Nowadays, long hours spent in front of the screen can cause serious fatigue and discomfort in our eyes. We spend a lot of time with devices such as computers, phones and televisions, which can negatively affect our eye health. Fortunately, it is possible to strengthen and relax our eye muscles with a method called eye yoga. Eye yoga not only protects eye health, but also increases general well-being by providing mental relaxation.
What is Eye Yoga?
Eye yoga is a special exercise that emerged as part of traditional yoga practices and aims to strengthen and relax the eye muscles. While yoga is generally a discipline that aims to balance the body and mind, eye yoga adapts this approach to our eyes. Regular exercise of the muscles around the eyes can improve vision, reduce eye fatigue and support overall eye health.
How to Do Eye Yoga?
Eye yoga is very simple to do and can be done anywhere. You can rest your eyes at work, at home, or even during short breaks. Below are a few basic eye yoga poses for beginners:
- Palm Movement: Warm your hands by rubbing them, then place them on your eyelids. The warmth of the hands will relax your eye muscles. Stay in this position for a few minutes.
- Blink Exercise: Blink your eyes 10 times rapidly, then close your eyes and rest for 20 seconds. This exercise exercises the eye muscles and helps moisten the eyes.
- Near-Far Focus: First focus on an object close to your nose, then turn your eyes to a distant object. This exercise improves eye muscle coordination and increases focusing skills.
- Lavender Eye Pillow: Finally, if you place the lavender eye pillow around your eye area and wait for 10-15 minutes, it will help your eyes relax.
Eye Yoga Exercises
Eye yoga poses are simple exercises designed to strengthen the eye muscles and reduce eye strain. Here are some basic eye yoga poses that you can easily do at home:
- Palming: Close your eyes and rub your palms together to warm them up. Then, gently place your palms over your eyes, feeling the soothing effect of the darkness without putting pressure on your eyelids. This relaxes the eye muscles and reduces stress.
- Eye Circle Drawing: Keeping your head still, draw large circles with your eyes in a clockwise direction. This movement increases the flexibility of the eye muscles. Repeat the same movement counterclockwise.
- Near-Far Focus: Take a pen in your hand and bring it close to the tip of your nose. Look at the pen for a few seconds, then focus far away, such as outside a window. This exercise strengthens the focusing ability of your eye muscles.
You can relieve eye fatigue by doing these exercises for 5-10 minutes a day. Remember, eye yoga is only effective when done regularly.
Eye Yoga Benefits
Eye yoga is very beneficial for eye health, especially in the digital age. Here are some of the prominent benefits of eye yoga:
- Reduces Eye Strain: Looking at a computer screen for a long time causes fatigue in the eyes. Eye yoga movements reduce this fatigue by resting the eye muscles.
- Strengthens Eye Muscles: Regular eye yoga strengthens your eye muscles and increases your ability to focus. This allows for sharper vision.
- Provides Relaxation: These exercises you do to your eyes provide relaxation not only physically but also mentally. When you are relieved from stress, you will feel that your eyes are healthier.
- Can Relieve Headaches: Tension and stress from the eyes can lead to headaches. Eye yoga can be an effective method to prevent such pain.
In What Situations Is Eye Yoga Beneficial?
Eye yoga is especially beneficial for those who use computers intensively, students, and those who experience frequent eye strain. Here are the situations in which eye yoga is most effective:
- Digital Eye Strain: Prolonged exposure to computer, phone or tablet screens increases eye strain. Eye yoga is an ideal solution to relieve this fatigue.
- Lazy Eye: Eye yoga is especially beneficial for problems such as lazy eye by activating the eye muscles. It can be a supportive method in the treatment of this condition.
- Intensive Study and Reading: For individuals who work or read with concentration for long periods of time, eye yoga helps the eyes recover and provides a more efficient study/reading process.
