What is eye yoga and why should we be doing it?
BLOG BY REBEKAH. C
How this eye-opening exercise can help you to relax
If you only recently started to discover the benefits of yoga, the concept of “eye yoga” might seem a little odd. While “stretching” your eyes might not make you a more balanced person, like standard yoga practices, it can still help with things like relaxation, and improve the strength of the muscles in your eye structure. Eye yoga isn’t exactly the same as your standard yoga poses, there’s very little breathwork involved, and you won’t be using nearly as many muscles. However, yogic eye exercises can be extremely beneficial for everything from minimising headaches, to treating conditions like dry eye and excessive eye strain.
How does eye yoga work?
Eye yoga involves performing certain movements with your eyes, and the muscles around your eyes, to improve your vision, and tackle a range of eye-related problems. While there aren’t any studies available right now to prove eye yoga can cure things like nearsightedness, there are a handful of reports showcasing the benefits of eye exercises. For instance, one study in 2018 [1] found that eye yogic practices could be helpful in reducing Intraocular pressure, or “IOP” in the eye. If this is true, it could slow the progression of glaucoma – a condition related to the erosion of the optic nerve.
Some people also claim to do eye yoga after cataract surgery as it can assist with rebuilding cataract strength, though doctors recommend waiting until you make a full recovery before you start experimenting with eye yoga. Perhaps most intriguing for many people, eye yoga work could also significantly reduce the symptoms of eye strain. A study showed [2] that 8 weeks of eye yoga practice helped 60 nursing students feel their eyes were less fatigued and tired. Further research is definitely needed to fully understand the benefits of tools like eye yoga. However, it seems this practice could be helpful for everything from tension headaches to migraines [3]. If you frequently have issues with headaches after hours of staring at a computer, eye yoga could be just the thing you need to refresh your eyes and get you back on track.
Eye exercises you can try
If you’re interested in adding eye yoga to your standard yoga practices, there are a few simple ways to get started. First, make sure you’re not messing around with your eyes on a day when they’re particularly sore, as you could make the issue worse. If you know it’s safe to practice some basic eye exercises, start with:
#1 Palming
Rub your hands together for about ten seconds to generate heat between the palms. Place your palms over your eyes (while they’re closed) and inhale slowly, focusing on relaxing the muscles in your body. Feel the warmth and darkness soothe your eyes as you slowly exhale.
#2 Focusing
Extend your left hand as far as it will go and raise your thumb like you’re giving a thumbs-up. Sit with your eyes looking straight at your thumb and move your arm slowly to the right as far as possible, then back to the centre, following it with your eyes. Move your arm to the left and follow your thumb in this direction too.
#3 Eye rolling
Sit in a comfortable seat and take a deep breath. Slowly look up to the ceiling, focusing on what’s going on above you, then roll both your eyes to the right. Roll them all the way down, and then to your left. Eventually, you should roll all the way back to looking at the ceiling. Try rolling your eyes in the other direction after this.
Eye exercises you can try
If you’re interested in adding eye yoga to your standard yoga practices, there are a few simple ways to get started. First, make sure you’re not messing around with your eyes on a day when they’re particularly sore, as you could make the issue worse. If you know it’s safe to practice some basic eye exercises, start with:
#1 Palming
Rub your hands together for about ten seconds to generate heat between the palms. Place your palms over your eyes (while they’re closed) and inhale slowly, focusing on relaxing the muscles in your body. Feel the warmth and darkness soothe your eyes as you slowly exhale.
#2 Focusing
Extend your left hand as far as it will go and raise your thumb like you’re giving a thumbs-up. Sit with your eyes looking straight at your thumb and move your arm slowly to the right as far as possible, then back to the centre, following it with your eyes. Move your arm to the left and follow your thumb in this direction too.
#3 Eye rolling
Sit in a comfortable seat and take a deep breath. Slowly look up to the ceiling, focusing on what’s going on above you, then roll both your eyes to the right. Roll them all the way down, and then to your left. Eventually, you should roll all the way back to looking at the ceiling. Try rolling your eyes in the other direction after this.
Could eye yoga work for you?
Your eyes are complicated things. Although eyes are amazing parts of the human body, they’re also extremely sensitive and fragile. In today’s fast-paced and highly digital landscape, your eyes can definitely take a beating. More research is necessary to determine whether eye yoga is a truly beneficial trend for things like improving vision and protecting long-term eye health. However, it seems this practice can definitely help with some basic things like relaxation and tension management. If you want to give eye yoga a go for yourself, there’s no real minimum fitness level to worry about, and you have no risk to consider either. The great thing about eye yoga is it helps to focus your vision and gets your mind dedicated to small, purposeful movements, which immediately begins to calm your body and mind down. Practising focus can help your body to respond to things more effectively, even if you don’t immediately notice the differences.
Remember to check with your doctor
Keep in mind these eye exercises shouldn’t come at the expense of other crucial activities for eye health. You should still be getting regular eye exams to help with the detection of conditions like glaucoma and cataracts. You also need to protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses when you’re outside and using periods of rest to relax your eyes when you work in front of a screen. Avoiding habits that might harm your eyes, like smoking, is another important way to keep your eyes in the best possible condition. Just make sure you still speak to your eye doctor if you’re concerned about things like diminishing vision or eye health.
References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134736/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4932063/
[3] https://www.byrdie.com/eye-yoga-5188513
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