Do Palming Properly
Palming means covering your closed eyes with your palms. This method, which is taken from Yoga Eye Exercises, is perfect for the relaxation of the whole mind and body. Sometimes it takes a few minutes to get the relaxation level needed, but other times it is almost immediate.
Contents
Steps
Relaxing by Palming
- Warm up your hands. Rub the palms against each other or hold them under hot water (not too hot!). Prepare your palms like on the picture.
- The base of your right pinkie will be on the base of your left pinkie.
- If it is more comfortable, place your left palm on top of the right palm, making an upside down letter “V” with your palms.
- Properly position your hands on your face. The base of the pinkie fingers will be right on the bridge of your nose.
- Make sure you are able to breathe through your nose, otherwise, adjust the location of your palms and fingers.
- Check the position of your hands. Keep your eyes open underneath your hands, turn towards the light (the sun, light fixtures, etc.) and check whether you are able to see the light through any of the holes between your fingers.
- If you see light, correct the placement of your palms until you get perfect coverage that does not allow any light to your eyes.
- Breathe deeply. Now you are ready for a deep eye relaxation technique that will relax and calms your whole neurological system.
- Do not concentrate on the eyes or area behind them. Focus just on your breathing (it helps to fully relax).
- Concentrate on how you inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…
- Close your eyes under your hands. Clear your mind and concentrate on relaxing.
- Imagine an image that is relaxing for you. Try a black starry night.
- Concentrate on the warmth coming from your palms but do not press on your eyes with your hands.
- Sit or stand in a position so that your spinal cord is in a straight line. This will enable your body to physically relax.
Complementing Palming with Eye Yoga and Massage
- Alternate between palming and doing trataka. Trataka is an eye focusing exercise which can relieve and prevent eye strain from staring at a computer all day. Though not scientifically tested, you might still find that it helps.
- Hold your arm straight out in front of your face.
- Switch between focusing on your thumbnail and the tip of your own nose. This will exercise your eye muscles.
- You can also add a third point out on the horizon.
- Do this several times before resting by palming for 5 minutes.
- Use blinking exercises to keep your eyes clean and healthy. Blinking helps you wet your eyes, relax them, and wash away debris.
- Stand or sit straight in a comfortable position.
- Blink slowly 10-15 times per minute for a couple minutes.
- Concentrate on relaxing your eye muscles as you do this.
- Give yourself a face massage. This will help you relieve tension and stress around your eye sockets.
- Use your pointer fingers to massage the bridge of your nose next to the corners of your eyes.
- Massage the upper part of your eye sockets underneath and above your eyebrows.
- Slowly massage outwards until you reach your temples.
- Work your way back along your cheekbones until you reach your nose.
