Your eyes impact your jaw, neck and body movements
Most people think of their eyes as tools for seeing clearly. But your eyes are not just visual instruments.
They are movement organizers.
The connection between your eyes, your jaw and neck
Your eyes move using small muscles but those movements are wired into the same system that organizes your head, jaw, and neck tone. When your visual attention narrows and your eyes work hard, you not only get eye fatigue and tension headaches, you also tend to unconsciously grit and lock up the jaw, tense up the neck. Your breathing gets shallower too.
The American Optometric Association documents these as digital eye strain (computer vision syndrome) which affects eye comfort, focus, and head–neck tension during extended screen use.
3 reasons we lose eye-body coordination
As babies, we are extraordinarily skilled at using our eyes as precursors to movement. When a baby looks at an object it wants or a loved one, the desire organizes the entire sensory–motor system.
The eyes orient.
The head turns.
Spine follows.
Arms reach.
The body rolls, crawls, and eventually stands and walks.
This eye-body coordination which was the basis of our early movements begins to get rusty with adult habits and lifestyles. Here are 3 dominant ones:
Too much thinking, not enough sensing
We’re often caught up in a productivity trap where our attention is constantly pulled forward into planning, problem-solving, optimizing, or mentally rehearsing what’s next.
In this trance, we are often doing one thing, while thinking about the next three and moving without really being where we are. When attention lives in the future, the eyes stop orienting the body in the present. They’re staryign vaguely or overridden by thought.
Next time you make your morning ☕️, notice:
Are your eyes actually looking toward the cup before your hand reaches for it?
Or does your hand grab while your attention is already in your inbox, your to-do list, or a conversation you’re rehearsing in your head?
When you’re sitting in a waiting room or the passenger seat, how often do you pick up the phone to ‘get stuff done’ or just to entertain yourself?
Remember how people on a bus used to look out the window? That encouraged peripheral vision and is the kind of boredom that encourages creativity.Very few modern day activities demand full visual presence
Historically, many human activities like hunting and navigating terrain required the eyes to continuously organize our bodies in space. Today, very few activities demand a level of visual presence where distraction isn’t an option. There are some like horseback riding, climbing, rappelling, martial arts but very few people practice those as a lifestyle. Most of us can “check out” and still function.
In the absence of activities that keep our coordination sharp, our eyes slip into "sloppy" habits that create asymmetry and chronic pain throughout the body:
Dominant Eye Strain: Many people rely so heavily on one dominant eye that the entire corresponding side of their body becomes tight. If you find yourself saying, "All my problems are on my right side," it may be because your dominant eye is overworking to aim and track, causing the muscles from your neck to your hip on that side to brace.
The "Lazy" Eye and Spinal Pull: If one eye disengages or drifts slightly, it can pull the spine with it. This subtle imbalance means you are no longer centered on your feet, often leading to an achy shoulder or a recurring "crook" in the neck on one side as you constantly compensate to stay upright.
Screens and devices replace movement with micro-vision
Screens train the eyes to maintain one focal distance for long periods without much range, narrow attention into tunnel vision. The body becomes a passive stand for the head. The eyes stop initiating movement and start consuming information. It gets worse with phones because we overtrain our muscles that help us look down. And where the eyes go, the spine goes.
Clinical and research literature on digital eye strain confirms that prolonged screen use increases visual fatigue, headaches, and difficulty focusing—especially when eye movement variety is reduced.
Awaken the Hidden Gifts in your Eyes
This is why Feldenkrais explorations don’t treat the eyes in isolation. They restore a foundational relationship between seeing and moving.
In the upcoming Eye Workshop: Awaken the Hidden Gifts in your Eyes, you can expect to:
reduced eye strain and tension headaches
release chronic tension in face, jaw, neck and shoulder area
improve eyesight and begin relieving degenerative eye issues and inflammation
lighter, easier and more at home in your body
a calmer, more grounded, less scattered mind
Here’s what we’ll cover in 5 weeks:
smoothing jerky, darting eye movements into more fluid tracking
gently activating and balancing all six eye muscles (inward, outward, vertical, diagonal, and peripheral)
specifically awakening eye movements that counteract and balance the overtrained from screens and close-up device use
integrating eye movements with coordinated head, spine, and body motion
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this only for people with vision problems?
No. This work is for anyone whose eyes spend long hours on screens, who feels tight in the jaw, neck, or shoulders, or whose movement feels effortful or dull. Many people with “good eyesight” discover their eyes are still overworking in limited ways.
Will this help if my pain is in my neck, jaw, or shoulders, not my eyes?
Yes. Eye use strongly influences head, neck, and jaw organization. When the eyes regain flexibility and coordination, the body often stops compensating upstream and downstream.
Is this similar to eye exercises or vision therapy?
No. This isn’t about mechanically exercises. It’s about restoring how vision and movement work together, so effort drops and coordination improves naturally.
I already do yoga / Pilates / strength training. Why would I need this?
Most movement practices don’t address how the eyes organize movement. If vision stays narrow or effortful, the body continues to compensate, even in otherwise “good” exercise routines.
Can this actually help long-standing or chronic tightness?
Yes, chronic tension is frequently an eye tension and coordination issue, not a strength or flexibility problem. When eye function and orientation improves, unhealthy body patterns and associated tightness can unwind.
Is this safe if I have eye conditions or wear glasses?
Yes. The work is gentle and adaptable. You’ll be guided to work within comfort and choice at all times.
