How to Practice Eye Yoga

Yoga exercises have been practiced for centuries, helping to strengthen and relax the muscles around the eyes. These exercises are intended for people with healthy eyes but who are experiencing eye strain or excessive fatigue, often due to prolonged computer use. Anyone with a history of eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, or other eye diseases should consult a doctor before starting these exercises.

Strengthen your eyelids. The muscles around the eyes can be strengthened just like other muscles in the body. Start by partially closing your eyes; the eyelids should be halfway shut. You will notice the upper eyelid trembling. Focus on trying to keep your eyes from shaking.

• Tip: You can make it easier to stop the eyelids from trembling by focusing on an object in the distance.
• After holding for 10-15 seconds, slowly close your eyes completely. Breathe deeply a few times to increase the oxygen levels in your blood. As you inhale, imagine a stream of fresh, oxygen-rich air flowing through your nose and into your eyes. Exhale. Continue this breathing exercise for one to two minutes.

Improve Focus. By concentrating on objects at various distances, you train your eyes to focus both near and far, while also relieving eye strain. Here are two exercises to help improve your focus that you can try:

• 1) Hold a pen at arm's length. Focus on the tip of the pen. Slowly move the pen closer to your nose, maintaining a steady pace. Repeat this 5-10 times.
• 2) Focus on the tip of your nose. Adjust your gaze to an object about an arm's length away or 6 meters away. Shift your focus back to the tip of your nose. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
• Be creative and challenge yourself. Select objects at different distances to focus on.

Stretch your eyes sideways and in the middle. These exercises stretch and strengthen specific eye muscles, helping your eyes move from side to side. For example, when you look to the right, you engage the lateral muscle of the right eye and the medial muscle of the left eye. When you look to the left, you engage the lateral muscle of the left eye and the medial muscle of the right eye.

• Sit comfortably with your back straight. Start by looking at the far left corner (without moving your head) and hold the position while counting to 5. Blink and look straight ahead. Then, look at the far right corner, hold the position, and count to 5. Repeat 3 times, blinking between each stretch.
• Next, repeat this exercise looking up and down. Don't forget to blink.

Stretch diagonally. Similar to the previous exercise, diagonal stretching requires looking at a fixed point for a few seconds. However, additional muscles come into play in this exercise. For instance, when looking diagonally up to the left, you're using the superior oblique muscle of the left eye and the inferior oblique muscle of the right eye.

• Sit comfortably and look up to the right for 5 seconds. Return to the neutral position. Look up to the left for 5 seconds. Return to neutral. Look down to the right for 5 seconds. Return to neutral. Look down to the left for 5 seconds. Return to neutral. Repeat these movements 3 times.

Draw an infinity symbol with your eyes. Imagine an infinity symbol or the number 8 lying horizontally in front of you. Slowly trace the symbol with your eyes 10 times without moving your head. Blink after each round.

Draw a circle with your eyes. A helpful way to perform this exercise is to imagine you're looking at the number 12 on a clock. Follow the numbers around the clock. Then, repeat in the opposite direction.

Eye Massage. Massage is a popular therapeutic method to relieve tension as it helps improve blood circulation to the areas you want to target. Start by massaging the upper eyelid for 10 seconds. Then, massage the lower eyelid.

• Use gentle pressure while massaging with the three fingers of each hand. Move in small circles.
• Gently press on the tear ducts, which produce the majority of tears, to stimulate tear production and keep your eyes moist. In other words, this movement helps reduce dryness and eye fatigue.
• When massaging the lower eyelid, ensure to massage the orbital bone, which is near the inner corner of the eye.

Blink More. Blinking allows the eyes to rest more and helps them relax, but it’s often overlooked as it's an automatic action. However, making a conscious effort to blink more often can help reduce eye strain.

• Blinking helps lubricate and hydrate the eyes. It not only flushes out dirt using tears but also forms a thin tear film that evenly spreads across the eye, improving dry eye conditions.
• Try to blink every 4 seconds to prevent your eyes from drying out.

Take Breaks. Giving your eyes more rest during intense focus, especially when looking at a computer screen, will help reduce eye strain.

• Try the 20-20-20 method: every 20 minutes, look away from your screen and focus on an object 20 feet (6 meters) away for 20 seconds.
• If you have trouble remembering to take breaks, set an alarm to remind you to give your eyes a chance to recover.
• You can also try occasionally opening your eyes wide and then closing them. Studies show this can reduce symptoms of fatigue and dryness.

Place your palms over your eyes for relaxation. This method is simple to perform. Gently place both palms over your eyes for a few minutes.

• Sit comfortably with your back straight. Rest your elbows on a table, pillow, or blanket for extra comfort. Rub your palms together to warm them before gently placing them over your eyes, enhancing the relaxation effect. Curve your palms and close your eyes. Breathe normally and rest in this position for 5-10 minutes. You may need to set a timer to track the time.
• If, after the session, you feel relaxed, then the duration is suitable. If not, increase the time by 5 minutes and observe any changes afterward.

• When you begin practicing these eye exercises and relaxation techniques, make sure to dedicate time to practice daily. Aim for 30 minutes of eye exercises every day. If you notice improvement, you can reduce the practice time.
• Always ensure your hands are clean when touching your eyes. Wash your hands with soap and water to avoid contaminating your eyes. Additionally, keep your nails trimmed to prevent scratching or poking your eyes.

• If you experience pain, changes in vision, dizziness, or any other symptoms, stop the exercises immediately. If these symptoms persist, consult a doctor.
• Continue your regular eye care routine, whether it involves medication or wearing corrective glasses and contact lenses.
• Note that for some individuals, eye exercises may delay the need for glasses or contact lenses. However, eye exercises cannot address common vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia (age-related stiffening of the lens). Eye exercises are also ineffective for conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Research generally suggests that non-medication eye exercise routines do not eliminate the need for glasses, nor can they alter specific eye conditions.