Meditation is an efficient and effective way to lower stress. Apart from stress reduction, you can enjoy other benefits too. Should you do it with your eyes open or closed? Let’s check out these options.
Meditation has many health and mental benefits. It can also help you reach more personal potential and spiritual growth. You can meditate in many forms, and as an individual, you can decide which way is best for you.
Before understanding different meditation styles, meditating with your eyes open or closed is excellent to learn some background.
Overview and Insights into Meditation Practice
Meditation is an ancient exercise or process that’s been part of civilization since the beginning. Some historic findings trace the art of meditation even longer than 5000 BCE.
Throughout the world, religious groups have used meditation as a spiritual practice. Its use is seen in Judaism, Buddhism, ancient Egypt, and China to name a few. In the past, meditation was only reserved and used by religious groups. Regarding Western lifestyles, the East incorporated meditation into their routine as a way of life.
In recent years, some people have joined the concept of meditation in yoga or as a practice in itself. It’s easy now to get classes that will teach this without having to travel all the way to Tibet or another far Eastern country to experience the benefits of a meditative state.
Benefits of Meditation
You can significantly benefit from the practice by meditating with your eyes open or shut. Chronic conditions and mental conditions are managed with meditation.
- Meditation instills deeper focus with fewer distractions when you want to be focused during the day.
- A stronger awareness of oneself
- Becoming more mindful of everything you do.
- Less sensitive to the outside world.
- Developing a clear mind and thought.
- More confidence in yourself and what you’re able to do.
- More enlightened spiritually
- Wellness improves.
- See yourself develop and grow on a personal level.
- You may be slower to react in situations.
- You could become a better listener.
Meditating With Your Eyes Open – You Can Try The Following
The experience is different for everyone
Some people may find that with their eyes open, it’s easier to connect with the environment. For some people, open-eye meditation comes at a later stage when they have already mastered focus.
Other folks may feel that open-eye meditation causes too much of a distraction. It’s natural that physically seeing everything before you can be extremely distracting. Distractions happen at times, even while focusing on breathwork.
In closed-eye meditation, many people find that closed eyes make it easier to focus on breathing or your mantra.
Try open-eye visualization
Focus your mind and inner self on something, even a goal, it may help to bring a picture to mind. When you practice open-eye meditating, visuals may work in this manner. For instance, if you wanted to envisage a beautifully landscaped garden, you could use a picture of such a garden to help your mind see.
From visualization of a photo, you could then start seeing the picture you wanted to see without seeing something in front of you.
Relax your eyes and your body
Since you can practice open-eye meditation, relaxing your eyes helps. Some people prefer looking slightly down with their gaze. Try relaxing your eyes and face to become comfortable.
Visualize what you want to achieve
In the state of meditating with your eyes open, you can visualize what you want to do, your goals and so forth.
Open eye meditation using a picture for visualization is almost like a vision board in some ways. As you focus on these, you could bring yourself closer to obtaining the goal.
Practicing Meditating Types
Most times, people won’t do all mediation types, but you can choose and alternate between those you prefer and feel comfortable with. There are ancient martial art techniques and exercises that also form part of meditative practice.
Spiritual type
Spiritual meditation focuses on connecting with your Creator, the omnipotent that guides and are with you through life.
Transcendence
In Transcendence, the focus is on a specific mantra said with repetition. The person becomes relaxed and may not need to focus hard to get to this state of relaxation.
Focused
In focus meditating, there is an object of focus carrying you throughout the process. People may use mala beads or another meditative bead. One can also focus on breaths while others count their breath.
Mantra meditation
In the Hindu and Buddhist religions, mantras are used often in meditation. The word “Om” in Hinduism is described as a primordial sound since the beginning of time. In Buddhism, the mantra “Om Man Ni Padme Hum” looks to the lotus flower that grows even from mud and is imperfect, but from that comes beauty and wisdom from the inside out.
Movement meditation
You don’t have to meditate in one place, you can walk and meditate or go about your day while continuing to meditate. In some ways, this is very similar to open-eye meditation because you’re eyes are open while you walk and focus within.
Meditation through tai chi
The ancient Chinese martial art called taichi has long been a part of the culture and today is still a fundamental part of spiritual and physical wellness. You’d often see older people moving gracefully in their taichichuan stances, but it’s not just for elderly people.
The practice is suitable for younger folks too and involves breathing and focus as well.
Qi Gong and meditation
Qi gong, like taichi, is also a focused meditation that involved movement and breathwork. This too is a practice from the East and has also gone on to being in other parts of the world too.
Yoga and meditating
Yoga is another exercise-based meditation. In yoga, you also use breathing as this play a fundamental part in the exercise. Yoga also involves a series of stretches which is beneficial for wellness and overall health.
Yoga started in east Asia and had, throughout the years, become a very contemporary and popular practice for wellness.
Helpful Tips To Set Up Your Environment For Meditating
- Be in a relaxing space
- Quiet environment
- Enjoy light sounds like meditative bells
- Be in nature
- Embrace a comfortable setting and position
- Be open-minded to the whole experience each time, as it could differ as you progress.
FAQs
Should eyes be closed during meditation?
Many people close their eyes when meditating because it’s easy to become distracted when you’re able to see things in front of you.
How do I know I’m meditating, right?
Some pointers are good signs that you’re doing better each time. These signs that you’re successfully meditating include sleeping soundly, feeling confident, and feeling motivated to name a few.
Conclusion
Whether you choose open eyes in meditation or prefer your eyes closed, being comfortable is one of the key aspects. Whether you prefer mantra meditation or meditating with concentration, whichever meditation style you choose, either will benefit your life.
Meditation is a fundamental part of life, and even though we might have strayed from this spiritual fundamental, it’s never too late to return once more. Allow your life to change for the good with meditation and spiritual awareness as part of your lifestyle.
Have you considered meditation to help lower your stress levels and improve your life as a whole?
