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Eye Fitness
Natural Techniques to Improve Your Child's Vision
By Anat Cohen
The Cure
Ancient Eastern cultures developed some intriguing, vital techniques to improve human vision by addressing the cause of the disorder. They wisely understood that the common phenomenon of myopia in teenagers is related to unconscious muscular tension in and around the eyes, as well as to emotional aspects. Many schools in China and India start the day with 15 minutes of eye exercises. Here are several effective techniques to relieve the disorder in children. Some of them are based on yoga methods.
- Relaxation and Palming: According to the yogis, the main key to improved eyesight lies in relieving mental strain. Show your kids the effective technique of palming for half an hour during the day. This gives the mind and the eyes a break and relieves muscular rigidity. Palming is done by covering closed eyes with cupped, warm palms and letting the darkness soothe the strain. When an adequate degree of relaxation is attained, your child will notice an increased clarity. In the beginning, this achievement will last only a few seconds.
Breathing: Did you know that human eyes use a third as much oxygen as the human heart? Shallow, weak breathing harms their function and leads to poor vision, as well. Expose your child to the method of alternate breathing. Inhale slowly and effortlessly through the left nostril. Hold the air for a few seconds, and then exhale it slowly through the right nostril. Change sides, and start inhaling from the right side. Ten cycles of this exercise should be practiced three times a day. This routine soaks the eyes with oxygen, a vital ingredient needed for health. - Exercises: Which muscles are never concentrated on in gym class, yet they work all the time? Classical physical training in Western schools neglects the eye muscles and ignores their being under constant strain. The yogis invented several beneficial exercises for the eye muscles. Advise your child to shut his or her eyes and roll the eyeballs around. This exercise should be practiced for one minute, alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise. Another beneficial exercise is moving the eyeballs slowly from one side to the other in several directions: vertical, horizontal and diagonal. These fairly simple exercises elongate and strengthen the muscles that adjust the lens of the eyes, making them supple and obedient.
- Skying: Have your child gaze at the sky or stare at far horizons for several minutes during the day. This important technique trains the eye muscles to focus at long distances, and it also elongates them.
