There are two quite different ways to just look.

You can look at an object, either a thing in the world around you or a picture of it (or based upon it); for example, the water lily at the head of this page (click on the picture to see it full-sized). This has the advantage that the object is still there despite your possibly wandering attention, occupying you. It is, unlike say a mantra meditation, done with the eyes open. This is more natural for some people, which is good; but it doesn't protect you from visual distractions, which can be bad. It can be done using a thing too complex or difficult to visualize mentally.

The other way is to look at a mental representation of something. This has the advantage, for some, of being done with the eyes closed, and the big advantage that it can be done anywhere conducive to any kind of interior exercise, without the thing being contemplated having to be there. In fact the thing need not have any concrete existence in the present in the physical world at all. It can't be done with something too complex for you to visualize mentally, but it can be done with something that for one reason or another has never actually existed outside your mind, such as your concept of a future building or another planet. The disadvantage of closed-eyes contemplation is that the thing isn't there to reinforce your image of it and to remind you by its insistent presence to keep looking at it.

Which to do? I suggest trying both and see which works best.

My own personal preference is eyes-open contemplation of actual objects, with the one exception of, usually, contemplating my personal religious symbol mentally with my eyes closed.

What to contemplate? A simple object is one possibility; for example, a crystal shape, in its natural form or shaped (but if you use a crystal ball, don't go looking for information inside it).

A candle flame can be an excellent choice if you are indoors in darkness or dim light, with no air movement strong enough to blow the candle out; the subtle and constant changes in the flame combined with its overall stability and soothing nature assist many people with keeping their attention on it and entering a peaceful state.

One of the many uses of the "sacred syllable," rendered in the Latin alphabet as Om, or, alternatively, Aum (click to see it), is as a symbolic object to contemplate, printed on paper in a fair size and in a color the contemplator finds pleasant or appropriate.

The frequently very complex designs called mandalas can be contemplated if their symbolism doesn't carry you away into a spiritual journey in another kind of exercise altogether. Mandalas have their own page, which you may want to refer to.

If you want to pass some time which would otherwise be spent in waiting, say for a bus (which needs to be done with the eyes open if you don't want to be surprised by the arrival of the bus, or by a traffic or other incident which could put you in jeopardy), it's possible to pick on a suitable object in the environment and contemplate it. At one bus stop I've frequently used there is a bank branch with a pleasantly blue sign across the street, and I've sometimes contemplated a letter "O" in that sign for a while.

The possibilities are almost endless. In general: don't pick on something jarring or with unpleasant associations; don't pick on something which will lead you off on trains of thought or speculation; don't pick on something which will sidetrack you, admittedly very pleasantly, because of its absorbing beauty.

How to contemplate? Your position should, as with many spiritual techniques, be comfortable with your head, neck and spine relatively straight and vertical. You may be seated or standing, but it's also possible to contemplate lying down (provided that, if your eyes are open, you can then see your object without strain). If seated, you may be in a chair, which is natural for most Westerners, or in some traditional posture. If you're contemplating with your eyes open, look at your object with a steady but unstrained gaze. If you're contemplating with your eyes closed, visualize your object, but don't rush it into your mental view; let it appear in its own time.

You may find yourself no longer looking at the object, or going off into some thought process (about the object or having nothing to do with it), or distracted by a sound or sight or even by the nature of the object itself. Don't blame yourself, or sternly put your gaze back on the object -- just remind yourself of what you intended to do, with was to just look, and gently go back to doing it. Try to be equally gentle when your allotted time is up or if an event ends your exercise (such as that bus arriving).

If you're trying this out as your regular spiritual exercise, do it twice a day until you've been doing it long enough to decide if it has benefits for you, in terms of spirituality, relaxation, destressing or whatever is your goal. But don't think about your goal while you're contemplating.

Return to "Spiritual Exercises" page to select another kind of exercise.