How Your Eyes Organize Your Body for Movement: An Awareness Through Movement® Lesson

By Al Wadleigh, GCFP

Article Summary

In this 31-minute seated and standing Awareness Through Movement® lesson, Al Wadleigh guides you through a series of eye, head, shoulder, pelvis, and whole-body turning movements. The lesson explores how the eyes can organize or interfere with turning, how actual and imagined movements can produce learning, and how differentiating the eyes from the head may contribute to smoother, easier movement. You need a firm chair, room to turn safely, and a stable support nearby if balance is uncertain.

Preparation and safety: Choose a firm dining-style chair, bench, or similar seat. Clear enough space to stand and turn without striking anything. Some comparisons are performed standing with the eyes closed; if closing your eyes affects your balance, keep them open, remain seated, or omit that portion. Move slowly, stay within a comfortable range, and avoid stretching or straining. Rest whenever an arm, your eyes, or any other part of you becomes tired. This lesson is educational and is not a substitute for individualized medical care.

The Eyes Participate in Every Turn

When we think about turning, we usually think first about the neck, shoulders, spine, or pelvis. The eyes may seem secondary, as though they simply look in the direction the body has already decided to go. Yet the eyes are active participants in orientation. Where they move, where they stop, and what they attempt to hold in focus can influence the organization of the entire movement.

This lesson makes that influence easier to sense. You begin with an ordinary standing turn and compare what happens with your eyes open and closed. With the eyes open, they may catch briefly on objects as they cross the room. Those small stops can appear elsewhere as changes in speed, smoothness, effort, or range. Closing the eyes temporarily removes that visual interruption and gives you another version of the same movement to compare.

The purpose is not to decide that turning with the eyes closed is better. We need the eyes open to orient ourselves in the world. The useful question is whether the eyes can participate in turning without unnecessarily interrupting it. Through a series of carefully differentiated movements, you explore how that organization can become clearer.

About This Lesson

This is my abbreviated, chair-based presentation of a lesson Moshe Feldenkrais called “The Movement of the Eyes Organizes the Movement of the Body.” He presented it in his book Awareness Through Movement and in other teaching contexts. It is a particularly clear example of how a Feldenkrais® lesson uses differentiation and integration to improve the organization of the whole person.

You will first coordinate the eyes, head, shoulders, and arm as one movement. Then you will separate parts of that coordination: the head and eyes move while the body remains turned; the eyes move while the head stays oriented toward the hand; the head moves while the eyes remain on the hand; and eventually one eye moves while the other is closed. You also explore part of the sequence in imagination before testing what changes in actual movement.

The lesson does not ask you to force a larger turn. It gives you more information about how you turn. Any increase in range is useful mainly as evidence that the organization has changed.

Recording details

• Teacher: Al Wadleigh
• Original lesson: “The Movement of the Eyes Organizes the Movement of the Body,” by Moshe Feldenkrais
• Video published: September 27, 2022
• Format: Seated and standing guided movement lesson
• Runtime: Approximately 31 minutes
• Equipment: A firm chair or bench and clear standing space
• Platform: YouTube
• Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8tJw8PNmEA

The spoken instructions carry most of the lesson, but the video shows the arm, hand, head, and seated turning positions. Watch the setup for each new configuration before closing your eyes or directing your attention inward.

Lesson Guide

• 0:00 — Introduction and lesson source
• 1:21 — Seated body scan
• 2:42 — Initial standing turn with the eyes open and closed
• 6:06 — Following the hand while turning from the chair
• 9:39 — Differentiating the eyes from the head
• 13:11 — Using imagined movement on the second side
• 17:54 — Opposing the head and shoulders and moving one eye at a time
• 21:35 — Repeating the sequence on the other side
• 26:31 — Seated rest and body scan
• 27:23 — Returning to the standing turn
• 29:27 — Walking and comparing near and distant vision

What You Explore During the Lesson

Establishing a Baseline

The opening body scan and standing turn give you something concrete to compare with later. You sense the contact of the feet and pelvis, the relationship of the back to the chair, and the orientation of the head and face. In standing, you notice how far you turn comfortably, how the arms swing, and how the eyes travel across the room.

The comparison between eyes open and eyes closed is especially important. It allows you to recognize whether the visual field introduces small pauses or changes in the movement of the neck. You are not trying to correct those changes yet. You are learning to perceive them.

Coordinating the Hand, Eyes, Head, and Shoulders

In sitting, one arm is raised with the elbow bent and the hand in front of the face. You choose a point on the hand and follow it with your eyes while the arm, shoulders, and head turn together. The hand supplies a stable visual reference and makes the coordination easier to observe.

The arm may become tired. That fatigue is not part of the objective, so you lower the arm and rest whenever needed. The movements remain small enough to be comfortable and slow enough for you to follow what you are doing.

Differentiating the Eyes From the Head

Once the coordinated turn is familiar, the lesson separates movements that normally occur together. Sometimes the head and eyes move beyond the hand. Sometimes only the eyes move toward the side while the head remains facing the hand. Sometimes the eyes stay fixed on the hand while the head turns away from them.

This is differentiation. By making one part move while another remains relatively quiet, you create clearer distinctions within the action. When the parts are brought together again, the turn may become smoother because the nervous system has more options for coordinating them.

Using Imagination as Part of Learning

The second side begins with imagined rather than physical movements. You remain turned, close your eyes, and think through the movements of the head and eyes. Later you imagine moving only the eyes, and then only the head while the imagined gaze remains on the hand.

Imagined movement is not an escape from physical learning. It is another way of organizing the action. You rehearse timing, direction, relationship, and intention without the effort of producing the full movement. When you test the actual turn afterward, you may discover that something has already changed.

Moving One Eye at a Time

Later variations close one eye while the other moves toward the outer corner of its socket and returns to the front relative to the face. This creates another level of differentiation. The instruction remains connected to sensations in the neck, spine, back, pelvis, and hip, because the movement of one eye may be experienced beyond the eye itself.

Returning to the Whole Movement

At the end, you stand and repeat the original turn. You compare the ease and range of movement, the way the eyes cross the room, and the difference between turning with the eyes open and closed. You then allow the heels to lift naturally so the feet, legs, pelvis, spine, shoulders, head, and eyes can participate more fully.

The lesson closes with walking and looking at nearby and distant objects. This brings the exploration back into ordinary orientation. The central idea is simple: the movement of the eyes is part of the organization of the whole body, and clearer differentiation can support clearer integration.

Edited Transcript

Editor’s note: This transcript was prepared from automatic captions and edited against the recorded sequence for readability. Obvious recognition errors involving Moshe Feldenkrais, the Feldenkrais Method, Awareness Through Movement, anatomical terms, and movement directions have been corrected. Filler, accidental repetition, and abandoned starts were removed conservatively. No developed lesson sequence has been intentionally omitted. The transcript does not replace reviewed captions on the video.

Introduction and Preparation

Al Wadleigh: I’m going to guide you through a little Feldenkrais lesson. This lesson is one that Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais presented in his book Awareness Through Movement. He calls it “The Movement of the Eyes Organizes the Movement of the Body.” He presented this lesson in a number of other contexts as well, which I think speaks to how highly he thought of it as an example of whole-body organization.

I’m going to teach you an abbreviated version of this lesson, sitting in a chair. If you’re on the internet, chances are you’re sitting in a chair or you have one near you, so you can do this lesson pretty easily.

To begin, select a chair that is like a dining chair—something with a firm seat and a firm back. I’ll be demonstrating the lesson sitting on the table in my office. Something like that will work, or a bench. Ideally, use something that isn’t too cushy. If you only have a couch or a bed, you can make do with what you have.

Pause the recording, find a chair, and I’ll meet you back here in a few moments.

Seated Body Scan

Please sit in your chair. Sit back and relax, and feel your feet on the floor. Sense the pressure on your heels. Is there more weight on one heel? Sense your knees and the bend of your knees.

Sense the weight on your pelvis. How is the weight distributed? Bring your attention to your lower back and sense its relationship to the back of the chair.

Gently move your attention up to the ribs on either side of the spine and sense how they make contact. Bring your awareness to your shoulder blades. Get a sense of how you’re orienting your head and face. Sense your arms. Are your hands resting on your thighs? Are they touching each other?

Let all that go. Move to the front of your chair and stand up.

Initial Standing Turn

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Begin to turn left and right. The feet remain in place while you turn the pelvis left and right, which turns the shoulders left and right. Let the arms hang like ropes. As you turn left, the right arm moves in front of you toward the left. When you turn right, the left arm moves in front of you toward the right.

Continue a few times, going slowly and comfortably. Let the arms hang like ropes and make a gentle turning movement. Your head also turns with the movement of the shoulders.

Notice what happens with your eyes and your vision. Keep your eyes open and notice how they move across the room. Do they catch on an object? Are there small stops along the way, or do they jump from one object to the next? Just notice.

Continue turning and get a sense of how far you turn comfortably to the right and how far you turn comfortably to the left.

Now continue turning and close your eyes. Notice whether it makes a difference. Does the movement become smoother? Do you go farther to the left or right? Is there an easier sense about it? Perhaps there is even a change in the speed of the movement.

Open your eyes again. Notice how the eyes move across the room. Are they catching on objects? What does this do to the movement? Does it slow down? Does it become less smooth or rougher? What sensations do you have in your neck?

Once again, close your eyes and continue turning left and right. Sense the change again. Notice the speed, ease, smoothness, and range of motion.

Let that go and sit back in your chair.

You may have noticed a fairly large difference between doing the movement with your eyes open and closed. With the eyes open, they may have caught on objects as you moved across the room. That may have caused some jerkiness in the neck, made the movement less smooth, or limited the range. Closing the eyes removed that interference and may have created a smoother, lighter, easier movement.

Let’s work with the eyes and see what we can do to make turning easier and smoother with the eyes open.

Following the Left Hand to the Right

Sit forward in your chair. Bring your left arm out in front at shoulder height and bend the elbow so the hand is more or less in front of your face. Pick a spot on your hand and look at it. Fix your eyes on that spot.

Begin to turn your shoulders, arm, and head to the right with the eyes looking at the hand. Come back to the middle. Repeat the movement a number of times and go slowly.

Rest as needed. If you become tired or your arm gets heavy, stop and rest, and then come back to the movement. Your right hand can rest on your thigh, on the chair next to you, or it can hang. Your attention is on the left hand.

Turn slowly to the right and come back to the middle each time, keeping your eyes on the point on your hand. Stay within a comfortable range. Don’t go for any stretch or strain.

The next time you turn right, stop and look over your hand. Mark a spot in your environment so you have a reference point for how far you turn. Come back to the middle, lower your arm, and rest for a few moments.

Following the Right Hand to the Left

Sit forward and bring the right arm in front in the same position. The elbow is bent, the hand is in front of your face, and the arm is at shoulder height. Pick a spot on the hand with your eyes.

Turn the arm, shoulders, and head to the left while looking at the hand. Come back to the middle each time. Pay attention to how smooth the movement is, and breathe easily and comfortably. Stay within your comfortable range without stretching or straining.

The next time you turn left, stop. Look over the hand and mark a spot in your environment on that side. Bring everything back to the middle, put your arm down, and rest. Sense whatever subtle changes you notice in your back, breathing, and chest.

Moving the Head and Eyes Beyond the Hand

Bring the left arm in front, look at the hand, and turn everything to the right as far as you can comfortably. Remain there. Turn the head and eyes farther to the right and then look back to the hand. It is as though you want to look over your right shoulder and then return to the hand.

Pay attention to the movement of the eyes. They may tend to move downward as you go right, so keep them moving along the horizon in the direction of the right ear. Bring the head back to look at the hand. Do this slowly and gently several times.

Let that go, bring everything back to the middle, lower your arm, and rest.

Moving Only the Eyes

Sit forward again. Bring the left arm in front, look at the hand, and turn to the right as far as is comfortable. Remain in this turned position. Leave the head oriented toward the hand and move only the eyes to the right and back to the hand.

Move the eyes along the horizon in the direction of the right ear, then return to the hand. Take your time. The next time you are looking at the hand, bring everything back to the middle, lower the arm, and rest.

Moving the Head While the Eyes Stay on the Hand

Bring the left arm in front, look at the hand, and turn everything to the right. Remain turned. Keep your eyes on the hand and turn your head farther to the right.

This can be a little tricky because you are separating the movement of the head and eyes. Go slowly. Keeping the eyes on the hand constrains the movement of the head to the right. Make the movement smaller, slower, and gentler so you can track and sense what you are doing.

Repeat several times, then bring everything back to the middle, lower your arm, and rest.

Bring the left arm in front once more, look at the hand, and turn to the right as far as you can comfortably. Look beyond the hand and notice whether you have turned farther than at the beginning of the lesson. Come back to the middle, lower the arm, and rest. Sense your face, the two sides of your face, your shoulders, and your chest.

Imagining the Movements on the Second Side

Bring the right arm in front and look at the hand. Turn everything to the left as far as is comfortable and remain there. Close your eyes. We’re going to do some work in your imagination. We’re going to use thought to create improvement in your turning.

In this position, imagine turning your head and eyes farther to the left, as though you want to look over your left shoulder. Think the movement. In your imagination, go slowly and gently. Repeat it a number of times.

Bring everything back to the middle, lower your arm, and rest.

Bring the right arm in front again, look at the hand, and turn everything to the left. Imagine moving only the eyes to the left while your head remains oriented toward the hand. Imagine the eyes moving left and back to the hand. Do that a few more times in your imagination. Bring everything back to the middle and rest.

Bring the right arm in front once again and turn everything to the left while looking at the hand. Close your eyes. Imagine leaving the eyes resting on the hand while turning only your head to the left and back to the hand. Repeat this slowly in your imagination and thought.

Bring everything back to the middle and rest.

Now bring the right arm in front, look at the hand, and turn everything to the left as far as you can comfortably. Look over the hand and notice whether you turn farther left than you did at the beginning of the lesson. Most likely you have. Simply using imagination and working in thought may have improved the movement. For some people, the imagined side may even turn farther than the side on which we did the actual movements.

Bring everything back to the middle and rest.

Turning the Head Against the Direction of the Shoulders

Sit forward and bring the left arm in front with the elbow bent and the hand in front of your face at shoulder height. Turn your head, shoulders, eyes, and arm to the right as far as you can comfortably and stop.

From this new position, turn your head and eyes to the left as though you want to look over your left shoulder. Return the head and eyes to the hand. Repeat slowly and gently. As you move, sense what happens in the pelvis, the left hip, and along the left side.

The next time you are oriented toward the hand, bring everything back to the middle, lower your arm, and rest.

Moving Each Eye Separately

Bring the left arm in front and turn everything to the right. Remain turned. Turn your head and eyes to the left and leave them there. Your shoulders are turned right while your head is turned left.

Close your right eye. Move only your left eye farther left and then forward again—forward relative to your face. Make five to ten movements with the left eye. As you move the eye, pay attention to sensations in your neck and along your spine. You may find sensations related to the eye moving farther left.

Let that go. Bring your head back to the right to meet the hand, then bring the shoulders and head back to the front. Lower the arm and rest.

Bring the left arm in front and turn everything to the right again. Turn your head and eyes to the left. Close your left eye and look with only the right eye farther to the left, then forward again relative to your face. Repeat the movement and listen to sensations in the neck and along the spine. Move the eye in the direction of the left ear.

Bring the head back to the right to meet the hand. Bring everything back to the middle, lower your arm, and rest.

Bring the left arm in front once again and turn everything to the right. Look over the hand and find out whether you have turned a little farther. Perhaps you have gained a few more degrees. If you want, make a few additional turns for your appreciation of your ability to learn and change. Find out what happens in the left hip as you turn right.

Return to the middle, lower your arm, sit back, and rest.

Repeating the Opposing and One-Eye Movements on the Other Side

Sit forward and bring the right arm in front. Look at the hand and turn your shoulders, arm, head, and eyes to the left. Remain turned left.

Turn your head and eyes to the right as though you want to look over your right shoulder, then return to the hand—your new front on the left. Repeat and sense what happens along the back, in the right hip, and in your neck. Return everything to the front, lower your arm, and rest.

Bring the right arm in front, look at the hand, and turn everything to the left. Turn your head and eyes to the right and remain there. Close your left eye. Move only your right eye farther right and back to the front relative to your face. Move the right eye in the direction of the right ear.

The next time the eye is in front, bring your head and eyes back to meet the hand on the left. Bring everything back to the middle and rest.

Bring the right arm in front and turn everything to the left once again. Turn your head and eyes right. Close your right eye and look with only the left eye farther to the right, toward the right ear. As you move the eye, sense into your neck and along your back.

The next time the eye is forward, bring the head back left to meet the hand. Bring everything back to the front, lower your arm, and rest.

Bring the right arm in front one last time, look at the hand, and turn everything to the left as far as you can comfortably. Look over the hand and find out whether you have gained a few more degrees in your range of motion. Make a few more movements for your pleasure and satisfaction, following sensations in the pelvis, back, and neck.

Bring everything back to the middle, lower your arm, sit back, and take a good rest.

Final Seated Scan and Standing Comparison

Sit back in your chair and sense the changes in yourself. Sense your feet on the floor, your knees, and your hip joints. Sense how your pelvis rests on the chair. Bring your attention to your lower back, ribs, and shoulder blades. Sense how your arms are resting, and sense your breath.

Come forward and stand with your feet comfortably spread about hip-width apart. Return to the movement of turning left and right. The pelvis and shoulders go left and right, and the arms hang like ropes.

Sense the ease of turning. Do your eyes move more easily across the room when you go left and right? Is there a smoother transition across objects?

Continue turning and close your eyes. Sense whether there is less of a change than there was at the beginning. Perhaps the transition between eyes open and eyes closed is less dramatic.

Open your eyes and continue. Look left as you turn left and right as you turn right. Sense how far you can look around behind yourself. As you turn left, let the right heel lift. As you turn right, let the left heel lift. Continue a few more times, then let that go.

Sense yourself in standing. Sense your legs and notice how you are orienting in the room. Are your eyes more toward the horizon?

Walk around a little. Look at things up close. If you have a window or can go outside safely, look into the distance. Get a sense of how things look.

Closing Reflections

Al Wadleigh: We learned some interesting things in this lesson. One is that the eyes can be very influential in organizing the neck, back, shoulders, and your entire movement. We can use the eyes to create better differentiation among the parts of ourselves and better integration.

“The eyes are important for organizing, differentiating, and integrating movement of your entire self.” — Al Wadleigh

“Our imagination is a powerful tool in facilitating our learning.” — Al Wadleigh

Use your imagination to help improve yourself, plan your movements, and do more of what you want to do in life. I hope you enjoyed this lesson. Thank you for joining me, and take care.

I suggest that you take a walk. Go outside, look into the distance, and look at things up close. You may find that your focus is a little different, that you’re walking or standing differently, or that things look clearer or colors appear more vivid. Look around, spend some time with your sensory experience, and find out what is different.

“Spend some time with your sensory experience and just find out what’s different.” — Al Wadleigh

If you would like to learn more about me, my practice, and my lessons, please visit AchievingExcellence.com. I love to teach and share my work. Thank you very much, and have a great day.

Continue Exploring

• Explore additional free Feldenkrais lessons: https://achievingexcellence.com/free-feldenkrais-lesson/
• Learn about current Feldenkrais classes: https://achievingexcellence.com/feldenkrais-classes/
• Read how learning is used to improve whole-person functioning: https://achievingexcellence.com/unveiling-the-power-of-the-feldenkrais-method-a-journey-of-transformation-and-healing/
• Watch the original video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8tJw8PNmEA