Eye Yoga - The Hidden Gem Among Yoga Styles
by Irena Castle
Yoga’s roots trace back to before 500 BCE, to the ancient Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India and to the Vedas, the oldest sacred text of Hinduism. However the first foundational text outlining the classical system of yoga was not written until around 400 CE and gave birth to Raja or Ashtanga Yoga. It took another thousand years for Hatha Yoga to take on a bigger role in the yoga family and it was not until the end of the 19th century when some of the most prominent contemporary styles of yoga emerged, including Iyengar Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and others. The latest addition, one that has developed throughout the 20th century, is the style of yoga that heals the most valued sensorial arrangement of the human body - the eyes and the visual system. Yes, we are talking about Eye Yoga, which plays a significant role in natural vision improvement.
THE BIRTH OF EYE YOGA
Eye Yoga has its foundation in the works of Dr. William Bates, an ophthalmologist from New York, who in the early 1900 published the results of his life-long work introducing a eye & mind method that has the ability to reverse visual errors of refraction, and diminish or even cure many visual ailments. With results that often seemed to have been of miraculous nature, his work has been built upon by a handful of his students and then the students of theirs. During the course of the 20th century the method has been tested and enhanced through new modalities and more contemporary ways of application.
YOGA’S FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND EYE YOGA
Just like any other type of yoga, Eye Yoga respects yoga’s most foundational principles. Let us name a few.
Aparigraha (non-greed) as part of the Yamas (ethical guidelines): Eye Yoga demands that visual greed is abandoned in order for the eyes to see clearly. In other words, it requires that the focus of the eyes is limited to the tiniest of an area and that all else is seen less clearly.
Niyamas (personal discipline): Just as yoga demands self discipline and spiritual observance, eye yoga asks for the person’s reconnection with the eyes, for understanding of their physical state through self-observation and for the need to surrender to the process, not a simple pursuit of a goal.
Asanas (physical postures): Eye Yoga is designed to improve visual flexibility and the balance of visual muscles while promoting relaxation and focus.
Pranayama (breath control): Free regular breathing is emphasized when presenting the eyes with techniques that teach new or lost visual skills. It contributes to the eyes’ ability to look with ease, looking in a relaxed way.
Dharana (concentration): Teaching the eyes the right way to focus on an object of one’s desire is in the essence of the approach. It requires mental presence, acceptance of the current state of one’s eyesight and a conscious conviction that better seeing is within reach. Additionally, eye yoga’s effectiveness strongly relies on directing concentrated visual signals to selected areas of the eye and defined by the needs of the techniques used for the development of each individual visual skill. Such stimuli control is achieved by an overarching approach called the selective vision obstruction, and by vision training tools that support it.
Dhyana (meditation): Meditation called the palming promotes a full relaxation of the visual system while making space for visualization and imagination. Other mental support also benefits eye yoga practice.
Samadhi (absorption): A series of movement driven techniques promotes adoption of the learning by the visual system and the development of new neural pathways in the brain, which leads to forming of a new and deeper connection between the visual cortex and the eyes.
THE HIDDEN GEM
Eye yoga, when approached as a full scope natural training of eyesight, promises not only symptomatic, but causative relief of conditions such as myopia, presbyopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, strabismus, and many others.
While mastering eye yoga demands repetitive practice, much improvement can be experienced early on and throughout the process. Some techniques show positive effects on the quality of one’s vision after just one single session.
So why have you not heard of it (or barely heard rumors about eye exercises which have little to do with eye yoga) until just now?
Even though nearly everyone who engages themselves in eye yoga (or natural vision improvement) experiences success with the method, the number of certified teachers or coaches who are capable of guiding those in need of vision improvement is very low. At Overbound we pride ourselves for being among those at the forefront of the current movement towards better vision worldwide. With over 60% of the world’s population dealing with various symptoms of limited vision, we have made it our mission to counter the pandemic by actively growing awareness of the existence and impact of eye yoga and by offering an array of programs that fit the needs of those with various learning styles. Since our modest beginnings, our approach has helped thousands of people all round the globe to better vision.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
Good eyesight is a combination of good visual habits and well developed visual skills. Therefore, getting there takes only 3 main steps applied over time.
Step 1: Question status quo
No matter what you have been told and for how long, eyesight is not a constant. Eyesight is a variable skill. It changes throughout the day and over time, for the worst, but also for the better. So the first thing you need to do is to accept the possibility that your eyes are capable of seeing much better than what you are experiencing right now. To help you wrap your mind around it, check this out.
Step 2: Use your eyes as designed
There is the right way and the wrong way of using just about anything - cars, appliances, smart phones ... and your eyes. However, given your eyes did not come with a user’s manual and given good eye habits are not taught in schools, it may be a bit tricky to know what the right way of using your vision is. For this purpose we have published a guide to the Nine Essential Habits for Better Vision that you are welcome to download and follow for free.
Once your habitual behavior has been checked (or adjusted), there is only one step left.
Step 3: Retrain your eyesight / gain new visual skills
As indicated before, good vision is simply a result of the visual system being skilled in seeing, a sensorial activity that is the result of a combination of individual visual skills applied in a correct sequence. The skills may be learned from books and ample online videos, but you will most likely be more successful following a well designed program. Just like with any other skills, it is better to learn from those who are proficient in your desired skills and their teaching, who understand the intricacies of the process, the order in which individual skills should be learned, and who can provide tips, watch out and help.
NO MATTER WHAT CONDITION
No matter how long you have been shortsighted, farsighted, dealt with reading glasses, astigmatism, lazy eye or any other visual difficulty related to clear seeing, if you have dreamt of better eyesight without the side effects that accompany surgeries or even the use of eyeglasses, chances are that Eye Yoga is a great natural solution for you - one worth dedicating some of your time to.
EYE YOGA AT OVERBOUND
Since time is our most scarce resource of all, it is wise to spend it on active practice that leads to new skills, vs. on a search for how to do it. To give yourself the confidence in the process, check out and enroll in Clarity Unleashed. This one of a kind, full scope, self-study program teaches all there is to know and do to improve one’s vision. Unlike any other class out there, it also comes with many of the tools needed for the vision training process.
If you need a more personalized approach, look at our full program offering.
I believe in the ability of our bodies to regain their full proper function. Witnessing the joy of the many students who have renewed their eyesight through Eye Yoga and the various methods of natural vision improvement (which includes my own programs), I hope you give it a chance. I wish you much enjoyment and success in the process.
May your eyesight be boundless.
IC
/i-see/
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