Quiet Eyes, Open Heart
What the land, and my mother, taught me about presence
“When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.” ~ Mary Oliver
In Fall 2020, I enrolled in the first online offering of the Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide Level 1 training. It had been on my radar for years, but until then, I couldn’t afford the tuition or time off to attend in person. With the lockdowns, I suddenly had both. And while so much of life felt uncertain, I found myself turning again and again to the field and forested paths behind my home. I began to see it not just as scenery, but as sanctuary.
Just prior to that, I had completed a Maryland Master Naturalist training, also online. It was an immersive dive into the ecology and rhythms of the local landscape. It gave me a language for what I was seeing while the Kripalu training gave me a way to feel and listen. Together, they changed the way I related to the land.
Through both trainings, I fell in love with the land right outside my door. Not for its grandeur, but for its quiet, everyday gifts: the majestic Sycamore in the front yard; a herd of deer; the way the light shifted hour by hour.
At the same time, my mom had just entered her journey with cancer. An unexpected hospitalization led to a series of tests revealing a stage 4 diagnosis. Hospital visits were restricted, and we often turned to FaceTime to stay connected. I began showing her what I was noticing in the yard: the changing colors, pokeweed, ground ivy, and Fieldcap mushrooms. These simple observations became lifelines until she was able to return home. She loved seeing the land through my eyes, and I loved offering her beauty in a time of fear and uncertainty.
One practice that stayed with me is Owl Eyes, a way of widening your field of vision to take in more of your surroundings, engaging a relaxed, receptive state of awareness. In neuroscience, this shares qualities with what's known as the quiet eye technique:1 a form of steady, intentional gaze shown to enhance focus, calm the nervous system, and increase situational awareness. It’s a subtle shift, but it changes everything.
These practices reminded me that the sacred is not elsewhere. It’s right here — in the rustle of leaves, the softening of the eyes, the rise and fall of the breath. You don’t need to go on retreat or even sit on a meditation cushion. Just a willingness to look again — gently, curiously — at what’s already around you.
Here’s a short sensory meditation that begins with an “eye stretch” and includes the Owl Eyes practice. Explore this meditation anytime, whether you’re outdoors or simply near a window:
We don’t have to go far to remember who we are. Presence is always closer than we think.
If you practice this meditation, I’d love to hear about your experience.
Additional Resources:
🌿 The Reclaim Series: Summer Wellness Retreats
Join us for The Reclaim Series—a three-part summer retreat collaboration designed to support rest, reconnection, and meaningful change. Held at the beautiful Goodstone Inn, just an hour outside DC, each overnight retreat offers luxury accommodations, nourishing meals, guided practices, and space to simply be. It’s an invitation to pause, restore, and realign—together. Explore the series here.I’m excited to be offering a recurring 8-Week Mindfulness for Stress Management series through The Mindfulness Center! Learn evidence-based practices to reduce stress, build resilience, and reconnect with a sense of calm and clarity. Perfect for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. Learn more and register here.
For a deeper dive, consider one-on-one sessions. Founding Members get exclusive discounts on sessions. Check out my offerings here.
Invite your friends and earn rewards
If you enjoy Mindful Reinvention, share it with your friends and earn rewards when they subscribe.
Vine, S. J., Moore, L. J., & Wilson, M. R. (2014). Quiet eye training: The acquisition, refinement and resilient performance of targeting skills. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(sup1), S235–S242. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2012.683815
The Kintsugi bowl is beautiful, thank you for sharing :)