Yoga for good eyesight

A popular saying goes “the face is the index of the mind and the eyes are the windows of the soul.”

Moreover, the truth lies in the fact that ‘eyes’ are our only windows to the world. Human eyes need care and attention. As years go by, the muscles around the eyes lose their tone. Eyesight becomes weak after the muscles around the eyes lose their elasticity and become rigid, thereby reducing the power to focus different distances. In addition, tension around the eyes affects the brain causing stress and anxiety.

Eyesight is dramatically improved when the muscles of the eyes are relaxed. There is a deep correlation between the eyes and the mind. It is said that our vision occupies 40 percent of the brain's capacity. Therefore, when we close our eyes, relaxation is induced in the brain. Eye health corresponds to the level of relaxation it experiences.

Yoga plays a significant role in promoting eye health. Yogic eye exercises strengthen the muscles of the eyes and thus help in curing many ailments of the eyes. With yoga, people begin treating their eyes with care, which reflects in good eye health. Yoga exercises, which involve movement of the eyes and eye rotation helps to improve the sight of the individuals. Lifting the eyes up and down and blinking them while not at work serves as a great exercise for improving the eyesight of the individual.
Keeping eyes focused at one point helps in increasing the concentration of the individual. It also aids to increase memory power of people so that they can take up the daily chores with great responsibility with better devotion and dedication. The eye movements should be steady and one should feel relaxed and comfortable while practicing them.

Shavasana (The corpse pose)

Before beginning the eye exercises, the corpse pose helps to relax all the body parts as well as provide relieve to the eyes and mind.

• To do this pose, one should lie motionless on the floor and close the eyes.
• All the body parts from the toes to the head should be in a relaxed state.
• In this relaxed posture, total calmness, and peace is felt when the whole body and mind have taken complete rest.

Trataka: Yoga for good eyesight



Trataka is a concentration exercise in which one gazes steadily at some small object without blinking the eyes and keeping the eye wide open. The practice is continued until the eyes strain and starts to water. Practice this exercise by gently closing the eyes and start rubbing the palms together, till the time heat is felt on the palms and then place them gently on the eyes. Trataka helps in preserving and maintaining good eyesight, and provides immunity from diseases.

• Sit in Sukhasana or Vajrasana position to practice this exercise.
• Keep the body erect and head steady and neck straight.
• Keep the thumb in front of you about 12 inches away and the other hand on the respective knee.
• Fix the eyes on the nail of the thumb.
• Slowly move your right hand towards the end of your left shoulder, keeping the eyes on the thumb nail, eyes open don’t blink, do not move the head, only the eye balls. Hold the gaze for a few seconds without flickering.
• Rub your palms till the time heat is felt, place cupped palms over eyes for a few seconds.
• We will repeat this with the left hand by keeping the thumb of the left hand at a distance of 12 inches fixing the eye on the nail of the thumb.
• Slowly move the thumb towards the right shoulder, keeping the eyes on the thumb nail, eyes open don’t blink, do not move the head, only the eye balls. Hold the gaze for a few seconds without flickering.
• Rub your palms till the time heat is felt, place cupped palms over eyes for a few seconds

This exercise can be done till the eyes feel tired or start watering

Benefits: -

• It helps in curing minor eye defects.
• An effective exercise for the muscles of the eye
• It also helps in concentration.

The renowned late William H. Bates, an ophthalmologist, claimed that vision could be improved with eye exercises like palming, eyeball rotations and gaze shifting. So, eye exercises are important to any individual and should be incorporated into the regular yoga routine to enjoy healthy vision for a longer period of time. Here are some easy and simple yogic exercises that can certainly help in improving your eyesight.

• Rub your palms vigorously together till they feel warm. Then place your palms over your closed eyes, not putting any pressure on the eyeballs. When they cool down, remove them. The warmth from the palms will relax the nerves in the eyes and help in blood circulation.
• Keep your face and neck straight. Close your eyes and rotate them clockwise, slowly and steadily concentrating on one eye at a time. Then rotate in the anticlockwise direction. Repeat five times each way.
• Eye Stretching -Move both your eyes in upward direction and then downward direction. Blink them quickly to relax the eye muscles.
• Open and close your eyes in quick, blinking motion. Repeat this 25-30 times and then close your eyes and allow them to rest for a minute.
• Sun Bathe your eyes, however avoid looking directly at the sun. Let your eyes be the focus while performing this exercise. Look both sides, up and down , diagonally and try to stretch your eyes to allow more sunlight in your eyes

Yoga does help in improving your eyesight and maintaining a healthy vision. But you also need to take care of some general things along with practicing yoga such as eat healthy and balanced meals. Consume foods that are good for your eyes and boost their health like carrots, spinach, papaya, oranges, watermelons, grapes, dark green leafy vegetables, peanuts, almonds, etc. Drink lots of water, as your eyes need moisture to function properly and remain healthy. Insufficient water intake might lead to excessive dehydration that might cause a strain on your eyes so drink at least 6 to 7 glasses of water throughout the day. Our eyes need a lot of oxygen and proper breathing will ensure that your body gets the required supply. So you need to breathe correctly and fully.