Did your eyes go to yoga class today?

Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney indulges in short bouts of Eye Yoga, 6 times a day. iTALK tells those who sit in front of TV screens and computers for long, why your peeps require just as vigorous a gym session, as your body

Do you spend the day working at the computer in office, only to come back home and check mails on your laptop, following it with a late-night session of TV watching? If you said, "Oh ya" to that, it's time your eyes took a break.

Your eyes are made up of muscles, that will weaken over time if they are over-stressed. Tension around the eyes affects the brain, causing anxiety and headaches. And that's what makes Eye Yoga as important as any other daily workout. Don't know how to get started? We give you the why, where and how of TLC for your eyes.

Try gazing at a candle placed on a table. It's a simple yogic exercise. If you suffer from myopia, avoid it. Instead, gaze at a plant, tree or bird in the distance.

Eye Yoga is good, but won't reduce eye power

Dr A Sanjana, Consultant Ophthalmologist
What Eye Yoga does, is tone the eye muscles. The convergent yogic exercises increase the focusing capacity of your eyes, and help relax them. This doesn't help lower your eye power, or delay cataracts, however. Eye power is either hereditary or caused due to day-to-day habits.

Do you have the Computer Vision Syndrome?
>>If your eyes are exposed to electronics like mobile phone screens and computers for long periods, you are likely to suffer from the Computer Vision Syndrome. It starts with dry, scratchy eyes, and develops into redness, constant irritation and excessive watering.
>>Thanks to construction projects underway in various parts of urban India, the atmosphere is dusty and polluted. Don't go out without carrying your sunglasses.

Wash your eyes with cold water thrice a day

Yogi Shiv Kumar, Moksh Wellness Centre
Eyes are able to rest only when you sleep. When you indulge in activities that strain your neck, your eyes also suffer. Simple yoga exercises and washing your eyes thrice a day with cold water, improves blood circulation in the area surrounding your eye.
HOT TIP: Be regular with your Eye Yoga and consume more fresh fruits. Carrot juice is great for good eyesight.

Learn Eye Yoga at:Yoga Sutra
At: C- 4 Chinoy Mansions, Warden Road.
Call: 32107067
Nityam-The Yoga and Nature Cure Clinic
At: G/2, Kalpana Society, 16 Dadabhai Road, Vile Parle (W).
Call: 61428415
Moksh Wellness Place
At: 75, opposite American Consulate, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Breach Candy.
Call: 23676990 / 23610221

3 anytime Eye Yoga exercises

With Mid Day yoga expert Shameem Akhtar

Kapalarandhradhauti
>>Sit in a comfortable position. Extend index and middle fingers of both hands and use the pads of these to apply pressure around each eye socket.
>>Start applying pressure at the spot where the eyebrows meet. Move along either eyebrow. The direction of the movement must be towards the tip of each brow.
>>From there, continue moving along either eye socket, so your hand is now moving towards each eye. Repeat this exercise three times.
Benefits: It activates important yogic marmic points that are anti-ageing; they perform the activity of healing and repairing. They service the sense organs, including the eyes, leading to increase in blood flow near the surrounding area.

Palming
>>Rub palms together. Place them gently on closed eye-lids so the cups of the hand cover the eye-lids. There should be no pressure. This can be practiced several times during the day for a quick rest, not just for the eyes but for the mind too. If you feel embarrassed doing palming in a public place, just shut your eyes for a few seconds, till you see all black. Then open your eyes.
>>Ideally, you should increase duration of keeping eyes shut. Try and do it in a dark spot. Increase time from 1 minute to 10 minutes.
Benefits: Sheltering your eyes from the dark can create a healing impact by tweaking the master glands, including the pineal gland.

Tratakau00a0(Yogic focusing exercise)
>>Hold your right hand in front of you. Extend the thumb, folding back other fingers lightly. Ensure hand is at eye level. Look at thumbnail. Then switch focus to nose tip. Back at right thumbnail, then switching focus to nose tip. This is one round.
>>Rest your eyes. Do palming for about five rounds.
Benefits: Improves the eye's ability to switch focus from distant to close viewing. Helpful in insomnia. Avoid if you have Glaucoma or cataract.

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