For many, working with the eyes is unfamiliar. In Feldenkrais, it’s an important part of our repertoire.

Your eyes are part of your vestibular system. They work with the balance organs in your inner ears, and information from the rest of your body, to help you know where you are in space, and respond as you move.

The eyes also help organise movements of the head and neck. When we turn to look at something, they often lead the movement, and where we direct our eyes influences how our neck muscles work. So when we explore freedom of movement in the neck, it makes sense to include the eyes.

In my teaching, I often notice that people with neck difficulties seem to hold their gaze quite fixed. I’m interested in whether they can vary that relationship: letting the eyes lead a turn, moving them independently, or keeping their gaze on something while the head moves.

Freedom here means having those different possibilities available.

The first step is to notice what your own habits are.

Try it for yourself:

Step 1: Sit comfortably with your feet on the floor. Gently turn your head a little to the left and right. Which way feels easier? Notice it, and we’ll explore the easier side first.
When you turn your head, what do your eyes do? Do they lead the movement, stay quiet as your head turns, or stay looking ahead?

Keep the movements small and comfortable, and stop if you feel dizzy. There’s nothing to correct just now.
Step 2: Gently keep looking at something in front of you, and turn your head around your eyeballs to the easier side. Your eyeballs stay looking forward, and your nose moves to the side. Repeat this a few times, so you have time to sense it, and find the coordination.  Then, take both your head and eyes to this first side again, and see if anything changed yet.

Step 3: Then look around to the first side, only as far as comfortable. Leave your nose pointing in this new position, and very gently slide your eyes a little further to the side and return to the middle. Repeat this variation a few times, keep the movement very soft,, and then bring everything back to the middle. Look again to the first side and see if it feels different. What changed?