Self regulation of the eyes, neck and jaw.

Tensions in the neck, jaw and eyes are often the real cause of many of our negative emotional states. These tensions can put pressure on cranial nerves creating dysfunction.

Essence Somatics exercises address these tensions, restore proper function of these nerves and bring us into positive states of being - opening the possibility for us to experience ourselves and our world as they truly are.                                

  • For this exercise you will need an eye pillow or an equivalent. Lie down comfortably on your back, with eyelids completely relaxed. Looking within, aimlessly gaze into the felt sense of the livelinesss of the connective tissue of the extra ocular muscles of the eyes. Stay there for a while, sensing the extreme relaxation of attention. Gently drape the eye pillow over the eyes and feel the effect.

    The subtle pressure of the pillow on the eyeballs immobilizes the extra ocular muscles. When these muscles relax, the nerve endings communicate to the heart to slow the beat down by 20%, effortlessly. This relaxation is due to the vagal nerve registering the perception/neuroception of biological safety, a rare commodity these days! Lie still while wearing the eye pillow for ten minutes.

  • This exercise is the same principle as looking into the 3rd eye, where you bring the energetic focus of the 2 eyes into a single, seamless point or sphere.

    Totally relax your eyelids, turn your eyes down, and focus on either side of the bridge of the nose. Draw the 2 points into a single seamless sphere inside the bridge of the nose. Rest your attention here in a state of doing nothing, while totally participating. Hold the position immobilized in this state of stillness for 30 seconds or longer. Then, keeping your eyelids closed, relax the eye muscles, release attention down into the body below the neck and rest in the emergent felt sense that is the effect of the exercise.

  • Sitting with a free-standing spine or leaning back in a chair, turn the head to the right just as far as it is comfortable. Take two breaths in that position, then, tilt the face up (again, as far as it is comfortable). Rest in this position, immobilized in stillness, for 30 seconds. Then, remaining with your head to the side, slowly lower the face and turn the head forward. Then do the same toward the left side.

    Chronic tension in the sub-occipital muscles of the neck can displace the first cervical vertebrae. Individuals with this condition live in a chronic state of stress. Through this protocol, the 1st vertabrae is reset to proper functioning.

    After the exercise sit or lie still with eyes closed for 3 minutes, resting attention in the emergent effect of the exercise.

Integration into long term memory.

          "Whenever we have done an exercise we need to take a little nap afterwards in order to let the body incorporate the learning that is potential in the exercise. Napping stimulates transference of what we learn into long term memory. Without this little respite, you have stress without learning. We encourage learning that is accociated with pleasurable states.  With napping, you learn faster, deeper, more stably, no matter what the activity.”    -Julie Henderson