Eye Strain.

(Post written last night; I needed to sleep on the grammar.)

Like hangovers and awkward conversations about birth control with your in-laws, eye strain would only exist in myth were it not for humanity's perpetual lack of forethought and patience. Case in point: I just spent eight hours at work engaging with a computer's screen via its keyboard, one hour reading a 12 font book on the train ride home, and am now--immediately following this workday and commute--typing this onto a much smaller keyboard with a much smaller screen. I thought the drop of blood that fell from my face to my pants was from my eyes. Turns out it was my nose. I wouldn't have been surprised if it had come from my eyes.

The eyes, by thoughtful people who have use of them, are often regarded as the body's most valuable organ(s). Every now an then you get someone who says that their genitals are something that they cannot live without, and those people might like us to believe otherwise, but I promise you that they don't use their genitals anywhere near as much as they use their eyes.

So how does this affect you? Well, I'll bet the left half of my second favorite bodily organ that you're not having this read to you. Were it not for the dark background and light letters, you'd be participating in some seriously destructive eye strain. And for those of you studying for the LSAT, this behavior is in addition to the 3 hours of study (i.e. very close reading) you engage in every day. (If you're aiming for 170 or higher, you should be nodding in agreement.)

Stress, too little/much light, and too few carrots all contribute to eye strain. And these are all things present in an LSAT student's life. The factors of light and carrots are fixed easily enough. But stress is a tricky one. Stress doesn't just mean the obvious, direct overworking of the eyes; it also includes engaging in stressful conversations (see above), and not drinking enough water. Seriously, when your friends start asking you if you're stoned, and you're not, you need to take a break from the white noise of study and work. 

How should you break from study and work? Well, you could apply for a medical marijuana card and tell your friends that everything's okay now, or you could engage in Zen's unique brand of meditation.

<-------------------Popular images of meditation involve a person sitting cross-legged, palms upturned with thumbs touching forefingers, and eyes closed.

In Zen, the meditator sits with either her/his hands palm down on the knees, or gently resting the left upturned hand in the right upturned hand while the thumbs touch.

Also, the eyes stay half-open.

They should gaze down and ahead.------>

Zen practice keeps the eyes open for two reasons:

1. It prevents the meditator from falling asleep.

2. It forces the meditator to mindfully engage with the sense of sight. 

When things get to be too much, it's very easy to close one's eyes and escape the visual aspect of the world. The path of Zen, however, is one that promotes full acceptance of and immersion in existence--its beauty and its horrors. 

And what could be more horrible than nursing a hangover while navigating a conversation about birth control with a Roman Catholic in-law? All the while, you still need to get to Prep Test 43. Closing your eyes won't make the in-laws or the LSAT go away. Your only option is to take care of those sparkling peepers.

Thanks to Pro-Zak and the Kanzeon Zen Center.