to do it if you like it!
Try this out and see what you feel. You may find that this is the one for you! And if you like this kind of practice, there are lots of other practices available in the world of meditation with eyes open.
Enjoy!
Mindfulness Practice:Field of Vision
Begin by getting into position, whatever position works best for your body. I suggest the following:
Sit on a chair (sofa, bed, etc) with your feet flat on the floor.
Rest your hands, palms down, on your thighs.
Feel your sit bones pressing down.
Float the crown of your head up so that it softly lifts your torso.
Tuck your chin in a bit so that the back of your neck is soft and long.
Soften your jaw.
Let your front body be soft (relax your belly, chest and face) and your back body be firm and upright.
Close your eyes.
Bring your attention to your breath. Notice how it feels to breathe.
Gently open your eyes and gaze down a comfortable distance in front of you (1 to 2 meters)
Soften your eyes and take in your whole field of vision. Rather than look at just one thing, let your eyes gently take in your whole field of vision at once.
Be curious about what you can see. Stay soft and let your eyes un-focus or anything that they want to do. Relax and notice what ever you can see in any given moment, including blurry vision, etc.
Keep most of your attention here as much as you can. Let everything else float by in the background. Let thoughts, emotions and physical sensations float by in the background like clouds.
If you find that your attention has become absorbed in your thoughts (emotions or sensations) to the point that you are no longer noticing what you can see, simply let the thoughts go, and kindly and gently bring your attention back to your vision and start a fresh. You can have an infinite number of fresh starts, so you can relax.
End the practice when you feel ready or when your timer rings by coming back to your breath for a few seconds and then raising your eyes.
To Download:
Click on the Download button below.
If it does not download automatically:
A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.
Note that you are welcome to download and share this files as many times as you like provided you do so in it’s entirety and it is used for personal or educational use only (no commercial uses).
(meditation: 10:47 min) This meditation is a combination of two practices. It starts with Field of Vision and then shifts to Sensational Awareness.
(meditation: 6:18 min) This practice is also a classic mindfulness practice that is very old. In this practice we focus on what we can see in the space in front of us.