With summer here, temperatures will start to rise and so will the bright sunny weather. On one hand we will be enjoying this welcome change but on the other hand this is the time to take care of our eyes too.
Eyes: According to Ayurveda eyes are fire related organs. The best way to explain that is – You can see normally but if you are in a dark room, you will say – I can’t see anything. But if someone lights a flame or fire, you look towards fire and say oh yes now I can see. This means we need fire to be able to see. Hence eyes are heat or fire related organ.
But on the other hand this excess heat or fire may also cause damage not only to the eyes but to the head and neck region leading to headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, hay fever etc. Excess heat in the body also leads to rapid aging.
Eyes are fire organs and tend to attract all the excess heat to it. Whenever there is excess heat in the body it rises up to the head and neck region and gets accumulated around the eyes. And if one doesn’t get rid of that heat from around the eyes, then is fire starts burning the tissues which may lead to dark circles, reduced vision, headaches, stress etc.
Hence one of the aims in Ayurveda is to get rid of this excess heat from the body. Below are suggestions to remove heat from the eyes as a part of a weekly or daily routine:
Eye Exercises:
Imagine a clock in front of you
Linear Exercise:
Keeping your head firm and steady first look up to 12 position and then down to 6 position. Repeat 10 times.
Look side to side to side from 3 position to 9 position. Repeat 10 times
Diagonal Exercises
Look at 2 position and then 8 position. Repeat 10 times
Look at 10 position to 4 position. Repeat 10 times
Circular Exercises:
Clockwise direction: Start at 12 position then move to 3 position then to 6 position and then 9 position and back to 12 position. Repeat 10 times
Anticlockwise Direction Start at 12 position then move to 9 position then to 6 position and then 3 position and back to 12 position. Repeat 10 times
Focusing Exercise: Hold your right arm in front of you at nose level with arm stretched out. Hold your hand in thumbs up position. Focus on the tip of thumb for 5 seconds and then bring focus to tip of nose and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Shut your eyes really tight and then relax. Repeat 5 times
Keeping your eyes closed, rub your palms together to create natural heat and place your palms over your eyes.
Take some Rose Water on eye pads and hold them on your eyes for 2 minutes.
Tratak – Candle Light Meditation
Tratak is the Sanskrit name for candle light meditation.
What you need:
Tea Light or Candle light flame
Rose Water
Sit comfortably in front of a candle light flame. Make sure that you are sat at arm’s length away and the candle flame needs to be approximately at the same height as your eyes. You could use a stool to keep the candle light.
Start by focusing on the candle light flame, trying not to blink. Hold this focus for a count of ten. Then close your eyes and relax visualising the image of the flame in your mind’s eye, for a count of 10. Repeat this for approximately 10 rounds. At the end of the practice your eyes may start watering and this is a good sign as it helps to remove all the heat out of the body.
To conclude this practice, apply Rose Water eye pads on your eyes and lie down for 5 – 10 minutes.
Ayurvedic Eye Massage:
You will need:
Jatyadee Oil
Rose Water
Apply the warm oil to the whole face but the focus of massage is around the eyes.
1: With tips of fingers, smooth strokes around the eyes starting from inside of eye brows, over the eyebrows, over the temple region, under the eyes and then to root of nose. Repeat 5 times.
2: With tips of fingers gliding stroke from inside of eye brow to temple region. Then move fingers under the eyes in circular strokes coming to the root of nose. Repeat 5 times.
3: With help of thumb and index fingers, pinching stroke over the eye brows. Repeat 5 times.
4: With tips of fingers, circular strokes over temple region. Anti-clockwise followed clock-wise strokes. Repeat 11 times each direction.
5: With tips of fingers, circular strokes on the inside of eye brows. Anti-clockwise followed clock-wise strokes. Repeat 11 times each direction.
6: With tips of fingers, circular strokes on the third eye point Anti-clockwise followed clock-wise strokes. Repeat 11 times each direction.
7: With flat of fingers of both hands, upward strokes over the forehead covering the entire forehead. Repeat 5 times.
8: With tips of fingers, smoothing out stroke over the cheek bones, starting from root of nose towards the ear. Apply more pressure as you go towards ears and less pressure as you come back to the nose. Repeat 5 times.
9: With tips of fingers, figure of “8” around the eyes and temple region. Repeat 5 times
Finish the massage by applying Rose Water eye pads on the eyes and lie down for 5 minutes.
Benefits:
O The above routine helps to prevent dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles
O It also helps to prevent headaches, migraines, and hay fever symptoms of the eyes
O It helps with improved sleep and helps to reduce stress
O It helps to keep blood pressure under check, reduces stress on heart and calms down the nervous system.