A Pillow For The Eye – Soothing Relaxation

We have all encountered situations where at some point or the other someone told us “Hey just relax, will you?” and instead the opposite happened – feelings of irritation, anxiety  and frustration welled up. Everyone desires to be happy and relaxed. But with our hectic life style, we reserve these moments of relaxation for the weekends and vacation. While the busy-ness is here to stay, we can definitely take a few minutes out of the day for relaxation using very simple methods.

The yoga eye pillow seems like an odd tool to bring relaxation. But apparently it does more than just relax due to the intricacies of our nervous system.  It can be a powerful aid during those busy days when walking, yoga, meditation and other activities seem effortful.  The process is very simple and takes a short time to induce relaxation.  Simply lying down with a yoga eye pillow over the eyes is an undemanding and excellent way to calm down the nerves.

The eye pillow is said to stimulate the vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that originates in the brain, travels down the back of the neck, into the chest, heart, abdomen and digestive tract. According to Frontiers in Psychiatry of the NCBI, “The vagus nerve represents the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which oversees a vast array of crucial bodily functions, including control of mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate”.

The vagus nerve is stimulated with the light pressure of the pillow on the eye lids, sending messages of relaxation from the neck all the way to the digestive tract. It eases the tension that normally tends to accumulate at the back of neck and relaxes that whole area, and this relaxation cascades to the organs that is connected by the vagus nerve.  In the process, heart rate get regulated, which improves mood and induces sound sleep.  Now the entire system is in complete relaxation.

The eye pillow is a simple contraption made out of flax seed stuffed and sowed in a silk, linen or muslin cloth.

Benefits of using an eye pillow are:

1) The soft and light pillow applies the perfect amount of pressure to revitalize and freshen the vision.

2) Substitutes as aromatherapy when pillow is lightly sprayed with favorite essential oils (eucalyptus, lavender).

3) Calms the nerves and mind, relaxes and balances the entire body within a few minutes.

4) Relieves irritated, itchy and burning eyes caused by over exposure to television, sitting in front of computer screens.

5) Quick relief from anxiety and stress.

The next time you are thinking of a DIY project, consider making your own yoga eye pillow. All it takes is a little bit of flax seeds, a linen or silk cloth, thread and needle to sow.  In about 30 minutes or less you will have your own handmade eye pillow. Voila! there you have a simple, low cost, powerful contraption that you can take anywhere and use any time to relax and rejuvenate.