Discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.
~ Marcel Proust ~
Using the images above, try the following:
Begin with noticing your connection to the ground and the movement of your breath.
Sense the shape of your body, without a need to “fix”. Feel the shape of your body, breathing.
Soften your gaze and feel your eyes settle deeper into your head as you look at one of the photos. Notice where your attention goes and any ways in which your body responds.
Choose another photo and again, notice what happens. Notice the difference between the first and the second times that you allowed your attention to move and rest with what is in front of you.
Finally, choose a third photo and this time let the colors, shapes, textures, and more come to you. Allow your attention to soften even deeper. Can you do less? Notice what happens as your attention is tuned both inside and out.
Finally, close your eyes and rest for 5 - 10 breaths. Allow your attention to drop deeply inwards and rest somewhere in your chest, your belly, your pelvis— anywhere that feels easily accessible. When you open your eyes again, feel as if you can remain connected to the resting attention deep inside your body. See outwards into your environment again from that place.
What have you discovered so far?
Standing/Walking Meditation:
Switching Perspectives to Shift Perception
Begin with noticing your connection to the ground and the movement of your breath.
Sense the shape of your body, without a need to “fix”. Feel the shape of your body, breathing.
Soften your gaze as you slowly look around your environment. Let the colors, shapes, textures, and more come to you.
Notice the tendency for your gaze to move towards what is around you and then, do less. It may be useful to practice several rounds of softening your gaze and allowing yourself to do less as you see-sense your environment.
Even as you may “do less”, that does not have to limit your capacity for exploring a variety of perspectives! Your gaze can open very wide and panoramically, taking in above, below, and around your sides. Your gaze can rest on something small and detailed, or travel along ridges and shapes that capture your attention.
The exercise for now is, no matter which perspective (panoramic, peripheral, meandering, focused), are you able to allow what is here with you to meet you, to soften and receive the shapes/colors/textures surrounding you? And as you position yourself with attention to ground, breath, shape, and easy-gaze, what do you notice in your body?
NEXT:
Try walking while maintaining a receptive state of being. Notice what happens as you move. You may need to pause throughout your walk to relax any effort that goes beyond what is essential.
It may be enough to practice the above in various situations and scenarios. Each time you notice that you are narrowing your focus, “sending your gaze” far away, or fixing it tightly on a small span of what’s in front of you, P A U S E .
Reorient to Ground - Breath - Shape, and Begin again.
Thank you for your presence here.
photos: J. Ascosi. Ashokan Reservoir, September 2022.