Spilling the Pilateas Edition 41: The Eyes Have It
When we think about Pilates, we often focus on our powerhouse, our breathing, our alignment, and how our muscles work together. But there’s another important piece of the puzzle that I often save for last: our eyes.
The position and movement of our eyes can change how we experience an exercise. Something we’ve practiced hundreds of times can suddenly feel completely different simply by becoming more intentional about where and how we look.
Joseph Pilates developed an incredible collection of apparatuses that we continue to use every day. But did you know he also developed an eye chart?
The eye chart is a fascinating and fun addition to the work. Its purpose is to strengthen the muscles around the eyes through controlled eye movements and focused visual tracking. What I especially love is taking that experience onto the mat.
We return to exercises we know so well, but this time we introduce a deliberate, connected eye position. Suddenly, we may discover a deeper sense of rotation, a different muscular connection, or an entirely new awareness of how our body moves.
We’re no longer just performing an exercise. We’re exploring the system from eyes to toes.
And as riders, we know just how important our eyes are.
Where we look influences the position of our head, the organization of our neck, and ultimately how we carry ourselves in the saddle. Our gaze helps us stay forward-thinking rather than becoming fixed or stuck in a movement.
What’s especially interesting is how these subtle changes in our own bodies can influence what we feel from our horses.
Sometimes the smallest adjustment in our eye position creates a remarkable difference in the connection beneath us.
This Week’s Exercise: Spine Twist
Let’s take an exercise many of us know well and explore it through our eyes.
First perform the exercise as you normally do, clock how it feels, and then proceed with the steps below.
Sit tall on your mat with your legs extended straight in front of you, heels together, and arms reaching out to either side in a T position.
Find your lift, bringing your collarbones slightly forward of your hips without collapsing your spine.
Begin rotating your torso to the right, allowing your head to follow the movement of your spine. As you turn, deliberately direct your eyes even farther to the right, looking through the outer corner of your eyes. Keep your head lifted and your neck long, without forcing the movement.
Return to center, maintaining your height and bringing your eyes back with you.
Repeat to the left, allowing your head to follow your spine while directing your eyes, farther into the rotation. Notice whether this changes the depth or feeling of your twist.
Throughout the exercise, continue lifting through your spine. Keep both legs firmly connected to the mat and to each other. Don’t allow one leg to slide forward or become longer than the other as you rotate.
Keep your head and eyes lifted, your neck long, and your movement controlled. Never force your eyes or neck into an uncomfortable position.
Now did your twist feel different? Did you find more rotation, a greater sense of lift, or perhaps notice tension you hadn’t felt before?
Now Take It Into the Saddle
The next time you ride, pay attention to where your eyes are looking.
Are you looking ahead toward where you’re going, or are your eyes dropping toward your horse’s neck? Are you turning your head and eyes together, or is your gaze becoming disconnected from the movement?
Notice what happens when you become more deliberate about your eye position.
Does your neck feel freer? Does your upper body organize itself differently? Does your horse respond to the change?
Sometimes the smallest adjustment opens the door to an entirely different feeling.
That’s the beauty of Pilates. The more we understand how the pieces connect, the more we discover about the whole.
Until next week, keep exploring, keep feeling, and remember: the work doesn’t stop at your shoulders. It reaches all the way from your eyes to your toes.