Often, when we think of yoga, we think of the solid parts of the body and svelte yogis in headstands. However, one of the most overlooked body parts that yoga benefits is the organs of sight – our oh-so-sensitive eyes.
How to improve eyesight with eye yoga
Just as yoga can be practiced specifically to address lower back pain and neck stiffness, so too can yoga be practiced to address issues related to the eyes. Eye yoga improves the vision and helps to overcome various eye-related problems, such as
- Myopia (short sightedness)
- Hypermetropia (far sightedness)
- Various other eye-related disorders
Therapeutic eye yoga exercises include:
- Palming
- Blinking
- Changing focus of eyes from side to side simultaneously
- Changing focus of eyes forward and sideways simultaneously
- Rotational viewing
- Viewing upwards and down simultaneously
- Preliminary nose tip gazing
- Near and distant viewing
Most eye disorders are addressed using powerful glasses and lenses that correct the refractive errors of the eye. However, glasses, while of aid, can never cure poor eyesight. In fact, using powerful glasses can worsen eye problems.
Other than diseases such as cataract and glaucoma, which occur due to bacterial infections, many eye disorders are rooted in the malfunctioning of the ocular muscles, a problem which is often caused by chronic mental and emotional tension. Yoga techniques can improve eyesight naturally and help to alleviate various disorders related to defective eye muscles such as myopia and hypermetropia.
Eye exercises to improve vision
Practice the following exercises to improve eyesight and discover how to strengthen your vision naturally with yoga!
Note: Remember to keep your head and spine straight throughout the exercises.
Palming
- Sit quietly with eyes closed and take some deep breaths to relax yourself completely.
- Rub the palms of your hands vigorously, until they become warm and place the palms gently over your eye lids.
- Feel the warmth of the palms being transferred onto the eyes and the eye muscles relaxing. Your eyes are being bathed in soothing darkness.
- Stay in this position until the heat from the hands has been completely absorbed by the eyes.
- Keeping the eyes closed, lower the hands
- Once again rub the palms and repeat the process at least three times
Blinking
- Sit comfortably with your eyes open.
- Blink around 10 times very quickly.
- Close your eyes and relax for 20 seconds. Slowly take your attention to your breath.
- Repeat this exercise about 5 times.
Sideways viewing
- Sit with legs straight in front of the body.
- Now lift the arms keeping your fist closed and your thumbs pointing upward.
- Look at a point straight in front of you in level with your eyes.
- Keep the head in this fixed position, focus on the following one after the other, by shifting your vision to the
- Space between the eyebrows
- Left thumb
- Space between the eyebrows
- Right thumb
- Space between the eyebrows
- Left thumb
- Repeat this exercise 10 to 20 times.
- After completing this exercise close your eyes and rest.
Observe the following breathing pattern as you perform the above exercise
- Inhale in the neutral position
- Exhale while looking to the side.
- Inhale and come back to the center.
Front and sideways viewing
- Sit with legs straight in front of the body
- Then place the left [closed] fist on the left knee ensuring that the thumb points upwards.
- Look at a point straight in front and in level with your eyes.
- Keeping the head in this fixed position.
- Breathing out, focus your eyes on the left thumb.
- Breathing in, focus your eyes at a point in front and in level with your eyes.
- Repeat the same process with the right thumb.
- Then close your eyes and rest.
Rotational viewing
- Sit with legs straight in front of your body.
- Place the left hand on the left knee.
- Hold the right fist above the right knee, with the thumb pointing upwards. Keep the elbow straight.
- Now keeping the head still, focus your eyes on the thumb.
- Make a circle with the thumb, keeping the elbow straight.
- Repeat this exercise five times each in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction.
- Repeat the process with the left thumb.
- Close and rest the eyes and relax completely.
Observe the following breathing pattern during this exercise
- Inhale while completing the upper arc of the circle.
- Exhale while completing the lower arc.
Up and down viewing
- Sit with legs straight in front of your body.
- With both the thumbs pointing upwards, place both the fists on the knees.
- Slowly raise the right thumb keeping the arms straight. Follow the motion of the thumb upwards with the eyes.
- When the thumb is raised to the maximum, gradually bring it down to the starting position and continue to keep the eyes focused on the thumb all the while keeping the head still.
- Repeat the same process with the left thumb.
- Practice this 5 times with each thumb.
- The head and the spine should be kept straight throughout.
- Close the eyes and relax.
Observe the following breathing pattern as you perform the above exercise
- Inhale while raising the eyes.
- Exhale while lowering the eyes.
Preliminary nose tip gazing
- Sit in a cross-legged pose.
- Lift the right arm straight directly in front of the nose.
- Making a fist with the right hand, keep your thumb pointing upward.
- Focus both eyes on the tip of the thumb.
- Now bend the arm and gradually bring the thumb to the tip of the nose, all the while having the eyes focused on the tip of the thumb.
- Remain in this position for a while with the thumb held at the tip of the nose with the eyes focused there.
- Continuing to gaze at the tip of the thumb, gradually straighten the arm.
- This constitutes a single round.
- Perform at least five such rounds.
Observe the following breathing pattern as you perform the above exercise
- Breathe in while the thumb is pulled to the tip of the nose.
- Retain inside while holding the thumb at the tip of the nose.
- Breathe out as the arm is straightened.
Near and distant viewing
- Stand or sit by an open window with a clear view of the horizon. Keep the arms by your side.
- Focus on the tip of the nose for 5-10 seconds.
- Repeat this for about 10 to 20 times.
- Close and relax the eyes.
Observe the following breathing pattern
- Inhale during close viewing.
- Exhale during distant viewing.
Do I Need to “Cool Down” After Eye Exercises?
You can go straight from light eye yoga back to work. However, if you do a full session it is advisable to give yourself a rest. After completing the above exercises, lie in corpse pose for a few minutes and relax yourself completely. Breathe gently and normally, and do not resist any thoughts or sensations during the exercise. Or, take your rest even deeper with a yoga nidra meditation.
Who Is Eye Yoga Good For?
These practices are excellent for everyone, glasses or not. In an era where vision is increasingly fixed on screens, it is important to remember that health of your eyes is in your hands!
Disclaimer: While a regular yoga practice can result in improved health, know that it is not a substitute for medical treatment. It is important to learn and practice yoga under the supervision of a trained teacher. In the case of a medical condition, practice yoga after consulting a doctor.
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