Everyday Mindfulness

Ive recently been readiing a book on rumination and mindfulness in which the author,Sameet Kumar, goes through the process of how to meditate and he takes for granted the fact that you must leave eyes half open. Although I find this impossible and no one on the course I did seemed to think it a big deal one way or the other, it set me thinking that if you do meditate that way, youre in fact coping with a major distraction, ie the visual world around you and that to work at this problem sounds like a good sort of discipline. If you can be in your mind at the same time as seeing, then you've pulled something off by getting there.
Also he assumes that breaths are counted as another way of anchoring onto a sensation, but I don't really see the advantage of this.
Anyway it may just all be a bit too precious but I would be interested to know what others do in this regard. I think ill stick to Jon KZs maxim that 'so long as youre breathing, in the field of awareness ,theres a lot more right with you than wrong' :
Guy

Hello Guy.
I'm an "eyes closed" sort of feller, myself, at least in formal meditation.
I do meditate on the beach on a daily basis and, for that, it's strictly eyes open. Would be a shame to keep them closed when looking at the sea.
As you indicate in your post, there are no hard or fast rules about any of this. The important thing is to find a practice one is comfortable with, one that nourishes and transforms.
All best,
Jon, Hove

we usually give the choice of eyes gently closed or have a relaxed unfocussed gaze a comfortable distance away on the floor. if you're lying down then the gaze would obviously be on the ceiling.
if i'm being guided then i have my eyes closed, unless it's a visual/seeing practice!
i have meditated with my eyes open just to try to get used to it for when i have to lead a practice. it did take some getting used to, like you say it was pretty distracting at first.
i know a lot of people like to count the breath but it's something that i've not done, maybe having done a lot of sport i'm already more aware of my breath.

JonW wrote:Would be a shame to keep them closed when looking at the sea.

I hear you on that one.

I tend to be eyes closed, in the lotus position, which is pretty traditional for a non-traditional type of guy. If my environment is particularly pleasing, then I do dabble with eyes open meditation from time to time. If I'm looking at my bedroom wall, I tend to have my eyes closed.

My own personal opinion would be: whatever works best for you and you feel most comfortable with.

I prefer eyes closed because I found it harder to maintain focus with them open. However if I was near the sea or a beautiful view I'd be present with my eyes open, not meditating exactly. Hard to explain actually but it works for me

This is really interesting - I hadn't realised that eyes open meditation was 'proper' meditation.

I sometimes try to meditate beside the Thames on my way to work in the morning, but because there are people walking and running past, I feel awkward standing (or sitting) with eyes closed. So I usually stand by the river wall, looking out into the river, with my eyes open. I assumed it was a kind of second-best meditation, but I enjoy watching the water, and listening to the sounds of the city in the distance. And it does seem to calm me and set me up for the working day.

I'm not sure it is the right way. It's not the most popular. I've been on around 9 group courses so have seen quite a lot of people learn mindfulness and meditate. out of all those people maybe around five or six mediated eyes open.
The only time they all had eyes open was on the 'seeing' meditation!

I had this question a good year or two ago. Hehe, sounds like your answer is here.

Closed is fine and easier. Part-open is just another challenge for focus and avoiding fantasy. But some find it better in other ways. Only you will know from trying and learning!

Hi Guys, just thought I would offer a few words on the subject of eyes closed or open.

When asked a question on courses I always have the basic principles in the back of my mind. There is no more basic principle than practice being about awareness. So I ask people what allows them to be more aware - open or closed?

For myself i do both, that is I always start with eyes open but they may close after a time or not.

However, what I have noticed over the years of teaching is that people will tend toward what they prefer and what is more pleasurable. As a consequence most people tend toward the eyes closed, but what i notice is that this way of practice can lead to drowsiness and a kind of withdrawing into yourself - this is not mindfulness. Mindfulness if we recall is seeing the world/life/self as it really is, not getting lost in our own dream world. It is a waking up out of the dream.

The view that meditation is a kind of zoning out goes very deep and we need to be vigilant around this.

At the end of the day I ask people to be really honest about whichever method they pursue and allow them to find out for themselves.

be well and happy, Suryacitta

Both approaches have their advantages. Keeping the eyes closed helps eliminate external visual distractions, but closed eyes permit a range of rather amazing internal distractions.