Conjunctivitis is just an outcome of poor eye health: Here are a few yoga exercises for healthy eyes | Health and Wellness News | Fitness tips of the day

Neil JohnsonJuly 29, 2023

4 4 minutes read

Let us dive into the multi-dimensional ways to keep your eyesight clear and good for life and not fall prey to seasonal eruptions like conjunctivitis, says yoga expert Kamini Bobde

EYE HEALTH Resorting to glasses, though strongly advised by doctors, makes you more dependent on visual aids (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

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For primitive humans, the eyes were crucial to keep them safe and get them food. Their eyes darted in all directions to watch out for danger or scour out food, hanging from high trees or hidden under the feet. In short, the eye balls were ever moving in all directions. Most importantly the horizons were not obstructed by buildings and worse still, like now, focussed on screens at abnormally close distance while sitting, standing at odd, unnatural postures for long hours for both work and entertainment. In short, one of our crucial sense organs, the eyes, are taking the brunt of current urban lifestyles. Conjunctivitis sweeping across most cities is one such outcome of poor health of our eyes coupled with general poor immunity of people. There is an imminent need for parents to take care of their children’s eyes and their own through some simple means of eye exercises, diet, relaxation and eye cleansing practices. Resorting to glasses, though strongly advised by doctors, makes you more dependent on visual aids.

Here I will mention my own experience. When I was in the sixth standard, I had minus two power glasses. These were made but I never wore them except when watching movies in theatres. This made me strain my eye muscles and nerves to look at the blackboard or any distant object. I also found that blinking and shutting tight the eyes made my vision clearer. Then I didn’t know that blinking, tensing and relaxing the eyes are good exercises. In short, over time my eyesight has improved. Now eye exercises are part of my daily yoga practice. At the same time, my brother started wearing glasses initially with minus one power and today needs minus eight power glasses.

Let us dive into the multi-dimensional ways to keep your eyesight clear and good for life and to not fall prey to seasonal eruptions like conjunctivitis.

· Every morning, when you brush your teeth, take cold water in your palms and splash on the eyelids at least 10 times.

· Practise Neti initially every day and then at least alternate days or whenever you feel the necessity because of strenuous work on devices or trouble in the sinuses.

· Blinking is a good way to keep the eyes moist and acts like the wind shields of the car, cleaning the eyes of impurities, especially in today’s polluted world.

Exercises

· Every morning, and if possible in the evening, practise eye ball movements to exercise the nerves and muscle around the eyes.

· Sit comfortably in a chair, or cross-legged with your back straight and consciously, deliberately relax your whole body. This is essential.

· Move your eyeballs to the extreme right with awareness of how far to the extreme you can see clearly. With practice, you will notice the span width is increasing. Then slowly move it to the left with the same intention of seeing to the extreme left. Blink your eyes three to five times when you reach the maximum extreme vision. Do not strain. Be relaxed. Do five to 10 rounds.

· Similarly move the eyeballs up and down with blinking. Do five to 10 rounds.

· Then follow the diagonal movement, from top right to left down. Five rounds minimum.

· Finally, eyeball rotation in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction for five rounds in each direction with blinking.

Nasika Dristi

· Sit comfortably, then raise your left arm up to the eye level, keeping the arm straight. Make a fist, keeping the thumb out and upright. Look at the tip of the thumb, then slowly move it close until it touches the nose tip. Focus on the tip of the thumb throughout until it touches the nose tip. Then slowly draw it back again to the starting position, keeping your gaze fixed at the tip of the thumb. If you feel any strain, then blink or close your eyes and relax.

Palming of the eyes

· Sit comfortably. Rub your palms until they are warm, then palm your eyes. Ensure that the eyes are cupped in the small of your palm with the finger resting somewhere near the eyebrows. Count a minimum of 10 to the rhythm of seconds. This is one round. Do five to 10 rounds depending on the severity of the eye problem.

Diet: Vitamin A rich foods are best for healthy eyes and eyesight. A glass full of carrot juice for an entire year is essential for beating any eye deficiency. Other foods rich in vitamin A are spinach, sweet potato and liver.

Relaxation: This is important. Mental stress, worries and anxiety subconsciously tense up the nerves and muscles around the eyes impairing eyesight. Hence, relaxation like Shavasana and Yoga Nidra are important.

For thinking clearly and knowing reality, you need good eyesight, which is not aided or clouded by the vision itself. So take care of the precious gift of sight.

First published on: 29-07-2023 at 15:24 IST

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