Eye yoga, one of the latest wellness trends, is taking the world by storm.
Just likeregular yoga, this form of exercise strengthens the muscles involved.
Over time, it may improve eye health, says yoga teacher Chatty Dobson (viaVogue).
Palming, blinking, zooming, and other yogic eye exercises can be done anytime, anywhere.
The key is to be consistent and perform these movements daily or every other day.
verify you have realistic expectations before getting started.Eye yogawon’t correct your vision or eliminate the need for eyeglasses.
However, it can reduce eyestrain andother negative effects of too much screen time.
Here’s what you should know about it and how to reap its benefits.
As it turns out, eye yoga can reduce eyestrain and prevent it from getting worse.
Subjects practiced eye yoga for just 60 minutes, twice a week.
After two months, they reported a greater reduction in eye fatigue than the control group.
Another study had similar results.
Students who practiced yoga ocular exercises for six weeks experienced a significant decrease in eye fatigue.
Yogic eye exercises can also increase macular thickness, reports a 2020 study featured in theInternational Yoga Journal.
This time, scientists investigated the effects of eye yoga on healthy individuals.
Subjects experienced significant improvements in blood pressure, intraocular pressure, retinal thickness, and macular thickness.
While further research is needed to confirm these benefits, most studies have promising results.
All in all, eye yoga is worth a try.
Plus, it’s safer than artificial tears.
In some cases, they may cause eye irritation, burning, discomfort, and other adverse reactions.
Keep your eyes healthy with these exercises
Getting started with eye yoga couldn’t be easier.
First, try stretching your eye muscles, recommends yoga teacher Chatty Dobson (via Vogue).
Relax your facial muscles and close your eyes.
Look up and count to four while keeping your eyes closed.
Start counting to four again, but look down.
Repeat two more times.
Next, look left and right and then top left to bottom right.
Remember to relax and keep your eyes closed.
Last, look top right to bottom left.
Dobson recommends blinking as fast as possible 10 times to strengthen the muscles in your eyes.
When you’re done, close your eyes and count to five.
Repeat four more times.
You may also try palming, one of the most widely used yogic eye exercises.
Takedeep breathswith your eyes closed.
Relax and enjoy the warmth.
Another popular exercise involves focusing on your thumb or an object near you.
Extend your arm in front of you and make a fist.
Raise your thumb and then move it toward your nose while focusing on it.
Continue until you’re free to no longer maintain your focus.
Take a few deep breaths and repeat.
As you progress, venture to keep your focus longer and experiment with other yogic eye exercises.
