How do your eyes feel at the end of your work day or when you first wake up?
Natural Eye Care using 3 practices from Yoga and Ayurveda will reduce eye strain and dark circles, and revive tired, overworked eyes while also supporting or even improving your vision.
Do any of these early and minor symptoms of eye disease seem familiar to you?
Cloudy vision
Dryness
Itchy
Swollen
Mild inflammation or redness
Cold or hot tears
Mucous secretion
Heaviness
Burning aching
These types of symptoms do not mean you have eye disease. They do mean that your eyes need support and so does your digestion. I say digestion as all symptoms in the body start with digestion. Consider what you eat and how your body processes food to always be a part of your personal self care. Red eyes? Have you been eating spicy food and has work been intense? Scratchy throat? Are you eating dry, light, and cold food and feeling ungrounded and fatigued?
Always check your digestion.
There is a lot of life spent on our devices now and our eyes are having a hard time. For this reason, I am sharing with you 3 practices that are part of yoga and ayurveda. I have found them to be very helpful. When I do have a flare up of some of the symptoms noted above, quick and diligent use of these practices eliminates the mild ailments immediately. Plus, further development of eye problems or diseases are removed.
These 3 practices are Eye Washing, Palming + Exercising the eyes.
Eye Washes
The best way to soothe, cleanse and restore balance to the eyes is to wash the eyes. This gentle practice of care will maintain eyesight, relieve eye strain from screen time, remove pollutants, dryness, and fatigue, and slow down the deterioration of the eyes due to the aging process.
Ayurveda recommends washing the eyes once per week to keep them healthy and bright or whenever your eyes are feeling dry, fatigued, strained, or bloodshot. The herbal solution to wash the eyes can be made by gently steeping (make a tea) rose, lavender, or Triphala, allowing it to cool, and then diluting it with fresh water. These herbs, used alone or in any combination, create a solution that soothes excess heat, moisturizes, clears, removes dark circles, and, in general, pampers your eyes. You can also purchase Ayurveda eye care solutions (see below for my recommendations).
You can use an eye cup, a small bowl, or the cupped palm of your hand to bathe each eye. However, an eye wash cup is ideal. You can get one at better grocery stores or online. I purchased mine from the small, women-owned Ayurveda company located in Northern California, Paavani Ayurveda. They also give 10% off to all my students and followers.
Their Eyewash Ritual Kit includes their own formula of Rose and Lavender water, a glass eye wash cup, and a velveteen pouch for storage or travel. Use the code MARISA10 to get 10% off their entire site and you can use the code for an unlimited amount of time. Feel free to share with a friend too. â
I have made a YouTube video for you here on how to gently and safely wash your eyes. In the video you will see the glass eye cup that fits over your eye and how to use the solution. Note: It’s Easy!
Palming + Eye exercises
Our eyes absorb and assimilate so much through our daily experiences that it is overwhelming and stressful not only for our eyes but also our nervous systems. To promote relaxation, build muscular strength for our eye muscles and soothe our optic nerves, incorporate eye palming into your day.
The best and most ideal time to do this is when you wake up in the morning. Before you open your eyes, rub your hands briskly together creating heat between your palms. Then place your cupped palms over your eyes, creating a seal with the skin of your hands and the area around your eyes. Slowly open your eyes and look into the darkness. Gentle stare straight into your palms for 30 seconds (or longer).
Then begin to move the eyes in all directions slowly. Begin with each number position on a clock and then look in any direction you like. You are still looking in darkness under your palms. Move the eyes slowly.
When you are done with that part of the eye exercises, slowly lift your hands up and away from your eyes while staring into the center of your palms. My eyes usually tear a bit at this part. Do the best you can. Over time you will feel strength developing in the muscles that support the eyes and vision loss due to aging will be diminished..
Take care of your eyes throughout your life. Starting today!
Interested in practicing online? Join Marisa LIVE 3 x each week. Learn more and check out her 5 class pass here.
Note: 5 class pass is good for Live classes only.
