Yoga exercises to strengthen and soothe eye muscles
Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community.
Fifty-four percent of Kiwis wear glasses or contact lenses and many are told by their optometrist that their vision will worsen as they age. However, an extensive study by the American Optometry Association in 1986 found that eye exercises can help to improve vision with regular practice. Back in February we had our first look at eye-yoga practices.
Here are two more quick and easy practices you can add to these ones – near and distant viewing and palming the eyes for tired eye muscles.
Take a few minutes every day to look after your vision and complete these simple movements.
1. Near and distant viewing
This one is an excellent exercise for the tiny muscles within the eyes. It’s useful for people focusing their eyes on a fixed point for long periods such as artistic activities, intensive reading or repairing small items. It provides relief for strained eyes by changing the focus.
Hold up your right thumb. Bring it to the tip of your nose then fix your gaze on it crossing your eyes. Slowly extend your arm out in front of you keeping your focus on your thumb without raising your hand. Make sure you can see it clearly without a blur.
Keep your arm where it is then lift your gaze from this point and look into the distance, maybe out a window. Find a small point in the distance that you can see clearly. Hold your gaze here.
Bring your eyes back to the pencil or index finger in front of you. Repeat three to five times.
2. Palming, lets sooth and relax the eye muscles that have been worked
Personally, I like to do this one every day. Start to rub your palms together until you feel some warmth there, now close your eyes and place your palms over your eyes. Let your eyes absorb the warmth from your hands. Relax all the muscles in your eyes. Repeat as often as you like.
What’s your trick for relieving tired eyes? Let us know in the comments below.
Related links:
Three yoga exercises to relieve neck and shoulder stress
3 easy exercise all over60s should be doing to improve balance
How to improve your balance with yoga