Beyond the Light | Benefits of a Weighted Eye Pillow

Here is some insight about an overlooked prop - the weighted eye pillow and it's benefits.

The small but mighty eye pillow provides more benefits to the mind & body than just shutting out the light. The pillows are filled with organic flaxseed and help regulate the parasympathetic nervous system, digestion, the heart and even your mood. These tiny little eye pillows do this through their light seed weight and the help of a soft textured fabric to penetrate a nerve below the surface called the vagus nerve.

The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is one of the two major branches in the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The other branch being the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The ANS's function is to respond to environmental stimuli causing the mind-body system to respond to a threat ("fight or flight") or maintain homeostatic balance ("rest and digest").

The vagus nerve represents the main component in the parasympathetic nervous system. It establishes one of the connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract and sends information about the state of the inner organs to the brain.

This cranial nerve responds to the light acupuncture pressure of an eye pillow resting on the eyelids and sends a message down the back of the neck to your chest and heart. From there, the message continues along the nervous system to the abdomen sending a signal to relax, repair, and grow. Continue the feeling of grounding from your yin practice and cultivate it into your savasana with an eye pillow allowing the body to sink into a state of rest and digest.

Ready to explore this magic?! A team favorite at Let's Talk Yin is the eye pillows from HalfMoon! Check out the link to the right to snatch one up!