Eye Yoga

Virtued Academy International

 Contents
Introduction to Eye Yoga ........................................................ 4
Benefits and Contraindications of Eye Yoga ........................ 5
Preparing for Eye Yoga............................................................ 7
While doing yoga....................................................................... 8
Bhramari Exercise ..................................................................... 9
Multi-directional Eye Exercise .............................................. 11
The Three Circles Exercise.................................................... 14
Near and Distant Viewing Exercise ..................................... 16
Zoom-In and Zoom-Out Exercise ...................................... 17
Eye Pushups ............................................................................ 19
Jump Convergence Exercise ................................................. 21
Figure Eight Exercise ............................................................. 22
The 20-20-20 ........................................................................... 23
Rolling Exercise....................................................................... 24
Palming Technique ................................................................. 25
18 Blinking Technique ........................................................... 26
19 Introduction to Eye Massage ........................................... 27
Contrasting Water ................................................................... 29
Eye Socket Massage ................................................................ 30
Pressure Relieving Massage ................................................... 31
Eyebrow Pinching Massage ................................................... 32
Temples Massage .................................................................... 33
Acupressure for Better Eyes ................................................. 34
Diet for Better Eyes................................................................ 37
 Introduction to Eye Yoga

In simple terms, yoga is known to be an ancient Hindu

spiritual discipline that is practiced for better health and
relaxation. These practices include pranayama (breath
control), dhyan (meditation), and the aasana (adoption of
specific bodily postures).
Yoga is a complete science. It unites body, mind, and spirit,
and the universe. Yoga brings the much-needed and longed
desire for peace and ecstasy in every individual. Not only
that, but it also makes such a big difference in one's behavior
pattern, thought pattern, and one's attitude for a sane living
or sane life these days. Yoga is almost indispensable. If you
want to be sane; if you want to be sensitive, sensible, strong,
and intuitive, you have to follow yoga. Again Yoga is not
just physical exercise, asanas –it is an emotional integration,
spiritual elevation with a touch of a mystic element that gives
you a glimpse of something which is beyond all
imagination.
Yoga deals extensively with every aspect of our life. It can
be your work environment; it can be your physical or mental
health; it can be your relationships with family and friends;
or your relationship with the greatest power. From ancient
times, the maharishis have been defining yoga in many
different ways but they have been putting forward the same
meaning.
Eye exercises, also known as yogic eye yoga, involve
movements that are intended to tone and strengthen the
muscles that support your eyes. Eye yoga practitioners
frequently seek to enhance their eyesight, cure dry eye
symptoms, and lessen eye strain.
 Benefits and Contraindications of Eye Yoga

Benefits of Eye Yoga:

 It aids in wide-field vision improvement.
 Naturally, it greatly enhances your vision.
 It aids in increasing your capacity for focus.
 It considerably lowers the risk of developing eye
illnesses and other issues associated to the eyes.
 It aids in reducing eye strain, especially for individuals
who spend a lot of time in front of computers.
 It alleviates the symptoms of dry eye condition.
 It aids in mind relaxation.
 It also aids in deepening spiritual understanding.

Contraindications of Eye Yoga:

 Since eye exercises require the movement of the eye
muscles, anyone with an injury to any part of the eye
muscles should exercise caution.
 Avoiding this technique is advised for those who suffer
from eye conditions such glaucoma, cataracts, retinal
artery disease, conjunctivitis, etc.
 Even though anyone can perform the eye exercises as
part of a home practice, those who have a migraine or
other severe headaches should do so with the help of a
yoga instructor.
 After performing the eye exercises, it's crucial to unwind
by closing your eyes for around 30 seconds before
starting again. The safest option to stop a practice if it
produces any form of pain in the head, vision, neck,
shoulders, or eyes is to listen to your body while you're
doing it.
 Preparing for Eye Yoga

For yoga, all you need are the following:

 Calm and comfortable environment
 Sit comfortably with your back straight.
 Sit up straight with your gaze facing straight ahead.
 Hands should stay on your lap.
 Spend 40 seconds relaxing with your eyes closed.
 While doing yoga

While doing yoga, you need to remember three things:

 Keep your body comfortable
 Keep your mind calm
 Keep your focus on breath
 Bhramari Exercise

Bhramari, also known as Humming Bee Breath, is a

meditative breathing technique that calms the nervous
system and aids in re-establishing a connection with our
inner selves. The name of this pranayama, bhramari, which
means "bee" in Sanskrit, comes from the humming sound
that is made at the back of the throat during practice and is
similar to the soft humming of a bee.

Benefits of Bhramari Yoga:

 It strengthens the eyes.
 Calms and quiets the mind
 Relieves tension in the brain
 Stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands, promoting
their healthy function
 Reduces tension
 Reduces anxiety and worry
 Reduces anger
 Helps decrease blood pressure
 Improves the condition of the throat
 Enhances and strengthens voice
 Aids in the recovery of body tissues
 Promotes peaceful sleep

How to do Bhramari Yoga Exercise:

 Sit in Padmasana or any suitable sitting position Close
your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
 Now, use your thumbs to close your ears.
 The rest of your fingers should be placed over your eyes
with your middle fingers, with your index finger placed
slightly over your brows.
 Putting extremely light pressure on your nose's sides
 Now focus your mind on the space in-between your
eyebrows.
 Keep your mouth shut and exhale slowly through your
nostrils while humming the Om mantra.
 Five times through this method. It's crucial to remember
that when performing this Pranayama, you are
presuming connection to all of the universe's uplifting
energy.
 Multi-directional Eye Exercise

One of the simplest ways to build better eye motions,

sharpen your attention, and activate your brain's vision
centre is to perform directional eye exercises, which require
you to move your eyes in a variety of directions.

A) Sideways Viewing:
 Sit comfortably on chair with your legs extended in
front of you.
 Take a few slow, deep breaths, close your eyes, and
focus on relaxing your entire body, including your
eyes.
 Open your eyes when you're ready to begin.
 Your arms should be straight out in front of you and
parallel to your shoulders when you clench your
fists. Your thumbs should remain pointing up.
 Select a spot on the wall that is parallel to your eyes
and directly in front of you, such as a shelf or
anything else.
 Keep your head in this fixed position and your spine
straight.
 Focus on each of the following items one at a time,
just moving your eyes not your head, as you do so:
 The right thumb
 The space between the eyebrows
 The left thumb
 The space between the eyebrows
  This eye exercise should be done 10 to 20 times
total.
 When you're through, bring your hands down, shut
your eyes and give them some time to rest.

B) Up and Down Viewing:

 When you're ready to start, open your eyes.

 Choose anything or an area on the wall that is
directly in front of you and parallel to your eyes.
 Keep your spine straight and your head in this fixed
position.
 Look at the thumb of your right hand.
 Now slowly raise the right arm while keep looking
at your thumb to follow the movement. Remember,
no neck movement.
 Keep raising the arm until the thumb is out of your
sight.
 Then slowly lower it back down to the knee, the
starting position.
 Now repeat this same method with the left thumb.
 Do it five times with each thumb.
 When you're through, shut your eyes and give them
some time to rest.
 The Three Circles Exercise

 When you're ready to start, open your eyes.

 Keep your spine straight and your head in fixed
position.
 Make a fist with thumbs up and keep your fist on
your respective knees.
 Now raise your right arm with elbow straight and
make a circle in the air on the right side.
 Keep your head motionless, fix your eyes on the
right thumb, and follow the motion.
 Make 3 clockwise, and 3 anti-clockwise circles with
the right hand.
 Bring the right arm back to the right knee and then
raise your left arm and repeat the same exercises by
making a circle on the left side.
 Now bring the left arm back to the left knee and
raise your right arm to make a circle in the middle,
in front of your face.
 After doing this also 3 times both clockwise and
anti-clockwise, bring back your fist to your knee and
relax.
 When you're through, shut your eyes and give them
some time to rest.
 Near and Distant Viewing Exercise

 Sit in padmasana or on a chair, facing any object or any

mark on the wall around 10 feet away of you.
 Place an object or your finger at around 10 inches away
from your eyes.
 Now alternatively focus on the near object and far
object for 10-15 seconds each.
 Repeat it for 5-10 times.
 When you're through, shut your eyes and give them
some time to rest.
 Zoom-In and Zoom-Out Exercise

 Sit in padmasana or on a chair, facing any object or any

mark on the wall around 10 feet away of you. Let’s call
that the far most object.
 Place an object or your finger at around 10 inches away
from your eyes. Let us call it the closest object.
 Place one or more objects in between your closest object
and far most object. E.g. if you have the far most object
at 10 feet, you can keep one more object at approx. 5
feet. Or two more objects- one at approx. 3 feet from
you, and another approx. 6 feet from you. Don’t worry
about the exact distance… you just need multiple
objects to focus on. Lets call them the middle object 1,
2, 3 and so on. In case we have kept 3 objects between
your closest object and far most objects; the middle
object 1 is the one which is closer to the closest object,
the middle object 2 is the one little far from middle
object 1, and the middle object 3 is the one little far from
the middle object 2 (or closer to the far-most object).
 Focus on the far most object for 5-10 seconds.
 Now shift your focus to the next object close to you for
5-10 seconds.
 Keep coming towards the closest object by focusing on
each object one by one for 5-10 seconds each. E.g., start
with the far most object, then middle object 3, then
middle object 2, then middle object 1, and finally to the
closest object.
 Once you have reached to the closest object, start going
back to the far-most object with focus on all the middle
objects one by one. E.g. first to the closest object, then
the middle object 1, then the middle object 2, then the
middle object 3, and finally to the far most object.
 Do it for 2 minutes.
 Eye Pushups

Convergence is trained by push-up workouts. When we

follow an object that is moving in our direction, both of our
eyes move in toward the nose. The near item will seem as
two if our eyes do not focus or doubled.

 Start by placing one pen or finger at arm's length in front

of you.
 Slowly and steadily bring it up to your nose while
maintaining a single-pointed attention on the pen's tip.
 It is acceptable for the pen to blur when it is very close
to your nose as long as there is only one pen visible at
the time.
 Try to make your eyes work extra hard to view the pen
as a single object once it has doubled.
 If you can get the pen to contact your nose and still keep
it single, hold this posture for two seconds then relax.
 If you find it difficult to keep the pen visibly single,
reposition it at arm's length and begin again.
 Continue doing this for one minute or 20 cycles, then
take a minute to relax your eyes by looking off into the
distance.
 Jump Convergence Exercise

Jump convergence is more challenging than smooth

convergence and more like the visual corrections we
perform in daily life. Switching to jump convergences can
help you train your eyes more effectively when smooth
convergence cannot be performed successfully or when
your optometrist advises it.
 Using two pens or two fingers (one of each hand), hold
one at arm’s length and one 10cm in front of your nose.
 Shift your focus from the distant pen to the nearer pen.
Maintain a single, uncluttered focus on the nearby pen
(you should notice the pen you are not focusing on will
appear doubled).
 Hold this stance for two seconds, then move your focus
back to the far pen and make this single and clear.
 Continue for one minute or 20 cycles, after which you
should relax your eyes by gazing off into the distance for
a minute.
 If you are unable to do so, move the 10 cm pen farther
away until you can. You should be able to maintain a
single pen at 10 cm as you get better at converge.
 If you are able to keep the 10 cm pen single with ease,
move it closer to the 8 cm, 5 cm, and then touch your
nose to improve convergence skill.
 Figure Eight Exercise

 Sit comfortably.
 Clench one fist with thumbs up.
 Raise the arm and make a large sleeping eight figure that
resembles the infinity sign.
 Simply use your eyes to follow the thumb while you are
making the figure eight.
 After five repetitions, take a moment to rest before
starting over.
 The 20-20-20

For many people, eye strain is a major problem. Human eyes

should not be fixed on one thing for an extended period of
time. The 20-20-20 rule may help minimize digital eye strain
if you spend all day using a computer. This rule is to glance
at anything 20 feet away for 20 seconds once every 20
minutes.
 Rolling Exercise

This exercise relieves eye strain.

 Take a deep breath and sit up straight in your seat.
 Letting yourself focus upward, slowly raise your gaze to
the ceiling.
 Roll your eyes so that your entire field of vision is to
your right.
 Roll both of your eyes all the way down, looking at the
ground.
 Roll both of your eyes completely to the left as you look.
 Revert to staring at the ceiling once more before taking
a deep breath and looking straight forward. Repeat
numerous times, then change your gaze to the
counterclockwise direction.
 Palming Technique

 Close your eyes and relax by sitting quietly. Take a few

deep breaths.
 Rub the palm until they become warm and place them
on your eyes.
 Your fingertips should be resting on your forehead, your
palms should be over your eyes, and your heels of the
hands should be resting on your cheeks as you gently
place your hands over your eyelids. Avoid touching the
eyes directly and instead let your hands form a dark veil
in front of your eyes by slightly hollowing them out.
 Feel the warmth of your palms spreading to your eyes
and eye muscles. You'll immediately feel relaxed.
 When you're ready to come out, lower your hands while
keeping your eyes closed.
 When you feel comfortable, slowly open your eyes.
 Repeat the process for three to five times.
 18 Blinking Technique

Our eyes receive much-needed rest and refreshment when

we blink. However, because it is such a natural behavior and
typically involves little attention, it is frequently something
that most people seem to forget. Nevertheless, trying to
blink more regularly can lessen eye strain.
Your eyes are lubricated and moisturized by blinking.
Blinking not only helps to spread tear film evenly over your
eyes but also helps to remove toxins out of your eyes with
tears. Thus, blinking can aid in reducing eye dryness. To
prevent your eyes from drying out, try to blink once every
four seconds.
 Keep your eyes open and take a comfortable seat.
 Blink ten times in a short period of time.
 For 20 seconds, close your eyes and unwind while
focusing on your breathing.
 Perform this exercise three to five times.
 19 Introduction to Eye Massage

When your eyes are focused on a single task, your blink rate
decreases from an average of 15 to 20 times per minute to 3
to 4 times per minute, which can cause dry eyes and fatigue.
Your eye may be strained, resulting in weariness and
redness.
By self-massaging, you can relieve fatigued or dry eyes by
boosting blood flow to the area around the eyes and easing
tense muscles. Use the daily eye exercise to promote good
habits and benefit from calming eye care.
The massage around your eyes can improve your eye health
if you have aching, fatigued eyes, hazy vision, dry eyes,
irritation, eye strain, or double vision. Certain acute and
chronic eye disorders may find relief from massaging
particular areas. Eye massage can greatly aid in easing the
strain that comes with spending too much time in front of
the screen.
Benefits of Eye Massage:

 Relieve Headaches & Eye Strain

 Relieves Dry and Tired Eyes
 Relieves Sore Eye Muscles
 Support Eye Health
 Reduces Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles
 Boosts Skin Elasticity
 Tension & Anxiety Relief
 Improve Your Sleep
Contraindications of Eye Massage:

 Anyone with an injury to any part of the eye muscles

should massage caution.
 Avoiding eye massage is advised for those who suffer
from eye conditions such glaucoma, cataracts, retinal
artery disease, conjunctivitis, etc.
 Those who have a migraine or other severe headaches
should do eye massage with caution.
 After performing the eye massage, it's crucial to unwind
by closing your eyes for around 30 seconds before
starting again. The safest option to stop a practice if it
produces any form of pain in the head, vision, neck,
shoulders, or eyes is to listen to your body while you're
doing it.
 Contrasting Water

Two bowls of water should be prepared, with a washcloth

in each. One bowl should be filled with warm water. It
shouldn’t be boiling hot, just hot enough to be comfortable,
and the second bowl should be filled with ice cold water.
You can just use an ice pack in place of the bowl of ice water.
For 30 seconds, place the warm towel over your closed eyes.
Apply a cold compress to your closed eyelids with a
washcloth or ice pack. It is recommended to apply the cold
compress for 15-30 seconds, and warm compress for 45-90
seconds. Most conventional contrast hydrotherapy uses
warm compresses for longer periods of time. Always ensure
typical 3:1 time ratio of warm to cold contrast. A total of 3
to 5 minutes is a suitable amount of treatment time.
 Eye Socket Massage

Close your eyes while massaging the bridge of your nose and
the bones in your eye sockets with your middle finger for 8
to 10 times total. By increasing the blood flow to your face,
this may help the red blood cells around your eyes receive
more oxygen and nutrients.
 Pressure Relieving Massage

Gently push the area where the crease of your lid starts just
above the inner corner of your eyes with your thumbs. Press
gently, then let go. Five times through this drill. You're
assisting in relieving pressure between your eyes by doing
this.
 Eyebrow Pinching Massage

Pick all the skin the area of your eyebrow. Gently press it,
lift it, move it around and gently place it back.
 Temples Massage

Massage the hollow in your temples on the side of your face

with your middle fingers in different directions. For one
minute, keep massaging the region. This can help you feel
more relaxed and relieve any tension in your temples.
 Acupressure for Better Eyes

It's crucial to employ the proper technique and create the

ideal balance while massaging acupressure spots for the
eyes. Any type of facial acupressure, including acupressure
on the eyes, requires an understanding of the precise
location and the right way to massage the area. In other
words, you need to apply pressure while being gentle
enough to avoid hurting the person. The place you are
applying acupressure to should feel acutely pressured,
according to Baran, who adds that the procedure should
never be painful After massaging the region, advised
to hold the location for 10 to 15 seconds before releasing it
for roughly the same period of time. Depending on the
condition, repeat this technique six to ten times at the same
location. Don't forget to breathe. It's crucial to breathe
deeply and slowly throughout this process.
The ‘Third Eye’:
It is situated roughly between the eyebrows and at the top
of the nose. This region can be compressed to alleviate eye
strain symptoms and enhance vision.

Zan Zhu Point:

It is located along the inner-eye area, next to the nose. When
seeking to treat red, itchy, or sore eyes, excessive tear
production, allergies, headaches, and more, the Zan Zhu
pressure point is often used.

Nostril Points:
You can improve your vision and the health of your sinuses
by simultaneously pressing the areas close to both of your
nostrils. Treatment of this area improves sinus problems,
reduces headaches (which also impair eyesight), and clears
up foggy vision.

Cheng Qi Point:
It is located directly under the eye and center to the eye area.
Conjunctivitis symptoms, such as eye redness, swelling, and
pain, as well as twitching, can be relieved by applying
pressure to the Cheng Qi pressure point.

Yang Bai Point:

It is located to the left side of the center of the forehead,
just above the left eye. When trying to treat headaches, eye
twitching, and even glaucoma, the Yang Bai point may be
useful.

Si Zhu Kong Point:

It is found at the end tip of the brow, away from the eye.
Common problems associated with eye strain include
headache and migraine pain, both of which may be relieved
by the common point Si Zhu Kong.

The Tip of Thumb:

Your neck muscles relax and tension is released when you
press on the tips of your thumbs. The health of your upper
body muscles can affect your eyesight negatively, so
maintaining good upper body health will help you see better.

The Tip of Big Toe:

The tip of your big toe is also helpful to improve the eye
health.
 Diet for Better Eyes

You can lower your risk of developing common eye diseases

by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Eye-friendly nutrients can
help prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD),
which affects more than 600,000 people in the UK and is
the main cause of blindness in the western world. These
nutrients can be found in many fruits and vegetables,
including spinach, red peppers, kale, leeks, avocado,
peaches, and blueberries.
70% of the human body is made up of water. Water is
necessary for your body to function normally and to
maintain the health of your eyes. Dry, abrasive, and irritated
eyes can result from dehydration. The Food Standards
Agency advises drinking 1.2 liters (6 to 8 glasses) of water
each day, plus extra if you move or it's hot outside.
It is crucial to give your body the appropriate and necessary
nutrients for the development or maintenance of good eye
sight. To improve your vision, include vitamins C and E,
lutein, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids in your daily diet. Foods
like oranges and other citrus fruits or juices, green and leafy
vegetables, eggs, almonds, beans, and other non-meat
protein sources, as well as oysters and pork, are beneficial
for the eyes. A healthy diet helps you avoid diabetes, which
can lead to blindness.
Cold water fish like sardines, mackerel, and tuna are all top-
notch sources of DHA and Omega-3 fatty acids, which give
the eye's cell membranes structural support and are advised
for dry eye, macular degeneration treatment, and overall
sight preservation.