Let’s dive into the exciting and often overlooked world of eyehealth. Did you know you can actually do physical therapy for your eyes just like the rest of your body? In fact, it’s something you’d probably want to keep and mind if you want to keep your eyesight until the end of your days! Body upkeep and attention is crucial for longevity, which is what we are all about as the collective health co-op.
The first part of eye health we want to look at is health relations to eyesight and diet.
The liver actually has a connection to your eye’s reflexes which can often be affected when one consumes alcohol. For those that experience difficulty focusing in the first part of the day but experience improvement as the day goes on, then you have a clear sign that the health of your liver is affecting your eye health.
Here is a page excerpt from the book, The Practicing Herbalist by Margi Flint, for eye health observation:
General Foods:
If you think about it, eat foods that look like eyes (carrots, almonds, Kiwi). That advice really goes for any organ, eating a food that is similar to it generally always leads to the health of that organ.
For Eye Floaters:
Eye pain:
Being sure to have a nice balance of Vitamin K, A, C, and E will always aim to improve your eye health. Of course though, eye health is not just connected to your diet. Exercise is crucial for all aspects of health, including your eyes. In general movement exercise outside of moving your eyes still plays an important role. Whether it’s taking walks or playing tennis, getting your blood flowing and your coordination dialed in is vital.
Excitingly there is even more you can do for your eyes outside of full body physical movement.
Eye exercises, a staple of vision therapy, play a crucial role in enhancing the coordination between both eyes and even increasing visual prowess. Recognizable symptoms that indicate a need for such exercises may be observed as line or word skipping during reading, eye closure, eyestrain, and headaches may signal the potential benefit of eye strengthening routines. Vision therapy interventions can effectively tackle issues like eye turn (strabismus), lazy eye (amblyopia), eye tracking difficulties (saccadic dysfunction), and insufficient eye teaming (convergence insufficiency). Particularly, exercises targeting lazy eye have demonstrated significant efficacy, particularly when initiated early in the condition's progression.
These exercises are capable of improving one's eyesight if they are used consistently over time. Don’t expect a one day fix out of this, but with a healthy diet, mindset, and routine, anything is possible in our book.
Alright, folks, let's dive into the world of "Palming," the eye exercise straight outta the yogic playbook! Picture this: you're about to give your peepers the ultimate chill pill by relaxing the muscles around the eyes. Which is perfect for the times your eyes are beginning to feel fatigued.
Step one: Get those hands warmed up and Rub 'em together like you're plotting world domination or trying to summon a genie.
Next, close those baby blues/greens/browns/hazels or what have you, and gently lay the palms of your hands over each cheekbone. Cup those hands over your eyes like you're protecting the crown jewels and take a deep breath. Inhale the serenity, exhale the stress, and bask in the darkness for a solid five minutes.
Ah, the blissful art of palming - where even your eyeballs get to kick back and relax!
It’s alright if your palms are slightly touching your eyes but be mindful you are not trying to actually put any pressure on your eyeballs.
This exercise would be perfect to use once or twice a day, before and after a day of working especially if you use the computer a lot.
Alright, fellow screen-staring enthusiasts, let's talk about the dreaded dry eye syndrome – the scourge of the digital age! Too much screen time actually leads to not enough blinking, and suddenly your eyes feel like they've been rolling around in a sandbox.
So for this simple exercise we are going to be Blinking. Blinking is the unsung hero of eye hydration. It's like a little spa treatment for your peepers, did you know that when you blink your eyes it pumps the oil glands in the eyelids? It’s important for your eyeballs to be lubed up to keep particles from irritating them!
So here's the blink-tastic exercise: Close those lids for a quick two-count, then pop 'em back open. While they're shut, go ahead and give your eyelids a gentle squeeze for that extra oomph. Think of it as a mini eye massage, see if you can do this every time you switch a project and practice it for 15 or so seconds at a time. Pretty easy!
Step 1: Grab your trusty pencil and hold it out in front of you at arm's length. Make sure you've got your favorite pair of near vision glasses on if you’ve got them – we're going for maximum clarity here!
Step 2: Now, focus all your attention on the tip of that pencil eraser. If there's a letter or anything else on there, make sure it's crystal clear as your eyes allow.
Step 3: Slowly start bringing the pencil closer to your nose, but keep those eyes glued to that eraser or letter. Once it starts to blur or go double, that's your cue to back it up again.
Step 4: Rinse and repeat. Do this whole routine several times to give those eye muscles a proper workout.
Switching between focusing on objects up close and far away is like a workout for your eyes, helping them to engage and relax properly.
Here's the drill:
Mastering eye tracking can be a tough nut to crack for some folks. But fear not! Here's a fun little exercise to hone those tracking skills:
With a little practice, you'll be tracking like a pro in no time. You may find it helpful to start out with placing a few objects on the track if you’re not great with imagining it’s there.
This exercise may help to improve your focus, not just of the eyes, but the focus of the mind. Interrupting any short attention span that may be developing from doom scrolling.
Engaging in close-up tasks for extended periods can tire out our focusing system and dry out our eyes. But fear not, there's a simple trick to give them a breather.
Introducing the 20-20-20 rule, for every 20 minutes you spend on close work, take a 20-second break to gaze at something 20 feet away. Then, you're good to dive back into your near activities refreshed and recharged!
Simple and quick, maybe set a soft timer for every 20 minutes while engaged in close up tasks such as computer work, crafting, puzzles, reading, writing, drawing, sewing, or you name it! Just remember:
Every 20 minutes
20Ft away
For 20 seconds
The Brock String was developed by Frederick Brock of Switzerland, a pioneer in vision therapy. It can be used for a variety of exercises to train the visual system.
To set up the Brock String, tie a loop on each end of the string. Attach one loop to a doorknob. Position the three beads. To do so, you’ll want to place the distance bead closest to the doorknob. The middle bead should sit 2-5 feet from you. The near bead should be 6 inches from your nose. Hold the string taught directly under your nose.
A sequence of exercises can be performed with the Brock String to train the eyes in tracking, alignment, and focusing.
For a more advanced focus tracking method than the figure 8 try The Brock String, conceived by Frederick Brock of Switzerland, is a marvel in vision therapy, offering a slew of exercises to whip your visual system into shape.
To get started, craft loops on each end of the string and affix one loop to a doorknob. Now, arrange the three beads: position the distance bead nearest to the doorknob, followed by the middle bead 2-5 feet away from you, and the near bead just 6 inches from your nose. Hold the string taut directly under your nose.
With this setup, dive into a series of exercises to fine-tune your eye tracking, alignment, and focusing skills. Practice focusing on one bead at a time for 10-15 seconds then slowly tracking the string to the next bead. Experiment with spending more or less time on each bead but don’t overdo it to the point of tiring your eyes out. The palm method would be a great follow up practice
For our last simple exercise you may practice both with eyes open and eyes closed. Closed would be a great choice to hydrate your eyes as discussed previously.
Roll your eyes back and forth looking to the right, then looking to the left without moving your head. Do this several times then do the same thing but looking up and down several times again.
This particular exercise leads me to my next topic of discussion, a form of sun gazing. Now I'm not talking about staring directly into the sun with open eyes, but performing the previous exercise with your eyes closed and facing directly into the sun has shown to be beneficial for eyes that stare at screens all day.
First and foremost as of 2/18/2024 there have been no specifically scientific studies to prove that this method works, however there are hundreds of people out there that have shared stories of reaping the rewards of this method along with my own personal experience shared below:
After long days of working on the computer or massive video game sessions, I would realize I needed breaks to restore my eyes given they would suddenly become extremely sensitive to the outdoors or any other bright lights.
When I first began practicing this method of looking up at the sun with my eyes closed, I noticed green and blue splotches sporadically warping around in my closed vision. My brows would furrow and sometimes I’d even tear up if my computer sessions were long enough.
I would zig zag my eyes from top to bottom and back again. I would hold them looking at different sides for 7ish seconds at a time, letting the light fill the far corners of my eyes.
I'd go in and take a break from the sun for a few minutes and return back outside to practice again for another minute or so. I'd notice that the green splotches would fade away and finally I would get a clear view and color of my eyelids. My face also began to relax and I would breathe deep to relax it even further.
By this point my eyes no longer would react sensitively to the outside light and was much faster at adjusting to light changes in general. After a few weeks of this practice I noticed that even after long gaming sessions or computer work the green and blue splotches were extremely minimal and would subside rather quickly when I faced up towards the sun.
Eyes that lack exposure to natural sunlight may become increasingly sensitive to shifting lights and develop a dullness. That being said it’s important to protect your eyes when in prolonged sun exposure such as yard work, hiking, long walks outside, snowboarding, or boating among hundreds of other outdoor activities.
If you are going to wear sunglasses for eye protection please be mindful of the type of sunglasses you purchase. Oftentimes buying a cheapy 20$ pair can actually do more damage to your eyes than the sun because of the shape of the lens. Also you’ll surprisingly find that the common cheap pairs of sunglasses don’t even have full UV protection! Health.com has a great list of the top 40 sunglasses to purchase after doing their own series of editor testing to find the best ones.
Here are some last essential tips for maintaining good eye health:
The world around us is a breathtaking tapestry of colors, shapes, and textures that captivate our senses and enrich our lives. Preserving our ability to fully experience and appreciate this beauty should be a top priority for everyone. Maintaining healthy eyes is not just about ensuring clear vision; it's about safeguarding our connection to the world and all its wonders.
By prioritizing a balanced diet, regular exercise, and incorporating eye-specific exercises into our routine, we can significantly enhance our eye health and longevity. Simple practices like soaking in natural sunlight, incorporating carrots into our diet, and taking regular breaks from screen time can make a world of difference in preserving optimal eyesight for years to come.
I hope you found these insights valuable and that they inspire you to prioritize your eye health and embrace a life filled with vibrant colors and external wonders. Here's to a lifetime of clear vision and endless appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us.
https://kraffeye.com/blog/8-easy-eye-exercises-to-improve-vision-techniques-and-tips
https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/eye-exercises#eye-health-tips
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/fabulous-foods-your-eyes
Book: The Practicing Herbalist by Margi Flint
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