The Look of Mindfulness
Hello,
Welcome back! So far, we've talked about 3 of the 5 senses (taste, smell, and hearing). Today we're going to talk about our sense of vision. Humans are very reliant on our sense of vision as a species and tend to use this as our dominant sense. Visual learners are the majority in fact, as far as learning styles. That being said, you'd think we would be very good at being mindful on what information we take in when we see. Unfortunately, as I talked about in one of my first blog posts, the brain is always on the alert for potential or actual threats. That being said, that's typically what we are subconsciously scanning for when we are looking around, and might catch something of interest or entertainment in doing so.
Mindful looking would be scanning but with the added step of not looking for something to have a purpose (entertainment, protection, etc.) other than the purpose of simply taking it in and analyzing it. This is what we see people do in art museums all of the time! Notice the colors, notice any patterns that may be there, truly see what is before you. How do the colors mesh with each other? Are there multiple patterns that run into each other? Where do my eyes naturally go when I look at this? What does this remind me of?- All great questions to ask yourself as an anchor while you are mindfully looking at something.
Mindful looking also means not judging what you are seeing and not judging any feelings or thoughts that manifest while you are looking at it. Just taking it in for what it is and accepting how you feel about it as reality and nothing more.
Mandalas can be great tools for this! Just letting your eyes take in the pattern or following the different lines and patterns on the mandala. Here's a link to images of mandalas: https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/mandala.html
Honestly though, anything can be used for mindful looking- flowers, nature scenes, art, buildings, carpet, people's faces, and the list goes on and on. Even mindful coloring, which has been a huge trend amongst people lately (adult coloring books), is a powerful tool to let your mind take a break. You are focusing on the moment- what colors you are putting on the picture, how are they going to look and how do they look, and being present in the moment of what you are doing with out judgment or angst on the product or the activity. You probably noticed I made a reference to future thinking. Yes, I know the point is the present moment, but it is ok to think about the future a bit as long as it is relevant and related to what you are being mindful about and dod not get too caught up in the anxiety of the future.
So go out there and start looking at the world more mindfully. Please feel free to leave any comments, questions, or ideas on this post! Next week, we will be talking about mindfulness and touch.
Take care and be well!
-James