Horizon Gazing Indoors
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon the concept of “horizon gazing” and it fascinated me. Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, has discovered that stress narrows our field of vision. One thing is in laser sharp focus and the rest gets blurred. By contrast, when we “defocus” our gaze and we take in a wider panoramic view, we relax, we enter a state of calm. “If you keep your head still, you can dilate your gaze so you can see far into the periphery—above, below and to the sides of you. That mode of vision releases a mechanism in the brain stem involved in vigilance and arousal. We can actually turn off the stress response by changing the way that we are viewing our environment, regardless of what’s in that environment.” Dr Andrew Huberman If you thing about it, it makes sense. When our body/mind worries that there is a threat it will focus our gaze to the things closest to us to make sure no predator will jump on us. When our body/mind doesn’t feel threatened, we can allow ourselves to take in a view and to relax our eyes by defocusing… That is the idea with […]
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Mandalas in Cultures.
Mandala have been found all across cultures and thought out human history. We find them from East to West in so many different cultures: Dreamcatchers and Medicine Wheels of Native Americans, Aztec Calendars, Cathedral Rosettes in Europe, Buddhist Sand Mandalas… These patterns are more than just beautiful designs, they carry deep spiritual and cultural significance. What is a mandala for? Mandalas ask from you to be patient. Tibetan monks, for instance, spend hours creating their sand mandalas only to erase them once completed. This practice symbolizes that the process itself holds more value than the finished result. Just like in life, the journey is more important than the destination. But it also talks about impermanence, how nothing in this universe is “for ever”. Mandalas are also an invitation to meditation. You can look at the intricate designs and quiet your mind. It allows you to find some inner peace and to know yourself a bit more. Mandalas inspire a sense of beauty and with it, joy. Mandalas also act as links to the divine (Yantra), offering a channel to receive cosmic truths. They are protective symbols believed to ward off negative energies and safeguard the soul. At their core, mandalas […]
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