Most of the time we only look at a narrow wedge of the world. As our eyes are in the front of our head, our visual awareness is usually limited to what is in front of us, a slice from the ground up to about ten feet high. Only when we see or hear something unusual, such as a bird of prey or a sudden loud noise above us, do we look up.
Looking up opens our perception, letting the mind out of its neurotic squirrel cage and allowing it to stretch and flex. Our eyes are the windows to our soul; for the latter to be fully nourished, we need to make some time to see the distances our eyes are built to see.
Instructions
Several times a day for this week take a few minutes to look up at tall buildings, at the tops of trees, at roofs and hills and mountains, at the horizon and at the sky.
Reminding Yourself
The old-fashioned expression “Chin up!” is a great reminder for this practice, the phrase is also is borne out of practicality and encourages us to look upwards and outside of ourselves, thereby gaining a wider perspective on our experience.
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Image courtesy of rosshawkes