Close Your Eyes

• In the Classroom - Lesson 2
   

Lesson:  

• Just by taking a moment to close your eyes, you can immediately help your body/mind relax. Up to 70-80%!
   

• Most of us take most of our cues of the world in through our eyes. Even when we’re not aware of it. Even through the corner of our eye, if we see something that looks “not right,” that looks like it should be fixed, that looks like a friend we want to say ‘Hi’ to, that looks like a delicious piece of chocolate cake, that looks like the new iPhone, that looks like a new game,…. you get it… We are always scanning our environment for what’s new, what’s next, or what to avoid. 
   

• We do this even subconsciously! And that takes up to 80% of our nervous system’s energy (our brain energy and our body energy). 
   

• Closing your eyes shuts off all that activity. That means you have up to 80% more energy to think about happy things, and do the exercises listed here for the weeks to come. You’ll be using that energy in amazing ways! And…
   

• Closing your eyes is the first step to relaxing (relaxing up to 80%!) Closing your eyes, you have just cut off up to 80% of your subconscious To-Do list. 
   

• Meditation teachers often recommend that the eyes be kept half open. Some point to statues of the Buddha as reference. The reason is that there are many tiny muscles in the eyes, powered by many nerves. These nerves signal back and forth between the eyes and brain. When the brain signals that the body/mind should be tired, it sends a signal telling the eyes to close. When the body/mind is refresh and alert, or excited, the brain signals to the eyes for them to stay wide open. In keeping the eyes half open and half closed the eyes are signaling, and requesting the nerve cells to respond, that the body/mind is relaxed but alert. So, if you are already feeling drowsy, it may be beneficial to relax with your eyes a little bit open. You can experiment with this in your class, if you like, and get their feedback.