The Ayurveda Experience Blog
Do your eyes feel fatigue or strain? Add Ayurvedic self-care to take care of any eye weariness and to soothe tired eyes.
Your eyes use the majority of your sensory energy. They are the organs of sight, a source of connection and learning. Vision is meant to be a gateway to beauty and inspiration.
The eyes are the home of Alochaka Pitta and can get overheated. Keeping your eyes lubricated and relaxed is a challenge in today’s visual world.
We spend much of our day in short focus. Long hours are the norm. We look at screens all day—phone, TV, and computer. Harsh lights and drying electromagnetic radiation abound.
By the end of the day our eyes are often tired and could use a little support. Ghee in the eyes, Netra Basti, is an Ayurvedic eye treatment to nourish your eyes and help with fatigue and inflammation. But it is not too easy to do alone at home. If you deal with eye strain, indulge in this restorative treatment the next time you go to an Ayurvedic spa, or if you have the skills trade services with a friend.
On a daily or weekly basis, here are some simple actions you can take to support your eyes and your vision.
1. Blink More
Remember to blink. Blink every few lines when reading the screen, or at a minimum three times per page. If that doesn’t work, look away from the book or screen periodically to blink. Blinking helps relax and lubricate the eyes.
2. Palm or Cup the Eyes
Practice this technique at your desk a couple times each day or when necessary to relax and rest your eyes.
Rub your palms together for a few seconds to warm them. Gently place right hand over right eye and left hand over left eye with the heel of your hand on the lower orbital socket.
Tilt each hand toward your nose so that your pinky and index fingers overlap. Keep the overlap, and place your finger tips on your upper forehead. Close up any gaps, so you can’t see any light.
Do this for seven minutes, and you feel great. Your eyes are in darkness and this provides a quick but deep rest that blocks outside stimulation and eases tired, blurry eyes.
3. Do Eye Circles
Place a small amount of coconut oil on the tip of you pinky finger. Slowly circle your finger tip from your inner eye crease up under your eyebrow around the outer eye and back to the inner eye. Don’t pull or drag the skin.
Use a light, firm pressure. Repeat 5 to 10 circles for each eye.
Use only as much oil as you need to minimize drag on the skin. Coconut is cooling, and the circling action helps move lymph in and out of the eye area.
4. Apply Rose Water
Soak a cotton pad with rose water solution. Lie down, or sit and lean back, so your face is up and back.
Place rose-water saturated pads over the eyes, and escape for a few moments after a hard day at work.
You can also use aloe vera soaked cotton eye pads to cool and soothe. Rose and aloe are cooling and will help balance pitta in the eye.
5. Relax in Savasana with an Eye Bag
Savasana is a yoga pose. Lie on your back; be sure you are comfortable and at ease. Close your eyes and place a clean eye pillow on your face covering both eyes.
Spend 10 minutes or so in quiet darkness . Breathe easily. Balancing Alochaka Pitta like this helps balance out emotions as well. This is a great practice to try before bed .
It is simple to implement these techniques as part of your daily routine. They can really help. Pre-empt eye strain and fatigue and address it if you feel it.
Go to an Ayurvedic spa or get as friend to help you treat yourself to eye rejuvenation therapy (netra basti) for deep ease.
Always seek the help of an eye specialist or health practitioner if you feel the need. Tune in to your sense organs and address subtle symptoms. Quick response promotes balance in the dosha and body.
