Eye Use
Your eyes organize more than just your vision. Your eyes are intimately connected with the function of your neck muscles, that of breathing, and can influence all of your movement patterns. From an evolutionary standpoint, humans used to use their eyes in more diverse ways than our current society encourages. The effects of this on your movement, nervous system and overall health is wide ranging. Imagine for a moment that you had no screen to look at, no glowing rectangle. What would you do with your eyes all day long? Close your eyes for a moment and just imagine such a scenario.
Your Eyes and Technology
Our eye health has been on the decline since the onset and development of smartphones. We carry them around in our pockets, and even hold them in front of our faces as we walk. We are all addicted, and with the pandemic wreaking havoc on in-person socialization and education, smartphones and computers have become a lifeline for many. So many of us have switched to online learning, or are living by ourselves in relative isolation. This has kept us safe, entertained, connected and educated. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine what this pandemic would have felt like without TV, computers or smartphones.
Zoomballs
As the current school year begins, we are all spending an enormous amount of time in Zoom classrooms, Google classrooms and a myriad of other online platforms. Children and adults alike will experience short term fatigue and possibly long term effects in the form of neural exhaustion. We don't know what kind of damage this might be doing to our eyes for tomorrow, let alone for our attention span today.
Eyes Today for Eyes Tomorrow
Weighing the pros and the cons of our various devices, the truth still remains: our eyes are tired and depleted. We cannot exist in this world without all the wonders of technology, yet we must have discourse about how to nurture the health of our eyes and nervous system. Eye health is body health no matter what your level of visual ability, and moving your eyes is essential for all coordinated movement.
Feldenkrais and Eye Work
Feldenkrais understood the importance of eye awareness long before the personal home computer existed. Dozens of his lessons center around becoming aware of how you use your eyes, and inviting new movement patterns through coordination with the rest of the body. Never has this work been more important for society than now.
September Awareness Through Movement Class
Monday evening lessons, 7:30 pm PST, will be dedicated to eye awareness and rest, and will range from 35 - 45 minutes. Thursday morning classes, 9:30 am PST, will be dedicated to more active Awareness Through Movement lessons, including standing and getting us up and moving more.
Call to Vision Action!
If you know of someone who would like to try a class for free, send them to ErinFinkelstein.com/contact to sign-up for my newsletter and to receive one free class in September. Enter FREE CLASS in the subject line.
