They may seem small and humble, but eye pillows are a powerful tool for promoting relaxation. Whether you’re practicing yoga asana or just needing a five-minute break, resting with an eye pillow can help smooth the jagged edges in your nervous system.

An article in Yoga Journal claims that applying gentle pressure to the eyeballs promotes deep rest, and even happiness:

“Light pressure on the eyeballs lowers heart rate, sometimes by quite a bit, by eliciting what’s called the oculocardiac reflex. It also stimulates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve has an extensive resume: It regulates heart rate and digestion, and it’s the primary medium through which our belly brain regulates mood. It’s the main communicator to our rest-and-digest system, which helps us to relax more deeply. It also elicits our tend-and-befriend system, enabling us to reach out and connect with others. This is a critical factor in long-term stress resilience and, research shows, in happiness.”

In yoga practice, we use eye pillows to enhance restorative poses and Savasana. But like every other aspect of asana practice, there’s no one-size-fits-all eye pillow. That is why Hugger Mugger carries a variety of choices. Eye pillow filling comes in three choices: flax, herbal or beads. Here are some suggestions to help you choose what’s best for you:

For studios: Many studios don’t provide eye pillows for their students. The reason is a practical one: when eye pillows are being used by lots of different people, they need regular washing. This can be impractical, especially when you have 20 or more to wash at once. If you wash a flax or herbal eye pillow without emptying out the filling, it will turn into a brick. So you have to empty them out and wash just the covers. It’s just not practical to empty out 20 or more eyebags, wash the covers, and then refill the bags.

That’s why I keep eye pillows filled with plastic beads for students to use at my studio. Unlike the flax and herbal eye pillow filling, plastic beads don’t have to be emptied out when you wash them.  To wash the bead-filled eyebags, you can put them in a sink full of hot water and a mild handwash soap. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Drain the sink and rinse the bags with cool water. Then wrap them in a towel to squeeze out excess moisture and hang to dry.

For individual practice: If you plan to buy just one eye pillow for your own use, any eye pillow filling will work. When you’re only washing one eye pillow, emptying the bag and refilling it is not a big deal. Here are the choices:

Flax: While any eye pillow filling will feel good on your eyes, many people prefer the feel of flax. Because flaxseeds are smaller than the plastic beads, they feel a bit more malleable, but denser at the same time. Flax seeds have a very subtle, grainy fragrance.

Herbal: Herbal eye pillows feel the same as flax eye pillows, but they exude the fragrances of lavender, orange and peppermint. Many people find that this relaxing blend promotes deeper relaxation. Some, who are more sensitive to smells, may find the fragrances stimulating. In this case, flax or beads would be a better choice.

Beads: If you want to have your own personal eye pillow, but want zero hassle in caring for it, beads are the way to go. As I said above, washing them is really easy. And if you’re super sensitive to smell, the beads have no fragrance.

One more thing …

If regular-sized eye pillows feel too heavy for you or some of your students, try a Piccolo Eye Pillow. Some people experience temporary blurry vision after using regular eye pillows, and people who wear contacts don’t usually like a lot of pressure on their eyes. Piccolo eye pillows are about half the size of regular eye pillows, and much lighter. These eye pillows have a removable cover, so they’re very easy to wash and appropriate for studio use. They come with flax or herbal fillings.

How to Choose the Best Eye Pillows for Your Practice

Savasana is yoga’s most important asana. It is the time when your body and mind integrate the benefits of your practice. My teacher, Pujari, says that Savasana is the time when you “collect the karma of your practice.” Over my decades of practice, I’ve realized that the most helpful way to facilitate the process of integration is to do as little as possible. The more open, relaxed and receptive your body and mind, the easier it is for your practice to settle into you.

You can employ many helpers to support deeper relaxation in Savasana. Some people enjoy a rolled up Yoga Blanket or Bolster under their legs to release tension in the lumbar spine. Many people like having a light blanket over their bodies to keep them warm as the body cools during Savasana. Another helpful tool is to place an Eye Pillow over your eyes.

Eye pillows block out visual stimulation, especially light, allowing a more internal experience in Savasana. Using an Eye pillow helps release tension in the forehead, eye sockets, temples, cheekbones, neck and shoulders. Eye pillows filled with herbs such as lavender help calm the nervous system. Some yoga teachers believe that the gentle weight on your eye sockets sends a neurological signal that promotes whole body relaxation.

Which Eye Pillows Are Best for Your Practice?

Like every other aspect of asana practice, there’s no one-size-fits-all Eye pillow. That is why Hugger Mugger carries a variety of choices. Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve found to be the best use of each of Hugger Mugger’s Eye Pillows. All these Eye pillows are made in the USA:

Silk Eye Pillows with Bead Filling: These are the first Eye pillows Hugger Mugger began making more than 20 years ago. The plastic beads make these Eye pillows simple to wash, so they are great for studio use. I wash my Eye pillows once every two to three weeks during most of the year. During cold and flu season, I step it up to once a week at times. Some of the Eye pillows at my studio have probably been washed more than 100 times and they’re still going strong. Many of them are more than 20 years old!

To wash: Place in a sink full of hot water and a mild hand-wash soap. Place like colors with other like colors, as the blue and lavender silk colors can tend to bleed. Let them soak for at least 10 minutes. Rinse and hang to dry. They will probably take a few hours to dry. I usually turn the bags over after a few hours to dry the spot that’s been resting against the drying rack.

Silk Eye Pillows with Flax Seed Filling: Many people prefer the feel of flax seeds. In general they feel softer and more “fluid” against your skin. The eye pillows I use at home contain flax seeds. They are not as appropriate for studio use, however, because in order to wash them, the filling needs to be emptied out. I know from experience that if you throw a flax-filled Eye Pillow into a sink full of water with the flax seeds still inside, your Eye Pillow will turn into a brick. The covers are zippered, so if you are washing just your own individual Eye Pillow, the care is very easy.

To wash: Empty the filling out into a bowl. Hand wash the silk cover in a sink full of hot water and mild soap. Soak for 10 minutes. Rinse and hang to dry. The cover will dry very quickly. Use a kitchen funnel to pour the filling back into your Eye Pillow. If you ever feel as if you want to replace the flax seeds, you can usually buy them in bulk at any natural foods store.

Silk Eye Pillows with Herbal Filling: These Eye Pillows are filled with flax seeds and relaxing herbs—lavender, orange peel and peppermint. Many people feel that the herbs enhance their relaxation experience in Savasana, while others who are sensitive to scent may prefer other options. Like the Eye Pillows with flax seed filling, these Eye Pillows are zippered for ease in washing.

To wash: See the washing instructions for Silk Eye Pillows with Flax Seed Filling. If you want to refresh the filling, you can likely find the herbs and flax seeds in the bulk section at most natural foods stores.

Peachskin Eye Pillows: These Eye Pillows are covered with sturdy, cozy “peached” polyester fabric and filled with flax seeds and herbs. Peachskin Eye Pillows are sturdy enough to place in the microwave if you’re seeking heat, or in the freezer if you’re craving cool. The herbal filling promotes relaxation.

To wash: Spot clean only.

Piccolo Eye Pillows: Our Piccolo Eye Pillows are about half the size of our regular Eye Pillows . While most people love the weight and feel of our regular Eye Pillows , there are some people who have found that even the gentle pressure of a standard Eye Pillow can produce a temporary (minute or so) blurring in their vision. People wearing contact lenses also sometimes find standard Eye Pillows to be a little too heavy. For these folks, Hugger Mugger invented Piccolo Eye Pillows. Filling options are flax seeds or flax seeds and herbs. Because these bags are so light Hugger Mugger chose not to weight one side of the bag with a zipper. Instead, there’s a removable, silk outer cover that allows for washing without disturbing the filling. The ease in washing these Eye Pillows makes them appropriate for studio use.

To wash: Remove the outer cover. Because of possible color bleeding, wash colors separately. Soak the cover(s) in a sink full of hot water and mild soap for 10 minutes or so. Hang to dry. The covers will dry very quickly.