Increased screen consumption, pandemic-induced changes in habits, and day-to-day stress can affect visual health.
Who would have thought that a space as small as the eyes could contain images of the entire universe? This phrase corresponds to Leonardo Da Vinci, and in such a concrete and radical way makes us reflect on the importance of our eyes. Caring for and exercising them is essential, along with giving them rest.
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The adoption of new routines for the pandemic, such as the increase in exposure to blue screens due to the home office, online education and hours in front of the TV or mobile devices, have triggered new possible risks to visual health.
A survey by Lentesplus.com, a pioneer in the online sale of contact lenses, found that 76% of respondents increased exposure to screens during confinement, generating an increase in symptoms such as eye sequence, fatigue or visual fatigue, temporary blurred vision and headache when performing visual exertion.
With this in mind, Lentesplus.com invited Verónica Bastidas, Hatha Yoga teacher and creator of El Poder de Sanar, to jointly develop a vision yoga workshop, focused on promoting the visual health of Colombians from a holistic approach. . That will be next Wednesday, December 15 at 7:30 pm on the Lentesplus.com Facebook page.
Protecting and exercising the gaze
The practice of yoga for vision invites us to explore the vision of the world and the space around us, to the depths of self-observation and meditative attitude. You propose to bring consciousness into the gaze as an anchor for asanas, as well as eye exercises that, along with breathing sequences, strengthen the body, mind, and spirit.
Lentesplus.com Vision Yoga, in conjunction with El Poder de Sanar, offers exercises with 4 objectives: distension, to relax the 6 muscles of the eyes and prevent retinal exhaustion; toning, to develop elastic and strong eye muscles; accommodation, which favors the focus of objects; and purification, which allows greater blood supply to the eye.
Then, simple exercises will be presented to practice daily and raise awareness about habits such as blinking, which tends to be forgotten while using electronic devices, or looking into the distance and not just objects that are a few meters away such as screens we have become accustomed to during the pandemic.
1. Direct your gaze to a distant point, look for the deepest point at which you can carry out your gaze and let the sight face you properly. Then, keeping your head still, move your eyes to the right, to the left, up and down, and out of the corner of your eye, as far away as you can.
2. Look up and from there start rotating your eyes in circles to the right and then to the left without moving your head. This exercise is very effective in strengthening muscles that are weaker. Do this 3 times in each direction.
3. Look up and this time imagine drawing a square with your eyes. Try to keep a square as large as possible and without cutting any corners. First taking it to the right and then to the left.
4. Extend your right arm forward, with your hand closed and your thumb up. Fix your gaze on your thumb and scroll very slowly to the right, following your thumb with your gaze to the right as far as you can without moving your head from the initial position. Then, repeat the exercise on the left side.
5. Eye land, with the ring finger of each hand perform a gentle massage on the eyeballs and eyelashes using small circular motions. Do this for two minutes.
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It is recommended to perform the exercises without glasses or contact lenses, keep your back straight and relaxed, blink between the different exercises, introduce breathing patterns and also accompany the sessions with neck and shoulder movements. Conscious practice is suggested at least once a day.