Needing to wear spectacles can be irritating. Not only is it an extra expense, it is an inconvenience to have to carry them around and many do not like the way they look. Did you know; certain yogic exercises can help to improve eyesight and possibly lower the number of your specs? As specific yoga poses and exercises help to target specific health issues that the body may have; there are also certain exercises that help to slow down the degeneration of eyesight that age and modern lifestyles cause.
Why yoga for the eyes is a good idea
Our eyes undergo a lot of stress on a day to day basis. Our use of electronic devices such as phones, tablets and computers restricts the natural movement of our eyes and causes what is known as near point stress. While it may not be possible to remove spectacles completely with these yogic exercises if you have a high number and the degeneration is extensive, it may be possible to lower the number or to slow down the process of deterioration, reduce the problem of dry eyes and to prevent further problems with the help of eye yoga.
It can be a good idea to start kids off on eye yoga early in life since the use of electronic devices seems pretty much unavoidable for them these days. Yoga for the eyes can be done anytime and anywhere. This isn’t difficult to do and doesn’t require any advanced training either.
Best yoga exercises to improve eyesight
Firstly if you’re in a good yoga programme where you perform yoga exercises regularly, you’re already receiving the many benefits of this: enhanced health and wellbeing and improved circulation has a beneficial impact on all the body organs; including the eyes.
- Sarvangaasan – Most of us who are familiar with the practice of yoga are familiar with this: lying on the back and then stretching the entire legs and torso upward while supporting the waist with the hands; elbows resting on the ground with the entire weight of the body being supported by the shoulders and head. This is thought to improve blood supply to the optic nerves and have beneficial impacts on the brain as well.
- Bhramari Pranayam – This breathing exercise, which you probably do regularly anyway, will also help reduce eye stress and improve eyesight.
In addition, you can take a few minutes to do these eye exercises at anytime; even sitting at your desk or as you travel to work each day:
- Palming – this involves closing the eyes, rubbing the palms of the hands together to create friction and heat and then placing the palms over the close eyes to transfer the heat from the palms to the eyes. Do this several times to relax and soothe the eyes.
- Stretching – This is basically putting the eyes through their paces by sideways movements and rotation without moving the neck. Looking to your extreme left and right; looking up and then down and rotating the eyes in full, large circles several times help to stretch the eye muscles and exercise the eyes to prevent near point stress.
- Near and distant viewing – Again this exercise will help reduce the near point stress problem by helping enlarge the focus range of your eyes. You will need to focus on the horizon or the furthest possible point in your range of vision. Now focus on the tip of your nose which is the closest point you can focus on. Also use your thumb or a pencil to do this: stretch your arm out as far as possible with the eyes focused on the thumb or pencil tip. Then slowly bring the thumb/pencil close to the nose; all the time following its movement and focusing on it.
- Tratak Kriya – This kriya, as explained in detail on this page, involves gazing at the flame of a candle in complete silence and with full concentration. For beginners, this should ideally be done under the supervision of a trained yoga teacher. This too helps improve eyesight to a great extent.
To learn these eyesight improvement techniques in detail, contact Sashi at +91 99675 31905.