Smartphones, tv, computers, laptops, all these electronic devices have become an integral part of everyone’s life irrespective of age. Prolonged working hours, and continued gazing at the screens have been considered primary reasons for optic nerve damage. But we all know that avoiding them is not possible; make sure you practice yoga for eye health for at least ten minutes every day to alleviate the strain on your eyes.
Although there is no solid scientific evidence to prove the effect of eye yoga on your vision, it can help relieve strain, strengthen eye muscles, and enhance cognitive performance. Let us go through this article for some of the best yoga asanas to improve your vision.
Best Yoga Asanas for Eye Health:
Here are our 10 best yoga poses for eye health with detailed steps. Let’s have a look at them.
1. Jal Neti Technique (Cleaning the Nasal Passage):
Practising Jal Neti for sinus once daily during your yoga session can help you improve eyesight and eye-related problems by relaxing eye muscles and flushing out toxins.
How To Do:
- Take a clean neti pot or glass and fill it with saline water.
- Now stand straight and tilt your head to the left at 45 degrees.
- Make sure the tip of the spout is inside the right nostril (i.e. the upper nostril). Slowly pour the saline water into the right nostril with the help of the neti pot spout. So that water drains through the left nostril.
- Repeat the same procedure on the other side as well.
- It helps in improving eye-related problems and relaxes the eye muscles and also clears the sinus very easily by removing toxins, dirt and mucus.
2. Blinking:
We often forget to bling when we are constantly staring at a computer or mobile screen. This might cause fatigue both mentally and in the eyes. Blinking is an eye exercise that will help you alleviate your pain efficiently.
How To Do:
- Sit down on a chair.
- Look at a blank wall while keeping your neck straight and shoulders relaxed.
- Slowly close your eyes.
- Open your eyes after holding for half a second.
- Repeat the process ten times.
3. Preliminary Nose Tip Gazing:
This is an eye yoga exercise that focuses your power on accommodating and strengthening your eye muscles. Performing this exercise regularly will give you efficient results.
How To Do:
- Sit relaxed and cross-legged.
- Slowly lift your right arm and place them in front of your nose.
- Point your thumb upward while making a fist with the right hand.
- Focus your eyes on the tip of your thumb.
- Bend your hand slowly, and then gradually bring your thumb to the tip of the nose. Keep your eyes focused on the end of your thumb.
Slowly straighten your arm while keeping your eyes focused on your thumb. - Perform five such rounds for good results.
Read: Steps of Super Brain Yoga
4. Trataka:
Trataka is an eye yoga exercise that enhances vision and increases concentration to a great extent. It also clears your mind of all thoughts, calming you by disassociating your thinking from your body.
How To Do:
- Either sit down with crossed legs or on a chair relaxed.
- Place a candle on the table in front of you.
- Focus on the flame without blinking.
- Now slowly close your eyes.
- Repeat the procedure thrice.
- Build the practice gradually.
5. Focus Shifting:
Focus shifting eye yoga exercise is effective in strengthening your eyes. It is one of the best yogas for your eye health by shifting focus from one object to another.
How To Do:
- Focus your eyes on an object that is far away.
- Maintain the focus on this object for about 6 seconds.
- Slowly shift your gaze to a nearer object for about 6 seconds.
- Repeat the performance of this exercise until your feel tiredness in your eyes.
6. Vertical and Horizontal Lines with Your Eyes:
This is yet another eye yoga that effectively strengthens your optical nerves through object gazing. It also gives your eyes a much-needed break that helps you enjoy the beauty of darkness.
How To Do:
- Feel complete darkness by closing your eyes slowly.
- Slowly open your eyes while gazing in the centre.
- Now draw straight lines with your eyes while you look straight up and down.
- Don’t forget to inhale and exhale while you perform this pose.
- For good results, perform this eye yoga about ten times.
- Close your eyes.
- Slowly open your eyes.
- Inhale and look to your left, and while exhaling, draw a straight line with your right eye.
- Repeat it about ten times.
- Close your eyes and enjoy the darkness.
Read: Yoga Asanas for Improving Concentration
7. Palming:
If you are looking for therapy for your tired eyes, palming is the perfect eye yoga exercise. This exercise offers warmth to your eyes from your hands and also helps relax your eye muscles. Keep this exercise at last for eye relaxation.
How To Do:
- Sit down on the chair with a table in front of you.
- Keep your elbows on the table.
- Use both of your palms to cup your eyes.
- Don’t forget to inhale and exhale while you perform this exercise.
- Perform this pose for about 30 seconds.
- Now come into the resting position.
8. Eye Rolling:
When done regularly, eye roll exercise is very effective in enhancing the shape of your eyes. It also helps strengthen the eye muscles efficiently.
How To Do:
- Sit or stand in a relaxed position while looking ahead.
- Look to your left.
- Now slowly roll your eyes in an upward direction.
- Your eyes should look at the ceiling.
- Roll your eyes toward the right in a downward direction.
- Your eyes should look at the floor.
- Perform this exercise in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions for the best results.
9. Distance Gazing:
This is another healthy eye yoga pose that will increase your eyes’ performance by providing exercise for them. It is also an excellent way to increase your focus naturally.
How To Do:
- Choose a distant object and rest your gaze on it.
- Ensure you maintain a clear focus on the object.
- Slowly shift your gaze to another distant object around you while taking a deep breath.
- Imagine your eyes imprinting the image of the object you are gazing at.
- Momentarily pausing in between, repeat gazing at the objects around you at varying distances.
10. Near and Far-Sighted:
Near and far-sighted is an eye exercise that alleviates headaches and other problems, which thereby increases your eye’s productivity.
How To Do:
- Place your palms straight and in front of your eyes.
- Ensure your focus stays on your palms.
- Please focus on the horizon as you open your palms to its side. Make sure you keep inhaling during this step.
- Bring your palms back to the original position while exhaling.
- This exercise helps improve your close and far-away vision significantly.
Read: Yoga Breathing Exercises for Relaxation
Benefits of Yoga Poses for Eye Health:
Here are some of the benefits of performing eye yoga regularly:
1. Reduces the dependence on glasses:
Eye yoga asanas may not permanently help you discard eyeglasses; they will reduce your dependence on specks.
2. Dry Eyes:
Dry eyes are one of the common symptoms of discomfort in the eyes. According to a study involving undergraduate nursing students, performing eye yoga may reduce eye fatigue, thereby all the symptoms associated with it (1). But if there is a medical condition behind chronic dry eye conditions, make sure to consult your doctor.
3. Remove Dark Circles:
Dark circles are an issue many of us face, irrespective of gender. Decreased blood flow and lack of oxygen are the common causes of dark circles under your eyes. According to experts, performing eye yoga might increase your face’s blood flow, helping you reduce dark circles.
4. Glaucoma:
When there is a build-up of fluids in the front part of your eye, which damages your eye’s optic nerve, this condition is called glaucoma. But according to some studies, performing eye yoga regularly may slow down glaucoma progression by bringing down the intraocular pressure inside your eye (2), although more research is needed.
5. Myopia:
Myopia is a medical condition in the eyes where you can see objects placed nearby, and this condition is also called nearsightedness. According to a study, there might be a change in refractive power in the eyes with yogic eye exercise intervention (3).
6. Eye Pain:
Several factors cause strain on your eyes resulting in pain, discomfort, and fatigue. According to some studies, performing eye yoga might help reduce fatigue and pain in your eyes, although more research is needed (4).
7. Better Vision:
According to a study conducted on a group of students, performing simple eye yoga in combination with pranayama might improve visual reaction time, improving overall vision (5). But detailed research is required to prove the same.
8. Astigmatism:
When there is an imperfection in the curvature of your eye’s cornea or lens, this medical condition is called astigmatism. Although many people claim eye yoga reduces astigmatism, there is no proof to support the claim. However, there are medical procedures that correct and cure this medical condition.
It is impossible to separate electronic devices from our daily routine since they have become an integral part of our lives. Although there is a need for more research to verify the effect of Yoga on eye health, what is there to lose to giving it a try? All you need is a minute or two of your time, with minimal risk and any form of fitness. If you are still concerned about anything, consult your doctor if there is a need for medical treatment instead. Don’t forget to let us know if this article has helped you!
Read: Simple Ways to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
Disclaimer: The content presented in this article is for information purposes only and not a replacement for professional advice. If you are unsure, consult an experienced yoga practitioner for guidance.
FAQ:
1. Is Yoga effective in improving Eyesight?
Ans: Eye yoga is highly beneficial for people who suffer from myopia and hypermetropia. These exercises will give your eyes a dedicated workout, just like your body, and improve flexibility.
2. Can Yoga help correct my Eyesight?
Ans: Although Yoga cannot correct your vision deficits instantly, it is constructive in improving your vision over some time. There are specific correction procedures like Laser or glasses that can be prescribed on inspection by an ophthalmologist. But practising Yoga will quicken the results smoothly.
3. What are the foods that help improve vision?
Ans: To improve your Eyesight, try to include foods that are rich sources of beta-carotene. Some of the foods that aid in protecting and enhancing your vision are:
- Carrots.
- Berries.
- Green leafy vegetables.
- Fishes like salmon, and tuna.
- Egg.
- C-vitamin fruits like oranges.