Eye exercises or eye yoga is a practice designed to strengthen and relax the eye muscles, help you focus, ease eye movements, and stimulate your brain's vision center.
A condition known as digital eye strain is becoming more and more common among people working at computers all day. This condition can cause:
dry eyes
fatigue and pressure
blurred vision
headaches
A few simple eye exercises may help you improve digital eye strain symptoms. Eye exercises are not designed to improve your eye sight, but to reduce muscular tension.
Work the muscles inside the eyes with "Focus change"
There are 3 muscles inside of the eye itself, that responsible for expanding or contracting the pupil, and for adjusting the shape of the lens for focus.
This exercise works by challenging your focus. It should be done from a seated position.
Pointer finger
Hold your pointer finger a few inches away from your eye and focus
Slowly move your finger away from your face, holding your focus.
Look away for a moment, into the distance.
Focus on your outstretched finger and slowly bring it back toward your eye.
Look away and focus on something in the distance.
Repeat three times.
Near and far focus
This is another focus exercise. As with the previous one, it should be done from a seated position.
Hold your thumb about 10 inches from your face and focus on it for 15 seconds.
Find an object roughly 10 to 20 feet away, and focus on it for 15 seconds.
Return your focus to your thumb.
Repeat five times.
Relax the muscles that move your eyes with "Figure 8"
There are 6 extra-ocular muscles that are responsible for turning the eyes when you want to look sideways, up or down. When staring straight at a screen for many hours on end, these muscles tend to weaken or stiffen.
Figure 8
Pick a point on the floor about 10 feet in front of you and focus on it.
Trace an imaginary figure eight with your eyes.
Keep tracing for 30 seconds, then switch directions.
Take a break and reconnect with Palming
Sometimes the best way to take a break from staring at the screen without looking awkward while doing figure 8 eye rolls is to close the eyes.
Rub your hands together until they feel really warm.
Close your eyes and cover them with your palms.
Without applying pressure, just touch the eyelids and let the warmth penetrate inside the eyeballs.
Repeat as often as needed
This ancient yoga technique recenters you and nourishes the eyes.
Remember the 20-20-20 rule
Human eyes are not supposed to be glued to a single object for extended periods of time. If you work at a computer all day, the 20-20-20 rule may help prevent digital eye strain. To implement this rule,
Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away , for 20 seconds.
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