The ancient practice of yoga has been shown to offer a wide variety of benefits for overall health and wellness, as well as specific benefits for many health conditions. You have likely heard about some of the many benefits of yoga, but you may not have heard that yoga is beneficial for eyesight.
Yoga has been shown to help preserve and improve eyesight and relieve eye strain that can occur from working on the computer for long hours, watching television, reading late at night and generally not resting the eyes.
Through the practice of yoga, you learn to relax the body and breathe in full, deep breaths. These same principles are used to relax the muscles of the eyes and reduce strain. Releasing the tension in the body, including the eyes, can improve your eye health and focus.
There are several eye practices that are based on the principles and practice of yoga. You can find exercises online and in books and DVDs that are devoted to improving eyesight and reducing eye strain through yoga. If you want to give it a try before buying DVDs or books, you can find short videos on You Tube and other websites with exercises for the eyes.
One exercise that is commonly found in yoga programs for the eyes is to cup the palms of the hands and place them gently over the eyes. This helps to soothe irritation of the optic nerve and relax the eyes and brain. The room should be dark to get the greatest benefit from this exercise. The length of time varies; try it for as long as you are comfortable.
Other techniques that are used to relieve strain on the eyes and reduce tension include massage techniques on the temples, face and forehead. These muscles can hold tension that can make eye strain worse.