Many eye problems arise from the inability to relax the eyes, according to yogi Ramanantantata. In this post I want to share several simple exercises that he recommends to restore the eyesight.
This exercise is for the better blood circulation in the eyes
The starting position: heels together, toes apart, arms at the sides, eyes closed.
- Inhale, and while holding your breath, lean forward to make your head lower than the heart level. Hang in this position like an inflated balloon. You can bend your knees if you need.
- Count to five, then slowly return to the normal straight standing position, and only then slowly exhale.
- After this exercise you should do the cleansing yoga breath:
- Take a full breath, and hold it for a few seconds.
- Then exhale with the effort releasing small portions of air through the pursed lips, producing the “S” sound.
- Then repeat everything again.
In order to achieve the maximum benefit when you lean forward, try fully relaxing your eyes, head and neck – this will provide the maximum blood flow to your eyes. Gradually increase the breath-hold time to 10 seconds. The oxygen enriched blood washes all the toxins from the eye muscles that built up there due to constant strain and poor blood circulation.
Eye vision restoration as well as the treatment of any organ of the human body, is impossible without the improvement of blood circulation. And for the proper blood flow a good relaxation is required. According to yoga teachings, any health disorder treatment including eyes problems should start with muscle relaxation. This will help the healing energy easily flow throughout the body.
Caution: People with heart disease and serious damages of the blood vessels and the retina (for example, retinal detachment) should be very careful while leaning forward. It is important to avoid any feeling of discomfort. You can place a mirror next to you to have a look at your eyes from time to time. If you notice your eyes getting red, quit the exercise and rest.
How to help your tired eyes?
If your eyes got very tired, you can refresh them by enhancing the above described exercise. All you need to do is to lower your head as much as you can, and while holding your breath, close the eyes tightly, then open and relax them. Repeat several times. This will create a pump effect to bring more fresh blood to the eyes.
What else can you do to get rid of eye pain and tension, and improve the eye sight?
Change the load on your eyes often; if your work makes you look at close objects for long time, have breaks to look at distant objects. Don’t sit for too long; have a walk at intervals during your work.
Other benefits of yoga for eyes
Doing yoga poses on a regular basis can significantly improve the health of your eyes. All inversions and forward bending poses are especially good: Salamba Sarvangasana, Halasana (the Plow pose), Prasarita Padottanasana, Uttanasana (the forward bend), and Adho Mukha Svanasana (the Downward Facing Dog Pose).
It is also very beneficial to gently massage your closed eyes. You can also softly press your eyes with your palms. After massage rub your hands together and place them over your eyes. The feeling of warmth should appear. Try to relax your eyes as much as you can until the color stains disappear. If you “see” only the plain black color, it means that your eyes are fully relaxed. It may be difficult to attain this state, but it is very effective for the eye tension relief. Once your eyes are fully relaxed, their blood circulation fully restores and the cleansing takes place.