Maintaining Eye Health Naturally

Have you come to accept that your vision will inevitably deteriorate over time? If so, you may be interested in this handful of exercises which, if performed regularly, can reduce eyestrain and maintain – or even improve – your eyesight.

Our eyes are designed to move frequently. Movement promotes blood flow and nerve tone to the eyes and to the six muscles that control eye movements. With all of the screen-gazing that we do these days, if we want to keep our eyes healthy it’s necessary to take an active role.

There follows five simple exercises that you can do on a regular basis to keep your eyes and vision as healthy as possible. Remember to keep your head and neck still!

1. Look as far to your right as possible for 3-5 seconds, then as far to your left as possible for 3-5 seconds. Rest for a few seconds, and repeat several times.

2. Look as far up as possible for 3-5 seconds, then look as far down as possible for 3-5 seconds. Rest for a few seconds, and repeat several times.

3. Slowly roll your eyes in a circle (it should take at least 3 seconds), first clockwise, then counter-clockwise. Rest for a few seconds, then repeat several times.

4. Hold a pen in front of you, at about an arm’s length away. Focus your vision on the tip of your pen for 3-5 seconds, then shift the focus of your vision to an object that is farther away for 3-5 seconds. The greater the distance between your pen and the distant object, the better. If you are indoors, look out a window and find a distant object to focus your vision on. Focus back and forth several times.

5. Aim to blink softly and naturally every 2-4 seconds, and to close your eyes when you can. Keeping your eyes lubricated and nourished will help avoid eye strain.

Another way to reduce eyestrain and promote your best vision is to use your fingers to apply gentle pressure to three acupressure points around the eyes. This can help promote healthy blood flow to your eyes and the muscles that surround your eyes.

Bladder-2 (BL-2)

BL-2 is located under the innermost section of each of your eyebrows, in the top-inner region of each of your orbital sockets. When pressing on this point, you should feel direct contact with the bony surface of your orbital socket.

Stomach-2 and Stomach-3 (St-2, St-3)

St-2 and St-3 are located under the mid-line of each of your eyes. St-2 is about one finger-width under each eye, while St-3 is located at the bottom of each of your cheekbones. These points are described together because it is quite simple to apply pressure to both of them at the same time on both sides of your face by using your index and middle fingers.