Release Eye Tension with Yoga for Eyes

With the progress of digitalization and the endless opportunities to be online, we inevitably fix our eyes more and more on screens during daily life. The eyesight-related problems resulting from looking at screens are called Computer Vision Syndromes (CVS) and may include: eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes as well as neck and shoulder pain. Reducing screen time is not always possible especially when you have an office job that requires most of your work to be in front of a screen. Putting your phone away more frequently in your free time can be a rewarding tapas, a burning off of impurities, for your eyes. Yoga for eyes is another great practice to incorporate into your daily life.

In addition to screens, aging, emotional and mental tension, poor diet, artificial or poor lighting and weak muscles can be further reasons for poor eyesight. Solving the problem of inappropriate lighting is pretty straight forward, for example by utilizing natural light sources. Diet is a more complex issue regarding your eye health but in general a reduction of processed and junk food towards a more plant based healthy diet can benefit the eyesight. Tension in your eyes can be soothed with a sunbath from the rising or setting sun. Close your eyes and feel the ultra-violet light relaxing your eyes.

For eye problems related to weak eye muscles, practicing yoga for eyes can bring relief. These exercises should be practiced regularly with patience and perseverance.

It took years to weaken the eyes, hence it will take some time before improvements are noticeable.

If you have severe eye diseases like glaucoma, trachoma, cataract, retinal detachment, retinal artery or vein thrombosis, iritis, keratitis or conjunctivitis you should consult your eye doctor before performing any eye exercise. Stay relaxed during the practice. The facial muscles, eyebrows and eyelids should remain soft.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati suggests the following sequence which should be practiced in its entirety.

Palming

Sit, relax and close your eyes. Rub both hands together until they become warm from the friction and then hold the cupped warm hands over your closed eyes and take a few relaxing long inhales and exhales. The eyes are being bathed in soothing darkness. Repeat two more times, making sure the palms are over the eyes, not the fingers, in order to allow the energy to be optimally transmitted. In addition to revitalizing the eye muscles, it stimulates the circulation of the aqueous humor, the fluid that runs between the lens and the cornea, aiding the correction of defective vision.

Blinking

Sit with your eyes open. Blink your eyes ten times quickly. Close your eyes and relax for a couple of breaths. Blink again ten times. Relax. Do this for five rounds in total. This exercise is to release habitual tension in your eyes and make the blinking reflex spontaneous again and support the relaxation of the eye muscles.

Sideways viewing

Sit straight. Lift your arms shoulder high and make a fist with the thumb pointing upwards. When you are facing forward you should see both thumbs in the peripheral vision. Look at a fixed point in front of you. Now without moving the head focus your eyes one after the other on: left thumb – exhale, space between the eyebrows – inhale, right thumb – exhale, space between the eyebrows – inhale, left thumb -exhale. Repeat for ten cycles. Afterwards close and rest the eyes, palming might be desirable. This relaxes the eye muscles from constant forward viewing and may also correct squinting.

Front and sideways viewing

Sit in base position (straight legs and upper body in a 90° angle, elevate your hips slightly if sitting straight is very challenging for you) on the floor. The right arm is in the same position as before. Your left arm is placed on your left knee. Head stays pointed forward. Now look to the left thumb then to the right and return to the left. Repeat ten times. Rest and change sides. This improves coordination of the medial and lateral muscles of the eyeball.

Up and down viewing

Stay in base pose. Place both fists on your knees. Keep your arms straight. Look at your right thumb and then slowly start lifting the arm up while following the thumb with your gaze. Return the hand slowly back to the knee, keeping the head fixed and only allowing your eyes to follow. Do this ten times and then rest with your eyes closed. Now do the other side. Rest with palming. This yoga for eyes exercise works the upper and lower eyeball muscles.

Rotational viewing

This time you do a big rotational movement with each thumb, following the movement with the eyes only. Start with the left for ten rounds. Close your eyes and rest before moving to the other side. This benefits the coordinated activities of all your eye muscles.

Preliminary nose tip gazing

Hold the left arm directly in front of your nose. While keeping the gaze on the thumb, bend your elbow and bring the thumb towards the tip of your nose. Stay here for a moment and then straighten the arm again. This is one round. Do ten in total. Close your eyes and relax. This exercise is great to strengthen the focusing power of your eyes.

Near and distance viewing

Sit in front of a window or somewhere with a far view. Look at your nose tip for five seconds. Then focus on a distant object on the horizon for further five seconds. Ten rounds then rest with your eyes closed.

After all eight exercises, lie in savasana and rest.

Developing your eye health will help you with relaxation, reduce CVS and improve your eyesight.  It will also reduce headaches that are related to tension in the eye muscles. Yoga for eyes will also improve your awareness of how to use this sense. Being aware of one’s senses can be greatly beneficial when practicing pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), which can lead to the initiation of the practice of dharana (concentration).

Sometimes we forget whilst utilizing our bodies in yoga and meditation, that our senses do belong to our practice. For example in meditations like Tratak we gaze at a candle for concentration and mental stability. In physical yoga like Ashtanga Vinyasa using your gaze (Drsti) is one of the three basic pillars of the practice. These are Tristana, (containing Ujjayi breath), Bandhas and Drsti. The practice of Drsti is used for focus and stability. It will help with concentration to keep us balanced in our mind avoiding the wandering of the gaze which can distract us. It also helps with staying stable in balancing poses. Want to read more about Tristana? Check out Doron’s Yoga Teacher Manual.

Have you tried yoga for eyes yet? Is it challenging or easy? Leave us a comment and share your experience.

About the Author

This blog post is written by Julia Grässer, Doron Yoga Teacher alumni, who did her 300h yoga teacher studies at Doron Yoga & Zen Center. As part of her thesis she writes articles about the practical implementation of yoga in our modern times.
This series of Yoga Philosophy blog posts provides a taste of her theoretical studies. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts here, email Julia directly at julia@warriorprincessyoga.net or visit her website.