Blind Boxing
Art, by Vicki Donaldson Einsel, Mixed Media
(all photos taken by me)
“My destination is no longer a place, rather a new way of seeing.”
I am weird. I find solace in wandering through the darkness. Basically, I walk around my house - in the dark - without my glasses on.
This unusual habit started over two decades ago when I began my yoga practice. On my mat, I would briefly close my eyes to connect to my breath. This simple practice, over time, evolved into longer stretches. Now, closing my eyes is second nature, seamlessly integrated into both my yoga sessions and everyday life.
Without getting too technical - Yoga is comprised of eight limbs, each aimed at bringing one closer to a higher source or purpose. While most people associate yoga with physical poses (Asana), there's more to it. Two other limbs, Pranayama (Breath Control) and Dhyana (Meditation) are more mainstream.
Lesser-known aspects, like Pratyahara, (Withdrawal of the Senses), have been crucial in shaping my yoga journey and connecting with something deeper within myself. Pratyahara prepares the mind for concentration and meditation, by turning inward, withdrawing the senses from external stimuli. Our senses play a vital role in understanding the world around us and are essential for human interaction, survival, and overall well-being.
At first, when I learned about withdrawing my senses, an example given was driving in your car without the radio or any noise, other than the sounds of the road. I thought, “No way, that sounds horrible. I could NEVER do that.” (I also thought I could never Meditate, but that’s a different story.)
Sitting in my car by myself, without the distractions of music, news, a book, or talking to someone on the phone. (Handsfree, of course :) - my nightmare.
Alone. . . with my thoughts . . . AND nothing to entertain me!
So, why would anyone choose to intentionally exclude a sense?
Numerous reasons, including relaxation, self-reflection, and connecting with our inner selves. Personally, I find immense value in finding quiet spaces, and shutting my eyes brings me there. These quiet moments in our day can foster the creation of new ideas or ways of doing things. They serve as a recentering force, encouraging us to slow down and not rush frantically through our daily lives. In the tranquility, we can hear our authentic voices, allowing dreams and goals to surface. Closing our eyes for just 10 seconds can instantly transport us out of chaos. We find that moment between the chaos to realign with ourselves. It can be a life raft when we need one.
Go ahead, I know you want to shut your eyes for 10 seconds right now.
Try it.
Right now. You may be surprised how you feel afterwards—especially if you add a deep, rejuvenating breath.
Withdrawing my sight brings me inward, challenges my balance, and blocks out the visual “noise.” Focusing on myself and my mat connects my soul with my vast internal universe. In this quiet space, I hear little whispers of inspiration and creativity.
It is also pretty useful.
If I wake up in the middle of the night, I no longer turn on the lights or reach for my glasses. Initially, due to my 9/11 trauma, I was preparing myself just in case another major event took out the electricity. (I know, dark thought. Honestly, I do not think like this anymore.) Navigating in darkness is a challenging exercise that heightens my senses—relying on touch, sound, and smell, even embracing intuition. (While intuition is not technically one of our 5 senses, I argue, the scientists are missing the boat on this one.) Over time, my confidence grew, empowering me to be self-sufficient and navigate the dark with ease. Unknowingly, I stumbled on a superpower.
In darkness, we often see truth.
We connect with our inner world.
We perceive the energy pulsing around us.
Our dreams can float to the top.
Blowing out birthday candles, we close our eyes and make our wish.
Maybe we don’t need to wait for our Birthdays to close our eyes and connect with a magical force that grants wishes.
Praying, meditating, sneezing, dreaming, hugging, and kissing are all moments we often shut our eyes. Getting our haircut, walking through a haunted house, and comforting our loved ones are other times. We are constantly unconsciously closing our eyes to heighten an experience. Why not consciously try it?
Are there times, where you find the quiet spaces?
Now, I embrace these quiet spaces in my car, at a party, even in this moment. I am more content now than in my youth.
In my 20’s, I obsessed over Taekwondo. I loved it. Martial arts was something my husband, a third-degree black belt, and I bonded over when we first started dating. Lately, I have been boxing/sparring with a trainer. It is incredibly fun and freeing. I forgot the thrill of communicating non-verbally with your body language, facial expressions, breath, and movement. The process creates a fighting “dance” with a partner. Sparring decades later, feels authentically me.
Recently, in a moment of needing space from the fight, I instinctively, SHUT MY EYES! IN THE MIDDLE OF SPARRING with a real-life MMA fighter. Guess what?
I didn’t die!
Instead, my “MMA Fighter” friend, encouraged me to keep my eyes shut and find my target. WHAAAT??
Keep my eyes COMPLETELY SHUT!
While sparring?
I shut my eyes, grounded my feet, and intuitively aimed my punch at the target.
BAM! I heard the impact as my fist hit the pad. “Keep going,” he said.
Eyes closed, I aimed again and my hook landed.
Before I knew it, I could hear the rhythm of my gloves punching the pads. Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam. “Add an elbow,” he says. OMG, seriously, unplant my feet? Ok. BAM, BAM, BAM. ELBOW!
“Now, add a back forearm”
“You want me to TURN?”
“You can do it”…..
Bam, Bam, Bam, Elbow, Turn, FOREARM!
What a rush!!!!
I am completely inside myself. IN THE ZONE. Just me, my gloves, my intuition and breath. Finding the rhythm and movement and believing I won’t hit my friend in the face. (He already had a slight black eye) I sure didn’t want one to match his. What a beautiful dance. I am doing it! I am sparring BLIND! How is that even possible? I never would have guessed, before that moment, that blind boxing was something I could do. The feeling of amazement is hard to describe. I am not sure, but I believe, we were both kinda shocked. (and PUMPED)!
I ask, “do you often ask clients to shut their eyes”?
“No, never,” he responds".
“How did you know, that’s my thing?”
“I didn’t,” he answers.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Emotion is bubbling up to the surface. How did he unlock my superpower? WOW. I didn’t know I could use my superpower to Box Blindly.
It took TRUST.
Trust of myself, and of my partner.
It took letting go of FEAR.
Fear of getting slammed.
It took FOCUS.
Focus on just this exact moment and my breath.
I took INTUITION.
To move and find the target intuitively.
We need to trust ourselves and let go of the anticipation and fear of getting slammed. Even when we get slammed, guess what, we will most likely be ok. And we would have learned something in the process.
I learned that day that I can do anything. I can box blind. I don’t need to see everything perfectly in my life. I just need to trust and let go of my fear of what I can’t see coming. It’s stepping into the ring of life with focus, by not playing it safe or playing it small. You may get a little beat up, by taking risks, but you may also take the win. You may find your strength and add tools to your tool box. Maybe limiting one tool, like sight, you will tap into others, like intuition, sound or just pure grit!