Yoga Cures: Eye Strain

By Nicole Kwan

Give your eyes a workout with this pair of socket soothers

Sometimes we don’t even notice how long we’ve been staring at our computer screens. It’s like watching a reality dating show—you just can’t pull your eyes away from the action. But your eyes are just like your shoulders or neck, and they’ll tire just as easily. “Doing exercises for your eyes is like doing hip openers after sitting all day,” says Karin Wiedemann of Urban Yoga in Washington, D.C. When we do look around we tend to move our entire heads instead of just moving our eyes. Use these techniques to pump up your orbs (figuratively speaking, of course), whether you’re already feeling some strain or to fight off soreness.

Eye Warming
Sitting in a chair, rub your hands together to create heat in your palms. Close your eyes and cup your palms over your eyes. This blocks out light and allows your eyes to absorb the heat from your hands. Hold for 10 deep breaths, in and out, and repeat as necessary.

Eye-ercize
Stay in your chair, and don’t move your head as you: Look up to the ceiling, then look to your right, then down to the floor, then over to the left, and back up to the ceiling. Repeat 5 times and then reverse direction for 5 more rounds.

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