The Main Event

Now that you've completed your quick warm-up — it should only take about five minutes to complete the whole process — you're ready to move on to your actual eye exercises.

Exercise 1 — Palming

This exercise is beneficial in so many ways that it should be the foundation for your eye workout, and the exercise you do even when there's time for nothing else. Palming can

• Promote relaxation and smooth eye movements.
• Develop central fixation — the ability of the eyes to see one point best.
• Develop greater control of the focusing mechanisms of your eyes.
• Isolate eye muscle movement from head movement.
• Reduce muscular strain and tension in your eyes, neck and head.
• Relax tired or strained eyes and restore peace and quiet to your mind.

Listen to the radio if you wish, or just allow the mind to wander, keeping it away from anything unpleasant. If stressful thoughts intrude, push them aside to be dealt with later. Find a comfortable position and choose a time when you can exercise without being interrupted.

• Briskly rub your hands and palms together until they feel warm (15 - 20 seconds).
• Place your cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers of each hand should overlap and rest on the center of your forehead.
• Make sure there is no contact between your palms and your closed eyelids.
• Also make sure there is enough room between your palms (as they cup your eyes) so that you can breathe easily.
• Don't create any unnecessary pressure on your face.
• If your arms get tired, try resting your elbows on your thighs or on a table.

When you first close your eyes, you may see sparks, dots of light, and color patterns, all of which are signs of strain and tension. When the picture "fades to black" and the sparks disappear, you'll know that your eyes are relaxing. The more relaxed they become the "deeper" the blackness will appear to be.

Remain with the eyes shut for several minutes. The exact period that suits you best has to be found by trial and error; five minutes is about right, and four should be regarded as a minimum. It can be difficult to judge the passage of time, and some such device as a non-ticking cook's timer, or one of those electronic watches or pocket calculators which incorporate an alarm, is very useful.

Exercise 2 — Up and Down

Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times to relax the eye muscles.

Exercise 3 — Left and Right

Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining.

Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.

Exercise 4 — On the Edge

Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless.

Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.

Now do the same exercise in reverse.

Look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.

Exercise 5 — Crop Circles

Slowly roll your eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows: Lower your eyes and look at the floor, then slowly move the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see the ceiling. Now continue circling to the right, lower and lower down, until you see the floor again.

Do this slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise. Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least five seconds.

Note: When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible, so that you feel a little strain as you do the exercise. This stretches the eye muscles to the maximum extent, giving better results.

Exercise 6 — Be Shifty

Next comes a changing-vision exercise. While doing it you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times.

Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point which you can also see very clearly.

Now look at the closer point (the pencil or your finger tip) then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.

Exercise 7 — Squeeze Play

Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can. Really squeeze the eyes, so the eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly.

This exercise causes a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye exercises. Blink the eyes a few times.

Exercise 8 — Blinking and Breathing

Blink your eyes rapidly a half-dozen times. Then shut the eyes lightly for the space of two whole breaths. No more than a few seconds should pass between one blink and the next. Repeat these steps 4 times.

Nasty Habits: One of the "bad habits" so many of us share is the tendency to stare sightlessly, with our eyes immobile and our breath stopped. Staring is very hard on your eyes! As soon as you catch yourself with your gaze locked, blink your eyes rapidly while taking a couple of deep breaths.

If you can find time to "blink and breath" once or twice a day, you'll do wonders for establishing good tone in the muscles of your eyelids.

Exercise 9 — Finger Massage (3-Finger Variations)

Place the tips of each of your middle fingers on the bony outer corners of your eye sockets. Then close your eyes and gently hook both middle fingertips around and slightly inside these corners. Rest your index fingers on your temples, the other fingers on your cheeks and your thumbs behind your ears. Don't touch your eyes, just the inside surfaces of the outer corners of the sockets.

For a count of five, inhale and apply pressure in an outward direction on both sides simultaneously (as if trying to widen your head). Then, relax the pressure and exhale for a count of five.

Repeat the sequence a total of five times. When you stop — and before you open your eyes — take a deep breath, exhale and, in a quick motion, fling your fingers away from your body as if you were throwing the tension away through your fingertips. Open your eyes.

Exercise #10 — Finger Massage (5-Finger Variation)

Place the five fingertips of each hand together — as if you were cupping your fingers around a marble — and place them on your closed eyes with only light contact between your eyes and your fingertips. Massage both closed eyes by vibrating your fingertips lightly and quickly from side to side.

Repeat the sequence a total of five times. When you stop — and before you open your eyes — take a deep breath, exhale and, in a quick motion, fling your fingers away from your body as if you were throwing the tension away through your fingertips. Open your eyes.

Exercise #11 — Pencil Fusion (1-Pencil Variation)

Hold a pencil straight up in front of you about 18 inches (45 centimetres) from your face. Look at the pencil, and then allow your eyes to refocus in the distance beyond it (on the far wall if you are indoors). You should now be able to see two blurred pencils, like gateposts one on either side of the point you are looking at.

Analysis: If you can only see one pencil, shut either eye alternately to find out which is the weaker.

Exercise #12 — Would You Like to Swing on a Star

This exercise is very effective in breaking the habit of staring and it is believed that 50 swings performed at bedtime and again when you first wake-up will help prevent or alleviate eyestrain during sleep.

Stand with your feet about 12 inches (30 centimetres) apart and your arms hanging loosely at your sides. Lift your right heel, and turn your body (at the waist and hips) to the left. When you have reached the limit of comfortable travel, turn to the right, letting the left heel rise and the right one return to the floor. Keep your arms relaxed so that they rise slightly as you swing. Keep your eyes open and allow the image of your surroundings to rush past without trying to focus on anything in particular.

Do not go too fast; try to make the swings smooth, level, and rhythmical. Repeat 20 times.

Exercise #13 — Fun in the Sun

"Sunning" consists of exposing your closed lids to sunshine to get your retina accustomed to progressively brighter light and ultimately able to function efficiently over the entire range of normally encountered light intensities. If direct sunlight isn't available, artificial full-spectrum lights can be used.

• Face the sun, eyes closed.
• Allow the warmth of the sun to penetrate deeply into your eyes and forehead. Turn your head from side to side at a slow, relaxed pace.
• Breath deeply.

You should slowly build up to a maximum of 20 minutes of sun after about 3 months of practice. If you are very light sensitive, you may want to start by closing your eyes and just facing into the sky but not directly at the sun.
Warnings:

• Do not look directly at the sun.
• Do not wear contacts or lenses when sunning.
• Do not use fluorescent light.
• Never use an infrared or ultraviolet lamp.
• It is advised to sun only in the morning or evening and only for short periods of time.

It is advised that you sun only in the morning or evening, and not during midday hours (11AM-3PM) when the sun is at its strongest and the rays are most damaging.