Welcome to Day 8 of my 21 Day Yoga Challenge. In this challenge, we commit to practicing at least 10 minutes of meditation a day and at least 10 minutes of yoga a day.

Today’s suggested practice is to meditate with the eyes open. I learned this technique while taking a weekend workshop at the Omega Institute with renowned Tibetan Buddhist Pema Chodron. We spent most of our time in group meditation and all of the meditation was done with eyes opened.

The benefit of meditating with the eyes open is that you engage with the world while learning to be still and relaxed. Try finding one point of focus and letting the eyes be soft. Allow yourself to stay in the present moment by allowing everything in – what you see, feel and hear. Notice any judgments that arise. You could also rest your gaze upon an object, such as a candle.

I’ve had a few students tell me that this is the one technique for meditation that works for them. Try it more than once and see if it speaks to you.

Namaste,

Suzanne