A couple of years ago I read an excellent, detailed book on yoga, The Spirit and Practice of Moving into the Stillness by Eric Schiffman. This thick tome, excellent for the serious beginner and intermediate yoga student, contains many suggestions for how to maximize your yoga practice. Schiffman talks at length about how to listen inwardly to your own guidance. One of his tips that I began to incorporate was to close my eyes while doing neck rolls.Schiffman advises that doing this will enable you to become better attuned to the relaxing sensations of the neck rolls.
Because the weather in the Washington, DC metro area has become too freakin' frigid the past couple of days, this morning I decided to imagine I was back on one of the spectacular beaches in Kauai that I visited as a college junior for winter break. I also chose to do yoga in absolute quiet and to close my eyes throughout all the poses - not just the neck rolls. The result? I felt more deeply relaxed and noticed my body more and energy I awakened as I went through my usual regime.
If you'd like to try this approach, I recommend that you wait at least a few weeks or so after learning a pose so that you know exactly what you are doing with your eyes wide open. And, be aware that you may not be able to do this with all poses - particularly active poses that require more coordination and balance. Once you feel comfortable, give it a whirl and see how you feel. I believe that if you are going through a stressful time, practicing with your eyes closed will more rapidly defuse the stress.
You can read chapters from Schiffman's book at: www.movingintostillness.com
Enjoy!