More eye and neck lessons

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This lesson highlights the use of the eye muscles in the same direction as you move in different positions. It creates a sensation of space around you that is interesting as you discover how your perspective changes according to how easily your eyes move. This is a slow, soothing lesson.

Tip: For some people, at some times, eye lessons can evoke a myriad of responses, including agitation or nausea. If this is you, just go slower, do fewer movements, or take a break.

Another lesson that elicits fluid movements of the eyes. This facilitates responding to the external environment with your whole self, as for humans, we organize around the visual field more than any other sense.

This lesson details the self-image of rolling the head many ways. On the front, hands stacked, you slide and turn the head many ways, accessing the upper back, ribs, and shoulders. The shoulders will not be rigid after this!

It is a delicate, detailed lesson, sensing the base of the neck and the turn of the spine as you move the head many ways. At the end, there is a lot of differentiation of the eyes and neck. When done slowly and simply, this lesson releases much of the tension we carry in the neck.

For similar lessons, see:
57 Integrate neck and upper back
233 Ear to hand with fluid neck and eyes
215 Sphinx, sink spine, slide shoulders
202 Sliding shoulders on ribs with help for neck

This lesson is interesting because it links the eyes with the fingers to clarify not only how you focus, but how quickly you shift your eyes through space. The degree of kinesthetic awareness and inner clarity that emerges can be profound. The neck lets go, the breathing deepens, and you start to fee less haphazard, more composed, more clear.

I give this lesson to clients with neck issues who are in so much pain they really don't want to move much. It's also good for a state change out of hyper-vigilance, stress, or anxiety.
For more like this, see: 
178 Rolling hands, palming eyes
227 Palming the eyes, free the neck, follow bouncing ball
12 Eye movements to smooth the vision and the release neck (Esalen version)
54 Eyes left and right, basic palming eyes

This is an iconic and ingenious lesson where you integrate the head and neck into the torso. With many variations of turning the chest, shoulders, head, and eyes along with changing focal points and the use of the horizon, you slowly free up the ingrained patterns of action in how you carry the head.

This lesson has some big “ah-ha!” moments. I still remember the first time I ever did these lessons and the tremendous improvement in turning that occurred. It was one of those, “Oh, I can do that?” kind of moments. It highlights all the self-imposed limitations we put on ourselves, and how much more function we can have in our ribs, upper back, and neck.

Moshe Feldenkrais included this is his book, Awareness Through Movement as one of the ten lessons representing the method. He called it, “Movement of the Eyes Organizes Movement of the Body.”

Tip: If side-sitting is a challenge, roll up a towel to support your pelvis. Don't strain in the hips.

(For some reason, Dr. Feldenkrais determined that holding an arm in front of your face is like the wing of a dead bird. As these are known in trainings worldwide as the “dead bird lessons,” I am keeping the moniker.)

ATM book Lesson 10 and Amherst 1980 week 2 June 17

More variations on turning: What happens in the sit bones, hips, and ribs? I recommend doing these lessons in sequence as they do build on each other.

Just how much can the spine move? When you invite movement in the spine in many planes and with more vertebrae coming to the party, turning becomes free and fluid.

Even more spine movements, then a wholesale transposing to the other side—in your imagination! Find out how powerful this can be.