Coaching practices for Open Eye Mindfulness
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Open Eye Mindfulness, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- The second I close my eyes to meditate I lose my grip on where I am and old frightening stuff comes rushing up out of the dark
- When I meditate I close my eyes and sink into a private inner world, and then it never carries over into real life with my eyes open
- My attention is locked into this tight little tunnel
- Whenever I try to sit in that open, spacious awareness I just drift off into daydreaming and lose twenty minutes
- I’ve got the breath thing down
Practices that may help
- Use external anchors instead of closed-eye inward attention
Keep eyes open and soft-focused, or anchor on an external object, to reduce the risk of dissociation during practice.
Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, Made Practical - Open Monitoring Meditation, Made Practical
Open monitoring meditation (also called choiceless awareness or open presence) is the practice of resting in an expansive, receptive awareness without directing attention at any single object — observing whatever arises in experience without preferring or pursuing any of it. It complements focused-attention practices and is associated with different neural signatures in contemplative neuroscience. Direct outcome evidence is limited compared to focused-attention methods. - Practicing with eyes open and lowered
Keep eyes softly open and cast downward — in Zen, the open eye is the practicing eye.
Kinhin: Zen Walking Meditation - Expanding to panoramic awareness
Deliberately widen attention from its usual narrow focal point to include the full field of sensory experience simultaneously.
Open Monitoring Meditation, Made Practical - Sequencing focused attention and open monitoring
Use focused attention to settle the mind first, then release the object and shift to open monitoring — this is the standard contemplative sequence.
Open Monitoring Meditation, Made Practical - Choiceless awareness — resting without an object
Sit with attention open and receptive, letting whatever arises in experience be the meditation object — without choosing, pursuing, or rejecting any of it.
Open Monitoring Meditation, Made Practical - Glimpse practice: a 10-second recognition of aware space
Pause, drop the question "What am I aware of?" and simply notice that awareness is already on.
Non-Dual Awareness, Made Practical - Expand: widen awareness back to body and situation
After the breath anchor, expand attention outward to include the whole body and the surrounding moment.
The Three-Minute Breathing Space - Advanced noting — noting the act of noting itself
Turn attention to the process of noting itself, observing who is doing the labeling and whether the "noter" is also a mental event.
Noting Practice, Made Practical - Shikantaza (just sitting)
Sit in open, objectless awareness — not focusing on anything, not following anything.
Zen Practice (Zazen and Beyond)
Related concerns
- Concentration Before Open Awareness
Use focused attention to settle the mind first, then release the object and shift to open monitoring — this is the standard contemplative sequence.
Sequencing focused attention and open monitoring
- How To Do Open Monitoring Meditation
Open monitoring meditation (also called choiceless awareness or open presence) is the practice of resting in an expansive, receptive awareness without directing attention at any single object — observing whatever arises in experience without preferring or pursuing any of it. It complements focused-attention practices and is associated with different neural signatures in contemplative neuroscience. Direct outcome evidence is limited compared to focused-attention methods.
- Open Monitoring Meditation With My Partner
Open monitoring meditation (also called choiceless awareness or open presence) is the practice of resting in an expansive, receptive awareness without directing attention at any single object — observing whatever arises in experience without preferring or pursuing any of it. It complements focused-attention practices and is associated with different neural signatures in contemplative neuroscience. Direct outcome evidence is limited compared to focused-attention methods.
- Mindfulness Without Closing Eyes
Keep eyes open and soft-focused, or anchor on an external object, to reduce the risk of dissociation during practice.
Use external anchors instead of closed-eye inward attention
- Observer Awareness Meditation
Turn attention to the process of noting itself, observing who is doing the labeling and whether the "noter" is also a mental event.
Advanced noting — noting the act of noting itself
- Open Awareness Meditation
Open monitoring meditation (also called choiceless awareness or open presence) is the practice of resting in an expansive, receptive awareness without directing attention at any single object — observing whatever arises in experience without preferring or pursuing any of it. It complements focused-attention practices and is associated with different neural signatures in contemplative neuroscience. Direct outcome evidence is limited compared to focused-attention methods.
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