. . . a fresh perspective into visual relaxation for people who can – and can't – palm
Eye Masks
Background
Doctor Bates was not keen on eye coverings, and he often expressed that palming was the essential technique when learning how to release unnecessary physical and mental strain on the eyes and mind. He reprinted the following Q&A a number of times in the Better Eyesight Magazines:
Question: 'If one's arms become tired while palming, will a black silk handkerchief covering the eyes produce the same amount of relaxation one gets from palming?'
Answer: 'No. Palming is the best method for relaxation and improvement in vision. When tired of palming, the hands can be removed and the eyes kept closed until one feels relaxed.'
It is true that using any kind of eye mask is not the same as Palming, however, there can be situations where palming is not possible, and the use of a blackout mask is the next best option to allow your eyes to rest in complete darkness. Fortunately, recent designs in eye masks are particularly good for this, and they have enabled people who cannot palm to finally experience total darkness - along with deep, visual, and mental rest. Furthermore a good eye mask can work so well it brings a fresh perspective into visual relaxation for people who can palm.
Stillness & Movement
Palming brings stillness to the head and eyes, while an eye mask can be used in both movement and stillness. It is possible while wearing an eye mask to move around in 100% darkness, and exploring this can provide wonderful insight into the reactions your eyes make in response to movement.
Protection
There is also a great difference between your hands and a mask. Your hands themselves, covering your eyes, with their warmth and energy, are supremely protective. In an eye mask, along with the ease of movement, the eyes may feel a little more vulnerable. If you can release and relax into this sensation it can be very helpful.
I was working with a brain-damaged client who was completely unable to co-ordinate his left hand. He couldn't palm, so I brought along a black-out eye mask for him to try.
As he wore it I talked to him about relaxing the muscles around his eyes. He liked that. I encouraged him to be completely still. It was very successful, and he began using the mask several times a day, and often all night long as well. His co-ordination started to improve. His mother came to observe and when she first saw him come out from one of those sessions, she was deeply moved. She suddenly saw her son again, with his face calm and peaceful. She hadn't seen him look like that in over eight years. The trauma and tension of all he had experienced had been etched daily into his face. But now she saw his calmness and said to him, 'I recognise you, I can see my son. I can see the young man from before the accident.'
This is the Rolls-Royce of eye masks. Completely adjustable, they come with separate and interchangeable eye pads that you can place to maximise your comfort, providing 100% blackout. Other designs from the range include weighted or slim straps, aromatherapy, and added cool or warm eye pads.
This eye mask is very simply made and very effective. It's not quite 100% blackout, but it's the best of the affordable designs, and in a darkened room it functions very well. The Bedtime Bliss Eye Mask is lightweight, made of natural, breathable cotton, and with a bamboo inner frame. Very comfortable.
Note that the Manta Sleep product range comes from the USA. Shipping times can be 7-21 days for the rest of the world.
It is as natural for the eye to see as it is for the mind to acquire knowledge, and any effort in either case is not only useless, but defeats the end in view.
William H. Bates M.D.
On a tomb in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Florence was found the following inscription: "Here lies Salvino degli Armati, Inventor of Spectacles. May God pardon him his sins."
Nuova Encyclopedia Italiana, sixth edition. BEMs July 1920