Yoga Eye Exercises

When people think of yoga, eye exercises (also known as asanas) don't necessarily leap out as being too well-known. Eye asanas, in fact, are important. Approximately 40 percent of our brain is associated with vision. Over time, our eyes lose their flexibility and tone, and this contributes to eye problems as we age. The loss of elasticity in the muscles of our eyes can lead to an impaired ability to focus and adversely affect our cranial nerves and brain, causing headaches, anxiety, stress.

Preparation: The Basics

• When practicing yogic eye exercises, it is important to maintain good posture and not slouch. What good is a deep, cleansing breath when your shoulders are slouched? As you breathe, it is important to keep your neck and head still and straight. As with any yoga practice, focus on your breathing as you move through each of the asanas.

  The inclusion and frequency of palming the eyes is really up to you. Some yogis will instruct their students to include palming following each eye asana. And then there are others who will save it for last. You should use your own discretion and do what feels comfortable. For the purposes of this article, palming is integrated to follow each exercise as a way of giving the eyes an opportunity to relax for a few moments.

Eye Asanas for Practice

• When practicing each exercise, keep your head and neck still. While focusing on your breath, open your eyes wide, but don't strain or force your facial muscles to contract. Without blinking, look up as far as you can and then look down as far as you can. To make it easier, use a focal point. After repeating 10 times, blink several times. Rub your palms together to build up a bit of heat, and then cup your hands over your closed eyes. Keep your palms over your eyes for a few deep breaths.

  Follow the vertical eye asana with one that flows horizontally from left to right. After you have done 10 repetitions, palm your eyes for a few deep breaths, and then move on to the next exercise.

  After the horizontal and vertical comes the diagonal. Look up and to the right and then flow to looking down and to the left. After suggested repetitions, reverse. Start with looking up and to the left, and then flow to looking down and to the right. Once 10 repetitions of each are completed, finish by palming for a few deep breaths.

  Finish your routine by rolling your eyes in clockwise circles and then counter-clockwise.

Benefits

• There are many benefits to routinely practicing eye asanas. These exercises enhance any yoga practice and should be an integral part of any yoga routine. The purpose of these exercises is to keep our eyes toned and flexible. As a result, eye strain and tension will ease. One of the ways by which these exercises work is through increasing blood flow to the optical nerves. Keeping these nerves supplied with fresh oxygenated blood aids with improving and maintaining tone, elasticity and flexibility.

  Yogic eye exercises have been used throughout the centuries to improve vision, to aid with protecting the eyes from environmental toxins and free radicals, and to ease stress.