How Yoga practices reduce eyestrain and stress
There are so many things to look out. All day long our eyes are shifting from one stimulation to the next. Yoga increases our awareness of our body and provides practices that reduce eyestrain. Just visiting a shopping centre is a total invasion into our senses, mostly from the eyes and ears. When driving there are so many signs to look out for. Have you noticed over a stretch of road how often the traffic signs change from 40 to 60 to 70 to 100? These all happen within a short space of time. We live in stress with this constant eyestrain and bombardment.
So much for our eyes to do
Our eyes are said to be the seat of our soul. They take in a lot more than just the visuals. Ayurveda provides so many tips to living in harmony. To temper our dosha we need to be aware of what we ingest through all of our senses. This includes the eyes.
For instance a Vata person is susceptible to nervous energy and will find watching a scary increases their nervous energy. Likewise a Pita dominated person with a fiery competitive temperament, just loves a violent movie, and that increases their Pita. The laid back sentimental Kapha benefits from watching a stimulating show.
Sounds too simple to be true doesn't it?
I know this all sounds too simple to be true, but why not. Here we discuss two Yoga practices to reduce eyestrain. At the same time you will connect to your senses.
Have you thought one of the best things you can do for yourself is to simply take a conscious breath? How simple is that? Breathing is hard to market and sell on its own. Likewise it is challenging for many people because the exhalation makes us feel vulnerable.
A Yoga practice reduces eyestrain and benefits the pineal gland
Most work today is online which entails gazing at a screen for hours at a time. Likewise the muscles in our eyes are fixed into a narrow square range. My father used to warn us if we watched too much TV we would get square eyes!
Eye strain tenses the shoulders and the neck. The forehead wrinkles into a frown and headaches or migraines start. The bright light from a screen negatively effects the pineal gland, the seat of the soul. This stimulation makes it difficult to slow the mind to experience sound nights sleep.
Try Yoga Nidra to reduce eyestrain and stress
Yoga Nidra is a called a psychic sleep and is a nourishing Yoga practice that will benefit your eyesight, mind and body. At the end of any exercise it is beneficial to keep your body still and relax totally. During the stillness scan through your body noticing any niggling sensations. In this way you will keep connected and notice any health challenges that may arise.
Trataka Yoga practice reduces eyestrain
Yoga in Daily life shares a Yoga practices to reduce eyestrain. There are several exercises to counteract the effects of screen time overuse on eyesight. Below is an easy practice that any one can follow.
Technique to counter the effects of technology on your eyesight
- Sit in a comfortable position in front of a candle. Place the candle about an arm’s length away from you, with the wick of the candle at the same height as your chest. If the candle is placed too high, it can create tension at the eyebrow centre, or produce a burning sensation in the eyes. The flame should be still and not moving in a draft. Close your eyes.
- Open the eyes and look at the flame without blinking. The flame has three zones of colour. At the base of the wick is a reddish colour, in the middle it is bright white and at the tip it is slightly smoky. Concentrate on the upper part of the flame where it is brightest.
- Close the eyes again. If the image of the flame appears within your middle eye region, gently concentrate on that image without creating any tension. Try not to pursue or hold onto the image, otherwise it will fade and disappear.
- Repeat the practice 3 times.
- The practice time should gradually build. In the initial stages, look at the flame only for about 10-15 seconds. Slowly increase this time, so that after about one year you can look at the flame for 1 minute and then concentrate on the inner image with closed eyes for about 4 minutes. Under no circumstances should this recommended length of time be exceeded.
Note:
You may also practice Trataka by looking at a white point on black paper, or at a black point on white paper. By concentrating on a white point, there shows a black image when the eyes are closed and vice versa with a black point.
Benefits of Yoga on eyesight
A regular Yoga practice purifies the eyes, strengthens the eye muscles and improves vision and memory. As well as helping with sleep disturbances and bedwetting. Concentrate is strengthened and is therefore recommended for school children. Also intuition with the ability to visualise and use willpower is increased.
Caution:
This exercise is not suitable for people with psychic problems. Those who have a tendency towards Schizophrenia or hallucinations should not practice Trataka.
Yoga Works for Over 40s (online) classes
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