Eye exercises in yoga are given
lots of importance as eye exercises help to tone the
eye muscles and keep them elastic. People suffer from
eye problems due to a loss of tone in the eye muscles
that become rigid and this loss of elasticity reduces
the ability of the lens of the eye to focus at different
distances that leads to weak eyesight. Even if one is
already suffering with eye problems these exercises
will help to improve eyesight within a few months.
Secondly, any eye tension present will tend to produce
a general feeling of tension, due to the eye's connection
to the brain via the optic nerve. What happens is that
eye tension produces an increase in the nerve impulses
in the eye muscles. This increase in nerve impulses
travels along the optic nerve and bombards the brain,
causing a general feeling of tension and anxiety. The
eye exercises will reduce tension in the eye muscles,
as well as reduce general tension.
It is best to do these eye exercises while lying down
after you've finished the Savasana. This way you're
resting after the asanas and doing the eye exercises
at the same time, thus reducing the time taken to do
your yoga routine. Keep your eyes open and don't move
your head while performing these exercises.
IF you are sitting open your eyes, then check on your
posture that your spine is erect. Place your hands on
the knees, while your body is relaxed with your head
straight. IF you are in a sleeping position lie flat
with your body relaxed and your hands on the sides.
Remember that your whole body must be motionless except
the eyes. Your breathing can be normal.
Choose a point by raising your eyes and another point
on the floor by glancing down. The point should be seen
clearly without straining, frowning, moving your head
or becoming tense. This point is to be looked at whenever
you raise and lower your eyes during the exercises.
You can start your first exercise by moving your eyes
upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far
as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a
few times to relax the eye muscles.
Now keeping your head still, raise your finger to your
eye level and glance at it for a moment, now move your
finger to the right side slowly and move your eyes staring
at the finger. Now repeat to the left side. Do not move
the finger too far that can strain your eyes. The finger
should be in a distance that you can see it clearly.
Repeat four times and blink your eyes for one minute
and close your eyes and rest.
The third exercise is you should choose a point you
can see from the right corner of your eyes when you
raise them, and another on the left corner of your eyes
when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember
to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands
on knees, head straight and motionless. Repeat four
times the opposite direction too and at the end blink
eyes several times. Close the eyes and rest. Now do
the same exercise in reverse. That is, first look to
the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat
four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and
rest.
The fourth exercise should not be done until three or
four days after you
have begun eye exercises given here. Slowly roll your
eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows:
Lower your eyes and look at the floor, then slowly move
the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see
the ceiling. Now continue circling to the right, lower
and lower down, until you see the floor again. Do this
slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your
eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise.
Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least
five seconds.
When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible,
so that you feet a little strain as you do the exercise.
This stretches the eye muscles to the
maximum extent, giving better results.
The fifth exercise comes a changing-vision exercise.
While doing it you alternately shift your vision from
close to distant points several times.
Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under
the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without
raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible
distance where you can see it clearly without any blur.
Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the
distance and there find a small point that you can also
see very clearly.
Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your fingertip
then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat
several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them
tight.
The sixth exercise is to close your eyes as tightly
as you possibly can. Really squeeze the eyes, so the
eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three
seconds, and then let go quickly. This exercise causes
a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially
beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye
exercises. Blink the eyes a few times.
Palming is called the seventh exercise and ideal way
to finish off the eye exercises. Palming is very relaxing
to the eyes. It is also most important for preserving
the eyesight. Palming also has a beneficial, relaxing
effect on your nervous system.
Remain seated on the floor. Draw up your knees, keeping
your feet on the floor and slightly apart. Now briskly
rub your palms to charge them with electricity and place
the cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers
of the right hand should be crossed over the fingers
of the left hand on the forehead. The elbows should
rest on your raised knees and the neck should be kept
straight. Don't bend your head. Do the deep breathing
while palming your eyes.
If you are going to do the palming for longer than
a few minutes, better sit down at a table, place some
books or pillows in front of you to support your elbows
so that you will be able to keep the neck straight,
and palm the eyes in this position. If the palming is
done for only a short period one can do deep breathing
for half a minute or so at first, gradually increasing
it every week.
This exercise helps to do away with eyestrain, and
tension. Your vision will get better and clearer as
the ophthalmic, or eye, nerves receive a richer supply
of blood. Some people use this to improve their vision.
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