This One Simple Exercise Can Restore and Repair Your Vision
Anna Hunt, Staff Writer
Waking Times
The eyes are precious, take care of them.
As people grow older our eyesight naturally declines, but in the information age our eyes are doing much more work for us than ever before, and poor eyesight is becoming an issue for many young people as well.
So many of our jobs, daily tasks, and interactions with other people now involve looking at a computer, lap-top, or hand-held device, and our gaze is constantly focused on brightly shining objects in the near-field range of our vision. This puts extreme and chronic stress on the eyes and the muscles that are attached the optic nerve, and over time, this progressively damages vision.
Yet, there is a simple, and incredibly beneficial exercise that anyone can do to stop the deterioration of eyesight and to repair and restore their vision. Palming, as it is called, is perhaps the most important exercise you can do for good eye health, and the benefits can be felt the very first time you try it.
Born legally blind, Meir Schneider, developed this exercise in a program he put together called Yoga for Your Eyes. He was born legally blind, but was absolutely determined to strengthen his eyesight sufficiently enough to earn his driver’s license. After years of studying the eyes and training his eyes, he did just that, and has since dedicated himself to helping others improve their vision.
The method is simple and is based upon the principle of completely relaxing the muscles, nerves, eyelids, and parts of the eye itself that are continuously being strained by whatever behavior is causing the tension. In essence, this is done by briefly loosening up the neck and shoulders, then sitting at a table with the palms of the hands gently pressed against the orbits of the eyes while the breath is concentrated on filling the upper body and eyes with air.
This is done for as long as is possible, meaning that you can do it for a few minutes, or relax into it for 30 minutes or an hour in order to experience extremely beneficial deep relaxation of the eyes. Meir Schneider did this exercise for 11 hours before taking his driving test, and after even a few minutes it is easy to see how much it can help the eyes.
Yoga for the Eyes can be seen in its entirety in the video below. The course begins with a detailed explanation of palming and warm-up exercises. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9K1CiZ0qnc
If palming is done in conjunction with the rest of the exercises in Schneider’s book Yoga for Your Eyes, then the results may be even more astounding.
When your eyesight begins to go south, eye glasses may be a possibility, but are a hassle and cause continued deterioration of vision over time. Not the best option, so it’s good to know that with proper nutrition supportive of eye health, and a commitment to doing the right exercises for your eyes, almost anyone can restore and repair their vision.
And by developing a deeper appreciation for our eyes, and a deeper, more sensitive connection to the parts of the body related to vision, it will be easy to build habits that nurture good eyesight throughout your life.
Read more articles by Anna Hunt.
About the Author
Anna Hunt is writer, yoga instructor, mother of three, and lover of healthy food. She’s the founder of Awareness Junkie, an online community paving the way for better health and personal transformation. She’s also the co-editor at Waking Times, where she writes about optimal health and wellness. Anna spent 6 years in Costa Rica as a teacher of Hatha and therapeutic yoga. She now teaches at Asheville Yoga Center and is pursuing her Yoga Therapy certification. During her free time, you’ll find her on the mat or in the kitchen, creating new kid-friendly superfood recipes.
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of WakingTimes or its staff.