Have you noticed that, at the most special of moments, the moments we really want to savour or to imbue with meaning, we close our eyes. Why is this so? A delightful smell, a sweet embrace, a sincere prayer…
I love to practice yoga āsanas with eyes closed, and to meditate with my eyes closed. And I really, really love to sing and play harmonium with my eyes closed. A whole new world opens up then, as the world of form fades away. Sound seems to fill every cell in my being. I notice the vibration of the harmonium keys in my fingertips, the vibration of tongue against palate and teeth as I pronounce the words. I feel the visceral vibration of rhythm, and the swelling up of energy and emotion. I suppose that all this is happening with my eyes open too, but I am less aware of it. Our sense of vision is so strong, so prominent, so distracting.
I can still hear my yoga teacher Ivy telling us, “Close your eyes” during class. She didn’t say it softly like me, or with the caveat that I sometimes add – “if it’s comfortable.” No, she was insistent that we do it: “close your eyes, and feel the posture.” I’ve always admired that boldness about her. And I’m grateful for this particular guidance she gave us.
Closing the eyes helps to heighten our other senses. It helps to deepen our awareness of the world beyond external appearances. It helps to reveal to us the subtleties of body, breath and life itself. It helps to reduce distractions and to focus the mind. And where does all this lead? Going from external appearance, to subtle sensation, to greater concentration, awareness and presence… it leads us, eventually, to the Soul.
The purpose of yoga (yoga in its broadest sense) is to lead us to infinite Peace and Joy, and to unleash our talents and capacities for service. Closing the eyes to look inwards, to look beyond, to look deeper can be a stepping stone on that path.
Here is something (a poem?) I wrote a few days ago as I reflected on this theme:
I close my eyes
the outside world fades
the inside world comes into focus
which one is real?
both exist in some way
looking more closely inside
the world we call “inside”
discovering new lands
new waters – an ocean, a lake, a stream, a wave
waves of energy, emotion, thought
light
the inner sun
the vibration of Life itself
the currents of Love itself
the swelling of Joy itself
the deep silence of Truth itself
I close my eyes
not to forget
but to remember
one day I will remember with my eyes open
for now it is still easy to forget
the illusion of space and time
dance before my open eyes
I see you and me
but with eyes closed
you and I disappear
our voices floating in the same space
waves in the same ocean
inside and outside revealed as one
fear disappears
love remains
I want to open my eyes
and look out with only love
forever and ever
one day it will be so
until then and after then
i continue on this path
propelled by some force
some longing
beyond comprehension