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Yoga Exercise For Eyes: Understanding The Benefits

Written by Dr. Jatin Bhide on Sat, 02 December 2023 — Fact checked by Dr. Stefanenko Irina Borisovna

Key Highlights

  • Adults spend 60% of their time looking at screens.
  • Our eyes are among the most frequently used organs in our bodies.
  • Except for blindness, yoga has the potential to treat nearly every eye disorder.
  • Yoga for the eyes and eye exercises can be complementary treatment for improving eyesight.
  • Yoga asanas such as Halasana, Balasana, Padahastasana, Sirsasana, and others protect and improve the health of your eyes.
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“The faster your life is moving, the sooner your life is a blur.”- Noah benShea.

Yes! Our busy lives militate against our health, especially the eyes, one of the most frequently used organs. Blurred vision interferes with how we interpret our surroundings, make decisions and form perspectives.

Previously, children spent their leisure time playing outdoors. Nowadays, children spend their time in front of the television, mobile, tablet, laptop, play station and iPod. It causes increased vision problems at a young age.

On the other hand, adults spend up to 60% of their time on mobile phones, TV, tablets, and laptops. It adds to the strain on the eyes and their components. Our eyes are under constant stress, so proper care through diet and exercise is unavoidable. Among its several other benefits, yoga has proven beneficial for the eyes.

Eye- the window to the world

Eye vision is associated with more than half of the brain’s tissues. So much of the information our brains receive about the world is visual.

There are six muscles responsible for connecting the eye to the eye socket and moving it sideways and up and down. We can look at and see from any angle because of the eye’s flexibility.

However, when we put too much strain on our eyes, such as when reading, watching movies or driving, the eye muscles become drained, affecting flexibility.

The eyes begin to burn and tire referred to as eye fatigue. Obsessively looking at phones and other devices can exacerbate the disease.

To get rid of eye strain, practice exercises for eye strain.

Let us understand how eye yoga exercises can benefit you.

Yoga and eye health

Yoga’s health benefits are well documented. However, many people are ignorant about the benefits of yoga for eye health. But is it possible to improve eyesight with these practices? Read on to know more.

Yoga and eye health

  • Yoga can help you reduce eye strain and enjoy better vision and comfort of the eye by combining standard poses that improve eye health with specialized moves for your eyes.
  • Except for blindness, yoga for the eyes has the potential to treat nearly every eye disorder. Several asanas in yoga can aid in the treatment of eye disorders.
  • Regular yoga practice strengthens the muscles around the eyes. Yoga asanas increase blood circulation throughout the body, including the head. Thus, fresh oxygenated blood flowing in the eyes protects them from diseases.
  • Yoga facial exercises for bags under the eyes can help reduce the strain, puffiness and dark circles on your eyes.

Benefits of doing yoga for the eyes

Benefits of doing yoga for the eyes

While yoga has many health benefits, no research back the claim that you can do yoga for your eyes to get rid of glasses. However, here is a list of possible eye yoga benefits:

Improves eyesight

  • Yoga can help with vision issues such as near-sightedness, but scientific research is inconclusive.
  • Eye yoga exercise, on the other hand, can be used as a complementary treatment for improving eyesight.

Alleviates eye strain

  • Stress is the most common cause of eye strain.
  • Yoga eye exercises not only relieve stress but also help to strengthen the ocular muscles, alleviating eye strain.
  • A study discovered that practising yoga for eight weeks reduced eye strain in 60 nursing students.

Reduces dark circles

  • Yoga reduces stress and increases blood flow, which lightens dark circles.
  • However, there is no scientific evidence directly linking yoga eye exercises to the removal of dark circles.

Reduces intraocular pressure

  • Tratak kriya, which includes ocular exercises, may reduce IOP in glaucoma patients. The proposed Tratak kriya causes ciliary muscle contraction and relaxation, which may increase aqueous humour outflow.
  • Furthermore, this yoga-based intervention may reduce stress and improve glaucoma patients’ quality of life.
  • Yoga has eye exercises for blurry vision that improve eye function and aid in treating eye problems like near and farsightedness etc.
  • Eye exercises for myopia aid in the treatment of myopic disorders.
  • Yoga asanas such as Halasana, Balasana, Padahastasana, Sirsasana etc., protect and improve the health of your eyes.
  • Trataka is a series of yoga practices beneficial for your eye health in several ways.
  • Drooping eyelids (ptosis or blepharoptosis) limit your field of vision and lead to headaches and neck pain. Eyelid exercises benefit drooping eyelids. Eyelid exercises before and after show strengthening and tightening of eyelids.
  • Yoga exercise for dry eyes may reduce chronic dry-eye symptoms but lacks evidence.
  • Pranayama techniques such as Anulom Vilom and Kapal Bhati can aid in the prevention of eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma.
  • You can also incorporate mudras like Prana Mudra, Surya Mudra and Vayu Mudra into your regular practice.

Eye exercises

Eye exercises strengthen your eye muscles, help you focus, ease eye movements, and stimulate your brain’s vision center.

Eye exercises

Here is a list of simple eye workouts to improve your vision:

1. Rotation of eyes

Rotation of the eyes is an effective eyeball exercise that relieves the eyeball strain, reduces pressure etc.

To do it:

  • Maintain a straight posture.
  • Make yourself at ease by keeping your spine straight.
  • Maintain your hands on your lap.
  • Rotate your eyes clockwise and counterclockwise. 5-10 minutes per side.
  • Keep your head still.

2. Switching the focus

Eye focus exercises strengthen eye muscles and help in focusing.

To do it:

  • Hold something with tiny letters (such as a newspaper or book) at arm’s length.
  • Hand over one of your eyes.
  • To prevent fatigue, keep the covered eye open.
  • For 2 or 3 seconds, trace the outline of any small letter.
  • Look up from your book and search for something 20 feet away.
  • Trace its shape for two or three seconds more (do not squint). Simply close your eyes.
  • Repeat steps 4 to 6.
  • After five minutes, cover the other eye and repeat the cycle for another five minutes.

3. Eye palming

Palming eyes can be excellent eye exercises for blurred vision. It is also one of the best eye exercises for tired eyes.

Eye palming

Here’s how you can do it:

  • Relax by sitting quietly with your eyes closed and taking some deep breaths.
  • Rub your palms powerfully until warm, then place them over your eyelids.
  • Feel the warmth of your palms transferring to your eyes and your eye muscles relaxing.
  • Maintain this stance until the heat from your hands gets soaked up by your eyes.
  • Lower the hands while keeping the eyes closed.
  • Repeat the process three times more.

4. Blinking the eyes:

Blinking exercises are simple and less time-consuming. Therefore it is best suited for the busy bees in the corporate world to save their digitally strained eyes.

To do it:

  • Sit up straight and open your eyes.
  • Blink ten times as quickly as you can.
  • For 20 seconds, close your eyes and relax. Pay attention to your breathing.
  • Repeat five times.

5. Flexing the eyes:

Flexing the eyes is one of the eye-strengthening exercises which relaxes the eyes and strengthens eye muscles.

  • Relax and raise your head.
  • Rotate your eyes clockwise.
  • Slow down and make sure you get to all the corners.
  • Consider a flying ball circling your face.
  • After one minute, switch to an anti-clockwise rotation.

Yoga exercise for the eyes

Yoga exercise for the eyes

1. Halasana

  • Lay on your back.
  • Lift your lower and middle back and place your toes on the floor behind you.
  • Bring your chest as near to your chin as you can.
  • The palms can stay flat on the floor, but you can bend the arms and use the palms to support your back.

2. Ustrasana - the camel pose

  • Put your hands on your hips and kneel on the yoga mat.
  • Arc your back and slide your palms over your feet until your arms are straight.
  • Maintain a neutral position for your neck rather than straining it.
  • Breathe out and slowly return to your starting position.

Ustrasana - the camel pose

3. Bhastrika Pranayama

  • Sit in any position that is comfortable for you (such as Sukhasan, Ardhapadmasan, or Padmasana)
  • Close your eyes and straighten your back.
  • Put your palms up on your knees (in Prapthi Mudra)
  • Fill your lungs with air as you inhale.
  • Completely exhale.
  • Inhale and exhale at a 1:1 ratio. For example, if you breathe in for six counts, you must exhale for six counts.

Bhastrika Pranayama

4. Bal Bakasana – Baby Crane Pose

  • Start with Marjariasana.
  • Place your elbows flat on the ground.
  • Your fingers should be spread and pointed.
  • Lean forward, transferring your entire body weight to your triceps.
  • Find your balance and gradually raise both feet off the ground. Put your feet together.

Bal Bakasana – Baby Crane Pose

Tips for keeping your eyes healthy

Apart from doing eye yoga, the tips given below can keep your eyes healthy:

  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
  • Schedule regular eye exams to detect eye conditions early.
  • Wear sunglasses to protect yourself from UV rays.
  • While working on the computer, take frequent breaks.
  • Consume vegetables such as kale, spinach, and carrots.
  • Quit smoking.

Conclusion

Yoga techniques can help with eye muscle disorders, including myopia and hypermetropia. Regularly practicing these for a few months can go a long way toward facilitating normal eye function. Eye exercises to improve vision fast can help your overall eye health.

Exercise is critical for any muscle in the body. These simple eye exercises for strained eyes can provide a welcome break from your hectic daily routine, reduce stress and alleviate eye strain in just a few minutes. You can also supplement your workout with our eye exercise routine to strengthen your eye muscles.

Yoga, combined with a healthy diet rich in vision-protective vitamins, minerals and herbs, and moderate exercise is an excellent way to naturally sharpen your eyesight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eye strain is common for those who work with screens. To relieve eye strain fast, you can:

  • Take regular breaks, and focus on an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
  • Blink often.
  • Adjust lighting, position your screen or reading material at a comfortable distance keep it about 20 to 24 inches away from your eyes and slightly below eye level.
  • Use lubricating eye drops or artificial tears to help keep your eyes moist and relieve discomfort.
  • Perform eye exercises to strengthen your eye muscles and relieve strain.
  • Optimize your screen contrast settings to reduce eye strain. Consider using computer glasses or screen filters for computer screens.

To strengthen your eyes, you can:

  • Include foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals like zinc and selenium. Examples include leafy green vegetables, carrots, citrus fruits, berries, fish, nuts, and seeds.
  • Regular eye yoga and exercises for eye strain can help improve eye muscle strength and flexibility and relieve eye pressure.
  • Maintain good posture and distance when reading or working on a computer. Follow the 20-20-20 rule, looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. 
  • Regular check-ups allow for early detection of any potential issues and treat them early.
  • Limit screen time, and use blue light filters or glasses to reduce the strain caused by digital screens.
  • Quitting or reducing smoking can benefit your eye health.

Even though reversing deteriorated eyesight is unlikely, certain practices promote good eye health and slow the progression of certain eye conditions.

  • Eat a nutritious diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, and omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Regular eye yoga exercises, palming, blinking exercises etc., can be beneficial for maintaining optimal eye health.
  • Get regular exercise, manage stress levels, maintain a healthy weight, and get enough sleep.
  • Protect eyes from bright lights and UV rays.
  • Regular eye checks by an eye care professional can provide specific recommendations based on your eye health status.

Not all vision loss can be reversed. A few general practices that may help promote overall eye health and potentially slow down the progression of certain conditions are:

  • Healthy diet and lifestyle
  • Eye strengthening exercises
  • Controlling diabetes or hypertension that can contribute to vision loss
  • Regular eye checkups and strict adherence to treatment plans, medicines, using prescribed eyeglasses etc.
  • Yoga for the eyes has tremendous benefits in maintaining eye health.

Recovering eyesight is dependent on the underlying cause of vision loss. A few methods that may improve eyesight are:

  • Determine the cause of vision loss by an ophthalmologist and take appropriate treatment.
  • Adopting healthy lifestyle changes and a nutritious diet.
  • Eye exercises for myopia, eye exercises for strained eyes, eye exercises for blurred vision, eye yoga exercises, vision therapy etc., improve eye coordination, focus and perception.
  • Manage health conditions that affect the vision.

Relaxing eye muscles can be done by:

  • Palming eyes
  • Eye massages
  • Eye relaxation exercises
  • Eye rolling, flexing and blinking exercises
  • Eye yoga exercises
  • Applying a warm compress on closed eyelids.
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Dr. Jatin Bhide

Dr Jatin Bhide is an Ayurvedic doctor with over 16 years of enriching experience in Marketing and Strategy across OTC/FMHG, herbal medicine and Nutraceuticals (Europe) industries. He did his Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) from Mumbai University, before moving on to do a Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Management.

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3 Comments

  1. Ogunro oluwapelumi victor

    Sun, 03 September 2023, 6 months ago

    So exciting..I love this App

    Reply
    • Fola

      Thu, 31 August 2023, 6 months ago

      This is highly educative

      Reply
      • Maureen-Tan

        Thu, 29 June 2023, 8 months ago

        Article useful n benefits everyone.

        Reply
        • GHBY Team

          Wed, 19 July 2023, 8 months ago

          Thank You, we are glad you found the article to be informative and useful.

          Reply

        Leave a Comment

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        5. Galina D, et al. Int J Yoga. 2020 Sep-Dec;13(3):223-226.

        Our team of experts frequently monitors developments in the health and wellness field, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

        Current Version

        Dec, 02 2023

        Written By

        Dr. Jatin Bhide

        Fact checked By

        Dr. Stefanenko Irina Borisovna