Simple Exercises To Care And Heal Eyes Naturally.

Eyes- Our windows to the world.

Eyes are one of the most delicate parts of your body and the least cared. Many people today need reading glasses and after the age of 40 need prescription lenses as their eyesight worsens every year. However, many alternative methods like the Bates method show that reading glasses do not improve eyesight significantly but in fact worsen vision over time. The is equally true for contact lens and worse for people who have had lasik surgery.

Less than perfect vision which most of us are endowed with, is not a static process. Your eyesight changes gradually throughout the day becoming better sometimes and worse during other times. A reading glass may partially correct the eye sight for sometime but is not the ideal solution. Most people assume that eye problems occur due to weak muscles. But that is not the case, most of the time visual dysfunction is the result of having muscles that are too strong (less flexible) because they are constantly contracted due to stress and strain. The key to improving this is mental relaxation which will also cause the eye muscles to relax and focus properly, thus improving your eyesight while providing other benefits.

Natural Eye Care Methods To Improve Eyesight

Palming:

Rub your palms together to generate heat and energy and then place them on your eyes. Do not apply pressure to your eyeballs. Make sure no light can enter your eyes though the gaps between your fingers or the edges of your palms and nose. You may still see other traces of colors but imagine a blanket of blackness and focus on it.  After you see nothing but blackness, remove your palms. Do this everyday for atleast 3 minutes.

Massage:

. Hot and Cold Compress: Soak one towel in hot water and the other in cold water. Place it on one of your closed eyes and alternate between the two towels ending with the cold compress. Repeat on the other eye.
. Eyelid Massage: Close your eyes and lightly press three fingers of each hand against your upper eyelids. Hold them there a second or two before releasing. Repeat 5 times.

Eye Exercises

. Close your eyes tightly for 3-5 seconds and open them for 3-5 seconds. Repeat this 7-8 times.
. Roll your eyes clockwise first and then counter-clockwise. Repeat 5 times, blinking in between each rep.
. Make up and down eye movements, starting from up to down. Do this 8 times. Then do the side to side eye movement, from left to right. Repeat this 8 times. Do not force your eyes further than they want to go in any particular direction or you risk making your vision worse.
. Focus on a distant object (50 m away) for 10-15 seconds. Slowly refocus your eyes on a nearby object (less than 10 m away) without moving your head. Focus for 10-15 seconds and then go back to the distant object. Do this 5 times.
. Sit about 6 inches (15 cm) from a window. Make a mark on the glass (a small red or black dot) at eye-level. Look through this mark and focus on something far away, then adjust your focus to the mark.
. Tie an object to a hanging light string and swing it to and fro while you try to keep the dangle in focus.
. Look in front of you at the opposite wall and pretend that you are writing with your eyes. Try not to move your head. The bigger the letters the better it is for your eyes.

Rhythmic movements:

. Bar Swings: Stand in front of a fence, barred window or something else with evenly spaced vertical lines. Focus loosely on a distant object on the other side of the fence. Relax your body and rhythmically transfer your weight from one foot to the other. Keep your breathing steady and relaxed and don’t forget to blink. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
. Round Swings: Focus on an object in the distance that is close to the ground. Sway rhythmically as in the ‘Bar Swings’ exercise.  Keep your gaze on the same object and use your peripheral vision to observe your surroundings as you sway. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
. Head Movements: Close one eye and slowly form a figure 8 with your head. Repeat for the other eye and continue for 2-3 minutes.
. Clock: Imagine that you are standing in front of a large clock and look at the middle of the clock. Look at any hour mark, without turning your head. Look back at the center. Then look at another hour mark. Do this at least 12 times. This exercise can also be performed while keeping your eyes closed.

Pencil Push ups:

Find a pencil, and mark it somewhere in the middle with a letter or a dot. Hold the pencil vertically in front of your face, at arm’s length. Focus your eyes on the mark you drew on the pencil. Don’t proceed to the next step until you feel like your eyes are solidly focused.  Slowly move the pencil towards your face, maintaining your focus on the same spot. Try moving it in a straight line, towards your nose. As the pencil comes closer, your eyes will have to adjust to maintain the same level of focus.

As soon as you see double pencils, stop moving it closer to your face. Look away for a few seconds or close your eyes for a while. Once your eyes are refreshed, look back at the pencil. Try to focus on the pencil so that you aren’t seeing double. Slowly move the pencil away from your face. Keep your focus on the mark you drew on the pencil as it moves back. Keep going until it’s at arm’s length again. Repeat the exercise. Pencil push-ups are reputed to correct double vision and crossed eyes.

Take care of your eyes:

Taking care of these wonderful organs not only improves our ability to comprehend and react but also to appreciate the real beauty and colors of nature. Tired eyes also reflect the physical stress and neglect that one forces our bodies into. Nurture and care for your eyes to see things in a clear perspective.