How To Improve Eye Sight With Yoga
Our eyes are looked upon as the windows to the soul. On a tangible level, our eyes are also windows to the world and are constantly absorbing all the information around us. Being glued to cell phones, computer screens, televisions may be doing more harm than good to a person. Average adult spends more than eight hours a day staring at screens of one sort or another which leads to suffering from blurred vision, dry, itchy and watery eyes, headaches, double vision, and other symptoms of eye strain.
Even when not facing these gadgets, we are using our eyes for every single second that we are awake. Even though sight is considered to be the most developed, it is the most abused of our five senses. Hence it’s time we take good care of them. Also since there is deep correlation between the eyes and the mind, tension around the eyes also affects the brain causing stress and anxiety. Therefore, when we close our eyes, our mind also feels relaxed. Only healthy diet intake and sleep are not enough to take necessary care of our eyes. Yoga plays a significant role as practicing specific asanas and kriyas can help to improve the functioning of the eyes.
Hansaji, Director of The Yoga Institute states, “In our routine lifestyle, we generally have a straight vision, we rarely use our side vision and hence the side muscles from our eyes are not well exercised and becomes lazy. Exercising the eyes by rotating the eyeball (and not rotating the neck) helps to exercise all the eye muscles.” She also adds, “Awareness about using the eye is very important to relieve its stress. It is necessary to alternate your vision by seeing closer objects and then moving your vision to a distant object. This helps to relax your eyes.”
Listed below are few simple yoga techniques and exercises that that will help ease out overused muscles, reduce tension in eyes and help improve eyesight.
Tratak
Tratak – Popularly known as gazing exercise, it involves steady gazing in a well-composed posture, at a particular point without blinking. This kind of yogic cleansing can be done in many variations.
A – Similar to meditation or dhyan, in this process, eyes are closed and you need to concentrate between the eye brows. Also with closed eyes, you should slowly move eyes to the sides, followed by upwards and downwards and lastly by rotating them clockwise and anticlockwise.
B – This variation requires you to keep eyes open and concentrate on a candle flame (candle gazing, your thumb (thumb gazing), shoulder gazing or any other object or a point. It is important to know that vision should be focused and steady without blinking, for as long as it is comfortable.
While people with high myopia should avoid Tratak, others should do the technique without spectacles. Also it is fine to do the gazing techniques with contact lenses.
Palming – This relaxing technique must be done by sitting quietly with eyes closed. Then rub palms of your hands until they become warm and place them gently over the eye lids. The warmth of the palms and the darkness help to sooth eyes completely. Be careful to not apply pressure on the eye balls.
Cupping –This is done in a similar fashion as Palming but instead of placing palms flat on eyes, you should place your cupped hands softy over your closed eyes. Make sure that you do not leave any gaps between the fingers so that no light enter the eyes.
Blinking – You can sit comfortably with eyes open and simply blink your eyes for every 5-10 seconds at regular intervals. This exercise is recommended to individuals who work on the computer for long hours.
Focus Switching – Alternate focus between an object nearby and another at a distant.
Asanas – Most forward bending asanas help to promote blood supply to head which in turn help to improve the health of the eyes too. Specifically asanas like Chakraasana, Yogmudra, Uttanasana and more. Even Bhujangasan and Simhasana help to boost the flow of energy upward. Sarvangasana and Halasana also help blood to flow upwards and stimulate blood circulation in brain and optic nerves. Relaxation asanas like nispandabhava and Savasana promote relaxation of eyes. Sukshma Vyayayam, which includes easy exercises for the eyes along with other parts of the body, is also helpful.
Pranayama – Bhramari Pranayama, the Humming Bird exercise, helps to improve focus and coordination between both eyes.
Also splashing water on eyes with mouth full of water is one of the most commonly done cleansing techniques for eyes.