Eye Strengthening Excerises Part 1

Yoga to balance eyestrain

Do you spend your days staring at a computer screen? If you do, you probably know how draining and tiring it can be to your entire body, not just your eyes.

The natural state of the body is to be at peace. When we read to understand and learn new information, the mind becomes tense and tries to catch hold. This agitation strains the entire body, including the eyes. That’s why people often feel drained after studying or working, even though they haven’t physically exerted themselves.

The following exercises can help to strengthen the eye muscles and counterbalance the effects of eyestrain. The key to doing these exercises is to relax and empty the mind as if you are meditating.

Improving Visual Concentration

The first step is to strengthen visual concentration. Sit comfortably with your back and neck straight but not stiff. Start by holding each posture for a few minutes and gradually increase.

1. Focus your gaze on the tip of your nose without blinking. Remain like this for as long as you can. Then close your eyes and relax.

2. Focus on your “third eye” without blinking. This is the area between the eyebrows above your nose. Then close your eyes and relax.
It may feel uncomfortable or hard to do at first, but do not let yourself become frustrated. Keep your focus on that area and with time, you will find this posture easier to do.

3. Without turning your head, focus both eyes on your left shoulder. Remain like this for as long as you can. Then close your eyes and relax. Repeat this sequence with the right shoulder.

After you are finished, place the palms of your hands on your closed eyes and rest for as long as you would like.

Imagination to Balance Visual Concentration
Lie on your back facing up. Your palms should face the ceiling and your legs should be about shoulder-width apart. If you are doing this exercise in your office then sit comfortably in your chair.

Close your eyes. Breathe into your belly. Feel it expand as it fills with air. Continue breathing in and out for a few minutes and then open your eyes. Pick a stationary object to look at. Close your eyes again and continue “seeing” that object. This exercise helps to relax your eyes. It also balances mental focus with imagination.

Meditation to Balance Visual Concentration
Lie on your back facing up. Your palms should face the ceiling and your legs should be about shoulder-width apart. If you are doing this exercise in your office then sit comfortably in your chair.

Close your eyes and place your palms over your closed eyes. Breathe into your belly. Feel it expand as it fills with air. Continue breathing in and out for a few minutes and then open your eyes. Pick a stationary object to look at. Look but keep your mind empty. Don’t let yourself attach to it or stare at it. This exercise teaches you how to focus without straining or depleting your eyes.

Extra Exercises

Once you have memorized the routine, you can easily do them several times per day, depending on how long you work. Here are the instructions:

1. Sit at the edge of your chair with your back straight. Close your eyes and place the palm of each hand over an eye, so you feel your palms warming your eyes.

2. Remove your hands, keeping your eyes closed. Inhale deeply through your nose.Exhale and let your head drop forward then rotate it from side to side. Then shrug your shoulders, making circles with them forward and backward.

3. Close your eyes and lift and tighten your shoulders as such as you can.
Hold for a few seconds and then exhale, suddenly releasing your shoulders and opening your eyes. Repeat this several times.

4. Breathing naturally, focus on an object far away from you for about half a minute. Try to maintain your focus, then blink rapidly several times. Then focus on a nearby object for about 15 seconds. Try to maintain your focus, then blink rapidly several times.

5. This exercise helps the extrinsic muscles that move the eyes. Try to keep your head straight and in line with your spine. Roll your eyes into all of the directions below while exhaling. Hold for a few seconds and then return your eyes to the center while you inhale.

• Upward
• Downward
• To the right
• To the left
• Up to the right at 45 degrees
• Up to the left at 45 degrees
• Down at 45 degrees to the right
• Down at 45 degrees to the left

Again trying to keep your head straight, look straight ahead at an object. Exhale and look from side to side without turning your head. Now try to exhale and turn your head from side to side several times letting your eyes follow the head movement. Then turn your upper body from side to side and let your eyes follow.7. Place your palms over your eyes to warm them. When you are ready, remove them and open your eyes.

Exercise 1

Move 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 1 to relax the eye muscles.

Exercise 3

Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from 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.

Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink 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.

Exercise 5

Next 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 which you can also see very clearly.
Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your finger tip then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.

Exercise 7

This exercise is called ‘palming’ and 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.
It’s an ideal way to finish off the eye exercises.
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.

Benefits:

This exercise helps to do away with eye strain, 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.