Yogic Eye Exercises to Protect And Keep Good Eyesight Over The Years
Doing regularly yogic eye exercises can improve your vision and concentration!
Eyes are these magical balls that allow us to see the beautiful world. Through our eyes, we can see the smile of our beloved children, the beauty of blooming flowers, the sunset over the sea, the words in a favorite book, your reflection in the mirror wearing a beautiful dress, and so on.
Additionally, eyes connect us to the world and the world to us. With our eyes, we express our feeling. When we are sad, the eyes are gloomy. When we are happy, the eyes are smiling. This is why people said the eyes never lie.
Your eyes are at work from the moment you wake up to the moment you close them to go to sleep. They take in tons of information about the world around you — shapes, colors, movements, and more. Then they send the information to your brain for processing so the brain knows what’s going on outside of your body.
Certainly, the eyes are pretty amazing so we should take care of them and try to keep them healthy as long as possible. Especially if you used to work many hours on a computer and don’t rest your eyes enough time.
Fortunately, some yoga eye exercises can help us to protect and keep good eyesight over the years.
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” – Carl Jung
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How many people have visual impairment or blindness?
According to World Health Organization, globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In at least 1 billion – or almost half – of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed. The majority of people with vision impairment and blindness are over the age of 50 years; however, vision loss can affect people of all ages.
Vision disability is one of the top 10 disabilities among adults 18 years and older and one of the most prevalent disabling conditions among children.
Growing and aging populations mean that the challenge of eliminating avoidable blindness is now bigger than ever before.
More and more people wear glasses. A majority of 61 percent in the population reported to wear glasses, contact lenses or other reading or visual aids. The percentage has steadily risen in recent years.
Can eye exercises help to restore vision or prevent visual impairment?
According to Harvard Health Publishing, exercises will not improve or preserve vision, help your eye health, or reduce the need for glasses. Your vision depends on many factors, including the shape of your eyeball and the health of the eye tissues, neither of which can be significantly altered with eye exercises.
On the other side are people from University of Houston, who have published a material headed “Eye Exercises Help Patients Work Out Vision Problems, Optometrist Says”.
Eye exercises are used to treat a variety of vision disorders, according to Dr. Janice Wensveen, clinical associate professor at the University of Houston’s College of Optometry.
“Patients visually follow a small letter on a pencil as they moved the pencil closer to the nose. The goal is to be able to keep the letter clear and single until it touches your nose,” she said.
I did some research and found out that there is a huge number of people around the world who were able to restore their eyesight and get rid of glasses forever! This thanks to one person -his name is Mirzakarim Norbekov.
Norbekov developed a number of exercises that give excellent results in the treatment of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.
These eye exercises are relevant to yogic techniques drawn up many years ago. FIrstly the ancient sages developed these techniques which have reached us preserved over the years.
Yogic Eye Exercises
TRATAKA – YOGIC EYE CARE
Trataka is a method practiced by yogis mainly for its cleansing effect on the eyes. Apart from its beneficial effect on the eyes, it has a tremendous effect on improving concentration.
Trataka is a part of the detoxification system called SHATKARMA. Shat means Six, Karma means Action. Shatkarma – 6 actions for cleaning the body. Purifying the body of toxins is an important part of yoga. The goal is to create harmony between the two major pranic flows, Ida and Pingala, thereby attaining physical and mental purification.
Trataka is a practice of intense gazing at one point or object which develops the power of concentration.
How to do it?
1. Sit in Sukhasana, Vajrasana, or any other meditative posture. If not possible to sit on the floor, sit on a firm chair with an erect backrest. Keep the body erect, head straight and palms facing down, resting on the knees or thighs.
2. Light a candle and keep it 16 to 20 inches away; the tip of the flame just below eye level. The point of attention must be as small as possible, even if the object may be large. Make sure there is no draft of air and the flame is steady.
3. Steadily gaze at either the tip of the flame or the tip of the wick, till either tears flow from the eyes or the eyes grow weary.
4. Be sure not to over-strain the eyes. Blinking the eyes is a protective mechanism of the body. Hence, do not gaze unblinkingly for long.
5. Now close your eyes and visualize the object or try to see its image within.
6. When this image begins to fade cup or palm the eyes and then slowly open them.
SHAMBHAVI MUDRA (EYEBROW CENTRE GAZING)
Shambhavi mudra strengthens the eyes muscles and releases accumulated tension in this area. It calms the mind, removing emotional stress and anger. It develops concentration, mental stability, and a state of thoughtlessness. Regular practice of shambhavi mudra retards degeneration of the pineal gland and is recommended for children from the age of eight onwards to balance their emotional development.
The practice is also known as bhrumadhya drishti; bhru means “eyebrow center” and drishti means gazing, hence this is the practice of eyebrow center gazing.
How to do it?
1. Keep the head and spine upright and straight, place the hands on the knee.
2. Close the eyes and relax the whole body.
3. Slowly open the eyes and look ahead at a fixed point, keeping the head and the whole body still.
4. Next, look upward and inward, focusing the eyes at the eyebrow center. The head should not move.
5. Hold the gaze for only a few seconds at first.
6. Release at the slightest sensation of strain!
7. Close the eyes and relax them.
NASIKAGRA DRISHTI (NOSE TIP GAZING)
The benefits of this practice are similar to those of trataka. Nasikagra drishti is an excellent technique for calming anger and disturbed states of mind. It develops the powers of concentration. It strengthens the eye muscles.
If performed with awareness for a long period, it helps to awaken Mooladhara (Root chakra) chakra and induce meditative states.
How to do it?
1. Rest the hands on the knees. Close the eyes and relax the whole body.
2. Open the eyes and focus them on the nose tip.
You can hold the index finger up at arm’s length from the eyes and focus on it. Slowly bring the finger towards the nose, keeping the gaze steadily fixed upon it. When the finger touches the tip of the nose, the eyes should still be focused on the finger. Transfer the focus of the eyes to the nose tip.
3. Do not strain the eyes in any way! Try to become completely absorbed in the practice to the exclusion of all other thoughts.
4. After a few seconds, close the eyes and relax them before repeating the practice.
CONCLUSION
Six muscles attach to the eye to move it. These muscles originate in the eye socket (orbit) and work to move the eye up, down, side to side, and rotate the eye.
Consequently if these muscles are weak may appear a blurred vision, an inability to position the eyes in sync. Some may also have a hard time moving both eyes in every direction, and many will have drooping of their eyelids. Therefore training these muscles will give you the chance to have a healthy, strong eye and good vision.
When you perform the practices that are given in this post, never strain them too much the eyes. Feeling some difficulties is a sign to stop and relax until you feel better and try again!
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