How to meditate with your eyes open: a beginner’s guide
Keep your eyes open, read one line, and let your gaze rest on something ordinary.
Meditly Team··5 min readA notebook on the table, a plain wall behind it, a mug going cold. You can meditate with your eyes open right here: let your gaze rest on something ordinary, read a short instruction, and blink as often as you like.
Maybe closing your eyes feels odd, or you’d rather read than listen. Either way, start somewhere you can safely pause for a few minutes, and set aside anything that needs watching.
- With your eyes open, meditation can be as simple as reading one line at a time.
- A soft gaze is easy, ordinary looking, not staring without blinking.
- Move, look away, skip a line or finish whenever you want.
How to meditate with your eyes open
There are only two things to follow: the words on this page and one ordinary thing to look at. Read a line, then let your eyes rest on that thing for a moment. No special object is needed.
Sit, stand or lean against something, whatever is comfortable. Pick a moment when you aren’t driving, using machinery or keeping an eye on a task. Open eyes don’t make those moments a good time to pause.
If you’ve been told before to close your eyes, today you can simply keep them open. Use the parts of this guide that suit you and leave the rest.
Find a comfortable place to look
A plain patch of wall works, or the corner of a notebook, or a plant on the shelf. Pick something you can see without tilting your neck or squinting, and switch to something else whenever you like.
“Soft gaze” can sound like a technique to master. It only means looking without forcing a fixed stare. Blink as usual. There’s no need to blur the view or half-close your eyes.
On a screen, set the text size and brightness so reading is easy, and hold it at a comfortable distance. Between lines, let your eyes drift off the screen to the thing you’re looking at.
A short written practice
Read a step, pause, and go on when you’re ready. Blinking and small eye movements are part of it.
- Look around. Take in where you are and settle on one ordinary thing that’s already in view. Don’t go hunting for the perfect spot.
- Ease your gaze. Let your eyes rest on it without locking onto an edge or searching for detail. Let the space around it stay in view too.
- Keep room to move. Blink, shift in your seat, look at another part of the same thing. Staying still is not the point.
- Come back to the words. If a thought pulls you away, return to this page when you notice. Read the line, then let your eyes rest again.
- Finish. Look around the room once more, put the page aside and decide what’s next. No particular feeling needs to arrive first.
Drifting off is part of it, and our guide on what to do when your mind wanders covers how to pick up the thread. For a practice that uses all your senses with your eyes open, try the 54321 grounding technique.
Blink, look away, or pause whenever you want
Watering eyes, a stiff neck or trouble reading are all signs to change the setup or stop. Sitting through discomfort just to finish a meditation isn’t worth it. The page will still be here later.
Something moving across the room may catch your eye. Notice it, look back at your spot, or move somewhere quieter. Nothing in this exercise asks you to shut the room out.
If resting your gaze in one place feels like effort, just read a line and look around. One instruction is a whole practice if that’s where you stop.
Reading instructions or following spoken guidance
Written guidance means coming back to the page for each next step. You go at your own speed, and nothing moves on without you. Spoken guidance keeps going while your eyes are elsewhere, so you can look out of the window and still follow along.
Both work with your eyes open. Some people read on busy days and listen when they’re tired; others stick with one. If you’re not sure, try each once and notice which one you come back to.
A text-only practice needs no headphones and fits a quiet office. A recorded voice is handy when reading feels like one more screen task. Neither is the better kind of meditation.
Try it in Meditly
In Meditate, meditation instructions appear one line at a time. English meditation sessions also have a recorded voice. You can keep your eyes open while reading and listening.
The player includes pause and restart controls. If a line moves on before you’ve read it, pause the player and take your time. Keep the text readable, and look up from the screen whenever you’re done.
When to get extra support
Meditation is an everyday practice, not medical care. If difficult feelings keep getting in the way of daily life, speak with a doctor or a mental health professional. You can stop a practice that feels uncomfortable.
If you ever feel unsafe, or have thoughts of harming yourself, please don’t wait. Call your local emergency number, or find a free line near you at findahelpline.com. In Meditly, Profile → Get support now lists numbers for your country.
Frequently asked questions
Can you meditate with your eyes open?
Yes. You can read written instructions or rest your gaze on an ordinary object while you practise. Closing your eyes isn’t required.
Where should I look during eyes-open meditation?
Somewhere easy: a plain bit of wall, an object nearby, or the line you’re reading. If you’re straining, move closer, move back or change position.
Can I blink while meditating?
Yes. Blink normally, move your eyes, look away or stop whenever you want. Holding your gaze on one point is not the goal.
Can I meditate while reading instructions?
Yes. Read a short instruction, pause to try it, then go on to the next line. Reread a line, or skip one that doesn’t suit you.