I’ve already talked about face yoga here before, but what about getting even more specific – what about the eyes?

Most of us spend hours each day staring at screens, and then possibly more time looking at books and other non-electronic items that are still in a very close focal range. It’s no wonder everyone needs glasses. In fact, degeneration of eyesight is the only health problem that actually increases with socio-economic status, because of the increased time spent reading, studying, writing, and using electronics.

There are two problems with this trend: one comes from overuse and the other from underuse.

We are overusing our eyes by staring at screens and books all day long. They need a break! Give them one by simply closing your eyes and letting them rest every once and a while. Pair it with some deep breathing and see how quickly your mental energy changes. This is the first “eye yoga” pose, and might be akin to savasana.

Another great way to give your eyes a break is to cup your hands over your eyes, masking all the light, and keeping them open, so your looking into total darkness.

The second problem is underuse. While you are overusing your eyes by keeping them open and active all the time, most of what we look at is within a very limited focal range, which means we’re underusing the other aspects of our vision. It falls out of practice, and like anything else in our bodies, once we stop using it, we lose it.

Keep the variety by following the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Simple, but effective. Set an alarm if you need to.

There you go! A few eye yoga exercises to keep your eyesight strong and healthy.