Position of Eyes in Meditation

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

Recently a devotee friend was nice enough to leave me a rather lengthy message on my phone about the position of the eyes being slightly above the horizon and slightly open to avoid nodding. i have been practicing this more latley than usual and i am giving it a try. If nothing else it is helping me be more aware by doing a variation in my practice. Always working on settling the chaos of the mind...

Jitendra

[Katze]

and there is such chaos to deal with, lol !    just teasing you.....

that must take some getting used to, the positioning of the eyes and leaving them slightly open. I usually close my eyes, and even though I am sitting up when meditating and not laying down, there is a tendency to fall asleep. Usually though, this is due more to lack of sleep than anything else. I will give this idea a try. Thanks both of you.

Into Blue

[blue nova]

the more one practices....the more one will find their own natural asana....

with practice....perseverance....one will find themselves with eyes naturally moving upward.

never...do anything that in uncomfortable...

it will come natural....

 

Love & (((Hugs)))
bn

[blue nova]

falling asleep....

it not a bad thing to happen while meditating.

the point of meditation....is to withdraw senses from outside, to inside.....

aka...lose physical consciousness...and place it inner.

when body....falls asleep,,,all we are doing is losing focus on the physical or waking consciousness...and focusing on inner consciousness....or the inner consciousness'....sub and super.

there is nothing wrong with falling asleep....it is natural to do so...when we first start practicing meditation...altho...this should cease, the more one practices. 

with experience...one , during meditation, should be able to move thru every consciousness...'awake'...

or 'in the knowing'....in awareness.....

i think.... ?   

Love & (((Hugs)))
bn

[Katze]

Thanks blue nova, for the practice and perseverence suggestions regarding eye position in meditation.

as for the falling asleep, that is definitely connected to " lack of sleep " and not going deep into meditation, at least in my case and that of a few people that I know 

perhaps for some others, it is a case of going deep into the meditation

always interesting to hear about others thoughts, suggestions and experiences, thank you for sharing

(((hugs)))
Into Blue

[Goldwolf]

  Hello everybody, hey Steve, hello Into Blue.


I been gone a while on a bogus vacation of sorts, might as well jump into the deep end here goes.

  I don't really know who your friend is but, if this slight nuesance (spelling?) is still going on the practical thing to do is to while still knitting the eyes to the correct position is to imagine yourself in your most beloved meditative state, soon... , my friend you will find yourself there, in the good place. Peace be with you my Bretheryn glad I could help, that'l be five million dollars, ha , just kidding.

  By the way, what's up with the word bretheryn (this can't be the correct spelling... can it?). You'd think there would be a word to call us all girls hu guys.
Well, I'm thinking. Oh yeagh, I just remembered (by the way I am heterosexual) Valkyrie. If Tom Cruise can be a valkyrie then so can I.

I'll see you Valkyries later.

                                                                                                            Sat Tat Om

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

  Hello everybody, hey Steve, hello Into Blue.


I been gone a while on a bogus vacation of sorts, might as well jump into the deep end here goes.

  I don't really know who your friend is but, if this slight nuesance (spelling?) is still going on the practical thing to do is to while still knitting the eyes to the correct position is to imagine yourself in your most beloved meditative state, soon... , my friend you will find yourself there, in the good place. Peace be with you my Bretheryn glad I could help, that'l be five million dollars, ha , just kidding.

  By the way, what's up with the word bretheryn (this can't be the correct spelling... can it?). You'd think there would be a word to call us all girls hu guys.
Well, I'm thinking. Oh yeagh, I just remembered (by the way I am heterosexual) Valkyrie. If Tom Cruise can be a valkyrie then so can I.

I'll see you Valkyries later.

                                                                                                            Sat Tat Om

It is good to have you back Godwolf. Nuisance?   He (my friend) was just helping us as he often does. You don't find God by nodding at him and it is a bad practice to fall asleep while meditating with others because it takes down their vibration when they are trying to lift it. So we are all trying to find ways to help our meditation. Many people spend many years of their lives sleepitating and not meditating. This is just one more ego illusion that the spiritual aspirant can fall into and i have been guilty of it myself. What a waste of time! Better just to lay down and get some sleep or have some good friend tap you. That is what good friends are for...

When the eyes are level you are in normal thinking consiousness. When the eyes are raised you are lifting your consciousness. When they are lowered you fall into the the subconscious state more easily.

When we fall asleep we are losing our focus. The consciousness falls into a blank state or into a dream state. This has nothing to do with meditation. We may loose some physical consciousness but not consciousness in meditation. For in true meditation we are always aware. Even more aware than usual. It may feel natural to fall asleep. It may feel natural to do many things. Here we are speaking of the super natural. That which transcends the natural states. It is only natural because we have been accustumed to living in a delusive state so long. When we truly wake up these higher states become natural and what we experienced before become suffocating and unnatural.
 
Brethren? (religious brotherhood) Where did you read that? It is good concept.
Didn't see the movie Goldwolf. Must have been good.

Jai Guru Steve

falling asleep....

it not a bad thing to happen while meditating.

the point of meditation....is to withdraw senses from outside, to inside.....

aka...lose physical consciousness...and place it inner.

when body....falls asleep,,,all we are doing is losing focus on the physical or waking consciousness...and focusing on inner consciousness....or the inner consciousness'....sub and super.

there is nothing wrong with falling asleep....it is natural to do so...when we first start practicing meditation...altho...this should cease, the more one practices. 

with experience...one , during meditation, should be able to move thru every consciousness...'awake'...

or 'in the knowing'....in awareness.....

i think.... ?   

Love & (((Hugs)))
bn

[Katze]

Welcome back Goldwolf

I hope your vacation was an enjoyable one.  What ? you are charging for your meditational advice, hmmmm a bit too pricey if you ask me, lol !

Steve, sleepitating ? What a unique way to put it, you should contact Webster and have him add it to the dictionary.
 

When the eyes are level you are in normal thinking consiousness. When the eyes are raised you are lifting your consciousness. When they are lowered you fall into the the subconscious state more easily.

This makes so much sense, never thought about it like that.

Into Blue 

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

Even with eyes as slits or partly open, the gaze may be fixed upon the spiritual horizon, --- we should consider that "spiritual gaze" does not equate directly to "physical peering" -- although they are as cousins, or shadow companion...?      Consider that even if physical eye's light receptors gather physical light -- and futher flow to visual cortex facilities in the brain -- yet further consider -- is it plausible there may exist even more subtle experiential apparatus?   

Another key conceptual pondering, is that while the finer "bodies" / "aparatus" / "instrument" are contained within the grosser bodies -- the finer are never obscured by the grosser.  It is entirely plausible, from a scientific and especially yogic perspective, for a yogi to "filter" out the grosser physical light at any of the paths leading inward to the consciousness.    This may be by physically using the eyelids or a darkened room, or perhaps even by biophysical / metaphysical yogic disciplines that filter the senses in general -- sight is not just from the eyeballs and optic nerves, it is also in the centers of the visual cortex... and then we delve to more subtle instrument layers of the yogic instruments...   

it seems such a great grace to exist across all the realms (i.e. - human physical incarnation) in unfolding moment...  seems the capacity to observe, strive, and integrate direct experience is a great potential dynamo for devotee...  to work the "field" from both ends, from all angles, and permutations...  directly percieve that even the mundane can have great value... 

at any rate, it is a pondering...    have a great day, and shall we strive to live fully in wonder, good cheer, compassion, and eyes of a child ?!     

i suppose we are slowly becoming more aware of this finer apparatus. The more subtle instruments. We have listened to the noise of the senses so long that even when we do witness the more deeper levels we often negate them by the ego's ever present ability to belittle these shy encounters you have talked about in your last post. It does leave me with the eyes of a child. So much curiosity as to how we got here and what it all means to move thru this moment of awreness and learning. To integrate it all. Even at this moment when we seem to merge in common thought and experience.... i pray to be closer to your beings and that you will be in my most inspiring thoughts that surround you....

flourish in this temple and partake in uncanny proficiency as once structured minds outwardly unfold before you- word by word, thought by thought- drink now and smile.
an echoed voice rings through out my being... chilling...

welcome brother, welcome sister. welcome one whose center is nothing- circumference, everything. all encompassing, all embracing- almighty, divinity within- primordial abyss. question. questioning expansion. unclear? subconscious blocks? or a breaking down of once, mass- molded beliefs? forever expanding-

brother, wont you do this, please? place yourself, outside yourself- and breath. close your eyes and imagine your being- being something worth seeing- not seen- brother, please! feel these words, not for me- for, we- together can share this place here- and together, we can mutually understand one another... something profound, connecting.....
where are we going?


 

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

and there is such chaos to deal with, lol !    just teasing you.....

that must take some getting used to, the positioning of the eyes and leaving them slightly open. I usually close my eyes, and even though I am sitting up when meditating and not laying down, there is a tendency to fall asleep. Usually though, this is due more to lack of sleep than anything else. I will give this idea a try. Thanks both of you.

Into Blue

Paramahansa writes in lesson #154: "But as fully open eyes suggest wakefulness and closed eyes suggest sleep, so half-open eyes signify the physiological state of the eyes during ecstasy. As it is hard to sleep and keep the eyes closed when one is fully awake, and hard to awaken and force the eyes open when one is asleep, so it is difficult to keep the eyes upturned with the lids half-open and half closed. But by practice, you will find your eyes naturally focused at the point between the eyebrows" When the golden glow of the spiritual disc starts to manifest it becomes more easier.

[Katze]

Wow ! Lesson # 154, I have a long way to go !  It just amazes me how Yogananda has the answers to so many questions. No wonder it is a good idea, to keep re- reading all the lessons, just to refresh one's memory on helpful meditational practices and to keep reminding us to practice ! I keep hearing this echo, lol !

Interesting the flow of Yogananda's comment about " the golden glow of the spiritual disc  "  and the yellow glow of your post. 

[gypsy soul]

I find it is easier to focus on the third eye with the eyes closed, my personal preference

like anything, I think this varies with the individual ?


your sweet soul sister ♥

[Goldwolf]

  Hello everybody. Hey, sorry Into Blue for being childishly hard on you in that last posting. It'l never happen again. I had a I suppose for a while sometimes hidden mental problem that is now 100% healed through Om. I didn't realize my mind had deteriorated so much. It shouldn't take too long to track down every stupid posting I have here on this site. I know I have some really good ones as well though. Surprized myself more than once on this journey of spirituality that we are taking together my friends.

  So here I am practicing the concentration tecnique and Om over the years sometimes meditating enough and sometimes not and now I finally through God's love have conquered some deficiency or curse on my mind. God is good to give the remedy before the noticable aspect of the disease has appeared. Om used to be the hardest technique for me. I never really said I can't do it but I sure felt that way. Now all I need is a quiet place to do the technique. I can do the technique correctly within a few seconds but it's really good when I do my yoga routine in order. Thanks for your time my friends it feels good to be back.

  Steve, you helped me so much, thanks for everything brother.

Sat Tat Om

[guest88]

hi goldwolf
there's a lot of love in your post
thank you friend

blessings

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

hi goldwolf
there's a lot of love in your post
thank you friend

blessings

Yes i think so too! i also believe there are many illusions in our lives that we are exposed to. This whole life is an illusion; a kind of a dream. It should not come as a surprise to any of us that we have many personal illusions of our own. This has been my experience.

Jitendra