Whilst visiting the Naropa Institute in Boulder, CO, I attended a presentation by a Buddhist monk. I remember observing the people in the audience, how they behaved so well for the monk, while only minutes before they’d been jostling each other to get the best seat (i.e. directly in front of him, to be closest to to the source of spiritual energy). At the close of the lecture, we were given the opportunity to meet the monk.
I made my way to the front, wanting to see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to know: was there something real and recognizable within him? Something that wasn’t just hype? The monk asked me for my name, lifted his face, and looked into my eyes. In an instant, I felt like I was looking into forever – and that forever was great, awesome, home, happy, beautiful, all-encompassing. AMAZING! We looked at each other for a few moments and then said goodbye. I took that treasure, that gift, and let it warm my thoughts and ponderings.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. They say the left eye is the inner eye, and the right eye is the eye of the world. We either let people “see” us by letting them look within us, or we put up shields and barriers to the inner self.
Today, let us open our eyes and feel the inner light radiating out through these portals and into the world, so that we might truly see.
Take a couple of deep, deep breaths and close your eyes. Breathe into your body, and feel the oxygen flooding your lungs, nourishing you.
On your next inhale, begin to rub your palms together, feeling your hands, and creating a warmth between them. Do this for a few minutes until your hands are warm, and then place them over your eyes. Rest your head into your palms, allowing your eyes to relax.
Now, take your hands away from your eyes, and imagine washing your eyes with light, releasing any tension, tears, or emotions that are being held there. Ask your eyes what color they want now to release any stress, any heartache, loss, or fear.
Maybe it’s the color of sunlight, a beautiful lavender, or the blue of the sky. Imagine that color coming in from the universe, releasing your eyes, allowing them to begin to open again – to see the world as new again.
Take as much color as you like into the iris, the pupil the eyeball, the eyelashes – feel them releasing all the stories that your eyes carry. Take a little bit more color, and when you are ready open your eyes.
Feel them opening to the light. Feel them shining with your inner light, your inner smile and more open than ever before.