Eye Palming
In a world filled with screens, bright lights, and constant visual demands, our eyes rarely get the rest they need. For dancers, eye fatigue may not be top of mind—but it should be. The eyes are key players in balance, orientation, and coordination. When the muscles around the eyes are tense or overworked, not only can it affect vision, but it can also impact how we move through space.
That’s where eye palming comes in. A simple, time-tested technique, palming helps relax the tiny muscles around the eyes and signals safety to the nervous system. It’s easy to do, can be done anywhere, and offers surprising benefits in just a few minutes a day.
What Is Eye Palming?
Eye palming is exactly what it sounds like: you gently cup your hands over your closed eyes, blocking out light and creating a soothing environment for your visual system. It’s important that there is no pressure on the eyes themselves—just soft contact between the hands and the bony ridge around the eye socket.
This gentle darkness combined with stillness helps reduce stimulation to the optic nerve and allows the muscles that control eye movement to truly rest. These muscles, like any others in the body, can become strained from overuse—especially when we spend hours tracking screens, studying choreography, or squinting at fine details.
Why It Works
The eyes are a direct extension of the brain. When the eyes are overworked or tense, it can trigger a stress response throughout the body. On the flip side, relaxing the eyes can help downshift the nervous system, leading to a calmer, more regulated state.
Palming removes visual input, encouraging the brain to shift out of an alert mode and into a more restorative one. For dancers and movement professionals, this can be a game-changer. A rested visual system leads to better balance, faster reaction times, and improved spatial awareness—not to mention less tension in the neck, jaw, and shoulders, which often compensate when the eyes are straining.
How to Practice Eye Palming
Here’s a quick guide to try it for yourself:
Rub your hands together for 10–15 seconds to generate a little warmth.
Sit comfortably and rest your elbows on a table or stack of pillows.
Gently cup your hands over your closed eyes so that no light peeks through, but without pressing on the eyeballs.
Breathe deeply and evenly. Stay for 1–3 minutes—or longer if you’d like.
When finished, slowly open your eyes and take a moment before re-engaging with the world.
Make It a Habit
Consider adding eye palming to your daily routine—especially after screen time, teaching, or rehearsing. You might be surprised how much lighter your eyes feel, and how much more grounded you are afterward.
Your eyes work hard for you. Give them the rest they deserve.
To your success,
Deborah
Deborah