Explore eye yoga exercises to ease eyestrain and boost focus. Though research is limited, these moves may strengthen eye muscles. Discover how to add eye yoga to your routine for healthier eyes.
You’ve probably heard that it’s important to take care of your peepers by getting regular eye exams and eating vision-supporting nutrients. But it’sprettyunlikely you’ve been doing eye yoga to keep your eyes in shape.
Much likefull-body yoga, eye yoga uses a series of movements — but its goal is to exercise your eyeballs. Is thatreallya thing? Here are all the deets on this pro-peeper exercise.
What is eye yoga?
Yogic eye exercise — aka eye yoga — refers to movements that are supposed to help strengthen and condition your eye muscles. People often practice eye yoga in the hopes of improving their vision or correcting astigmatism.
Exercises generally consist of moving your eyes in different directions without moving your head or neck. You may also focus your eyes on objects close up or far away to improve focus.
Eye yoga might help combat eyestrain, but there’s no solid proof that practicing eye yoga can lead to better vision or healthier peepers.
Still, it probably doesn’t hurt to give your eyes theDownward Dogtreatment.
Are there any legit eye yoga benefits?
TBH, there isn’t a ton of research on eye yoga, and what does exist isn’t exactly solid proof.
Eye yoga fans claim it can improve vision and strengthen the eye muscles. But despite anecdotal accounts, there’s little actual scientific evidence to back up the potential benefits of this practice.
Here’s what science says about the proposed benefits.
For vision
The outlook is blurry at best when it comes to eye yoga improving your vision.
A2012 studyfound that yogic eye exercises did little to nothing for folks with astigmatism or refraction errors. Researchers haven’t ruled out eye yoga completely, but there hasn’t been enough research to know whether it can help improve vision problems such as myopia (aka nearsightedness).
Another 2012 studywasn’t able to objectively measure any improvement in eyesight, but some participants did report clearer vision.
For glaucoma
Some researchers think eye yoga may reduce your risk of glaucoma, a condition that wears down your optic nerve and can cause blindness if not treated properly.
But there isn’t any evidence that eye yoga can actually help with glaucoma.
Some researchers havesuggestedthat yogic eye exercises may help reduce pressure inside the eyes, but this doesn’t necessarily reduce the risk of glaucoma. This is also just a theory, and no actual studies have been done yet to put it to the test.
For dry eyes
Sorry, folks with chronicdry eye. Eye yoga likely won’t ease your symptoms, as there’s zippo scientific evidence to support its ability to relieve dry eye.
For dark circles
While practicing eye yoga might help your eyes themselves, the movements likely won’t boost blood flow in the areas around your eyes. This means the practice probably won’t have any impact ondark under-eye circles.
Ifdark circleshave got you down, there areother treatmentsthat might help.
So does eye yoga ever work?
It might help with eyestrain
Because eyestrain is typically related tostress, eye yoga may help in a few ways. First, it may helpease stress, so you can Zen out. Second, it may help strengthen your eyes by stimulating the muscles that move them.
Asmall 2020 studyof 32 optometry students found that performing ocular yoga exercises over 6 weeks helped significantly relieve eye fatigue by strengthening extraocular muscles.
In asmall 2016 study, 40 nursing students practiced eye yoga regularly for 8 weeks. At the end of the study, participants reported less eye fatigue. It’s important to note, however, that fatigue levels were self-reported, which can limit findings.
It might improve focus
Eye yoga might help improve focus. Better focus helps boost your brain’s response to what’s around you, allowing you to be more attentive to what you see.
One 2013 studylinked eye yoga to better response time. Participants were able to more quickly identify what they were looking at after performing simple eye exercises.
How to do eye yoga: Yogic eye exercises to prime those peepers
While they likely won’t cure all your eye woes, these eye yoga exercises may help reduce strain,ease stress, and strengthen your eye muscles. This might be especially useful after too much screen time.
Ready to get started? Try the following exercises to get your ocular yoga flow on.
Pro tip: If you wear glasses or contacts, be sure to remove them before you start.
Eye rolling
Eye rolling is more than just a reaction to a lame #DadJoke. It can also help relieve eyestrain.
Focusing exercises can help improve your — you guessed it! — ability to focus.
Focus shifting
This exercise helps ease eyestrain and sharpen your focus.
With so much screen time, we often don’t blink as much as we should. Practicing blinking can help lubricate your eyes.
Figure eight
Doing figure eights with your eyes can help strengthen your eye muscles and improve flexibility.
Palming is a calming exercise that can also help you focus. It’s a great way to wind down after doing other yogic eye movements.
Not into eye yoga? Here’s how to keep your eyes healthy
If eye yoga isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other ways you’re able to keep your peepers healthy and strain-free. Here are some tips:
Eye yoga is a movement practice that claims to help with eye health, including improving vision. However, there’s little scientific evidence to suggest that it has any benefits beyond easing symptoms of eyestrain and improving focus.
More research is needed on what eye yoga can (and can’t) do, but it’s fairly safe to try if you’re interested. Establishing an eye yoga practice is easy, and there are many simple exercises available to get you started.
Just remember that eye yoga isn’t a substitute for overall eye care, and it’s important to visit an eye doctor regularly. If you have trouble seeing or experience ongoing pain or strain in your eyes, consult an eye doc to discuss treatment options.
