Elisa Nuevo Vallin: Banish eye fatigue — try yoga for the eyes!

If you are lacking a sense, it is a well know phenomenon for the brain to adapt and enhance other senses. Research shows that “deaf people from birth tend to be more sensitive to light or motion in their peripheral vision, compared with people who can hear”.

Long periods of time signing, straining to listen to somebody or lip-reading can be exhausting, and it can be worse if someone talks too fast or the lighting is poor.

People who stare for long periods at a computer or are extremely focused on a job (eg. Reading, writing, driving…) may be familiar with this feeling.

Burning, itchy and dry eyes, pain, blurred vision, headaches, and occasional double vision can be just some of the symptoms.

There are different tips to prevent eye fatigue, but today I would like to introduce you a new way to get powerful eyes and remove your eye strain with “yoga for the eyes” exercises*. In less than 5 minutes you can gain relief from eye fatigue!

YOGA EXERCISES — LET’S START!

First of all, sit upright with a long spine and relaxed breath.

WARM UP

Rub your hands together for 10–15 seconds. Then gently place the palms of your hands over your eyes. Don’t touch the eyeballs directly.

Close your eyes, breathe deeply and relax.

STRETCHING

Move your eyes slowly from left to right without moving your head. Repeat 5 times.

Move your eyes slowly from up to down. Do it gently and always remember to breath deeply and relax. Repeat 5 times.

EYE-ROLLING

Slowly circle your eyes in a clockwise direction. Remember don’t move your head. Repeat 3 times.

Close your eyes, relax and perform the same eye-rolling movement 3 times in a counter clockwise direction.

FOCUSING

Hold one arm straight out in front of you in a loose fist, with the thumb pointing up. Focus on your thumb. Move the thumb slowly toward the tip of your nose. Pause there for one second. Then reverse the sequence, following the thumb with your eyes as you extend your arm again. Repeat 5 times.

DISTANCE GAZING

Pick a point in the distance and focus on it (if you’re indoors, look out a window, if you can). Focus on the object as clearly as possible, while staying relaxed in the eyes and face. Take a deep breath, and then slowly shift your gaze to another distant object around you. Repeat 5 times.

As you can see those eye yoga exercises are easy and can be done any time of the day, in any place you like!

Also, here are some tips that you can take

to reduce eye strain:

• Place your computer screen 20–26 inches away from your eyes.
• Try the 20–20–20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
• Blink more often. Try placing a post-it note that says “blink” on your computer as a reminder.
• Use eye drops to lubricate your eyes.
• To help prevent dry eyes while indoors, use an air cleaner to filter dust and a humidifier to add moisture to the air.
• Alternate a warm and cold, wet compress onto your tired eyes. The warm compress helps relax the muscles around your eyes and the cold one revives your eyes. This combination will stimulate the blood circulation.
• Take regular breaks and some fresh air as often as you can.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found this article useful 🙂 Thanks for spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook.

People with diagnosed illnesses, as glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration, etc…should consult a doctor before practicing these exercises.

Elisa was born and grew up in Santander, Spain until the last summer when she moved to London. She is a CODA and has a website and fanpage on Facebook where she uploads videos in Spanish Sign Language about her trips, recipes, culture, and the Deaf Community. She works for Deaf Umbrella as their Digital Campaigner.