Sky gazing is an excellent mindfulness practice that holds roots in Buddhism.
It invites us to naturally soften the mind as we open to the vast expansive open nature of awareness that is present within each of us just as much it is in the sky above.
The sky is a wonderful metaphor for awareness and it is used in various meditation practices.
When we consider that our awareness is the sky and the thoughts and feelings we experience are like clouds,
We deepen our understanding of the transitory nature of experience.
As we become like the sky,
We are able to watch the clouds or the thoughts that pass by without attachment to them.
To begin,
Find a comfortable place you can sit while maintaining a clear view of the open sky.
This can be lying flat on your back on a blanket in a field wrapped up in a cozy comforter.
It could be lying on a lawn chair in the sun.
You get to decide.
Though it's best practiced on clear days,
You can also explore this meditation on cloudy ones too.
When you're ready,
Settle into the earth by taking a few slow and steady breaths.
Then open your awareness to take in the sky above you.
If you are seated,
Gently lift your chin as is comfortable to get a clear view of the sky.
Maintain open awareness of the sky itself.
If or when thoughts arise,
Gently let them be released into the openness of the air around you.
Notice the space around you.
Notice that the sky is space itself.
Notice your connection to wind and space.
Notice if you feel the touch of air against your skin.
Continue to witness the open clarity of the sky.
You may begin to consider how the sky you are gazing towards is similar to your inner sky.
Can you make the correlation between the outer sky that you see to your inner world in the same way that the weather patterns change,
So too does the inner experience of thought and feeling?
Take a few moments to see,
To hear,
And to feel into the experience of this relationship between you,
Your mind,
And the sky.
Let your breath move in naturally through you,
In through the nose and down into the belly,
Using it as an anchor anytime you need to center yourself and refocus.
Then redirect your attention back to the sky,
Noticing what you see,
Noticing what you hear,
And noticing what you feel within.
When you become distracted or notice a thought,
Redirect your attention and focus back to your breath,
And then gently come back to the sky above.
Listen this open awareness as you gaze up at the sky for another two or three breaths,
Or for as long as you like.
Reconnect with your breath.
Notice the breath flowing in and out of you,
Breathing in through the nose and out through the nose,
Drawing your attention and energy downward into the belly,
Gently bringing your attention back to your physical body and where it's connected to the earth,
Welcoming all physical sensations as we gently and slowly shift our attention and focus back to the here and now,
Rooting yourself back to the earth,
Bringing your physical body back to the space and time.
Once you feel connected to your breath,
To your body,
Gently and gradually bring movement back into the lens.
Take a look around,
Welcoming all sensations,
The sounds,
And notice the effects.
Notice if anything has shifted for you since the beginning and now the end.
And now I invite you to consider how can you take this practice to your daily life?
How can you use what you've learned today as you move through your day?
How can you be more like the open sky?
Namaste.
