Paul McCartney recently Times He practices eye yoga so he doesn’t need glasses. During the interview, he revealed that he was introduced to eye exercises in India a few years ago and has been practicing them ever since.
He believes that exercising the eye muscles can reduce the need for glasses, and Macca demonstrated some of these techniques. On YouTube.
So what is eye yoga, and can eye exercises really avoid the need for glasses?
Various types of eye yoga have been practiced for thousands of years. For example: Tratak KriyaOriginating in India, “Tratak” is a part of yoga meditation that is believed to lead to a higher state of consciousness and spiritual awakening. “Tratak” comes from the Sanskrit word ‘tratak’, which means ‘fixing the gaze’, and involves staring unblinkingly at an object, such as a candle flame, until tears flow.
More recently, in the late 19th century, New York ophthalmologist Dr. William Bates published a book titled “The Eyes of the Eye.” Bates Method to Improve Vision Without GlassesIn it, he claimed that eye exercises could eliminate the need for glasses.
He believed that any eyeglass correction could be overcome by training involving eye movements and visualization techniques such as looking at an eye chart, focusing on the outlines of letters, blinking frequently, closing one’s eyes and visualizing the letters, imagining them as darker and clearer. Bates Eye Exercise Website He continues to promote his work to this day.
However, the premise of Bates’ theory – that the eyes change shape when moving or focusing – is not physiologically true.
In a 2018 study, International Yoga Journal A study compared visual acuity (smallest letter that can be seen) and refractive error (glasses prescription) in groups who practiced either Bates exercises or Trakata yoga for eight weeks. The study concluded that neither exercise made a difference to refractive error or visual acuity.
of Bates Method Ophthalmologists reject this treatment not only because of a lack of evidence, but also because it is potentially harmful, promoting “solarization” (looking at the sun) and risking overexposing the retina to sunlight.
To understand why eye yoga or Bates theory exercises don’t correct your vision, it helps to understand the following: The Eye and How We See.
Why do you need glasses?
If the light rays are not focused on the retina, you need glasses. If the focus is in front of the retina, this is myopia. If the focus is behind the retina, this is hyperopia.
astigmatism It occurs when the curvature of the front of the eye becomes more like a rugby ball than a sphere, causing blurring at all distances. Presbyopia This is a normal part of aging, as the lens of the eye hardens and becomes less able to focus on close objects, causing most people to need reading glasses by middle age.
Part of the eye’s focusing is done by the cornea (the front of the eye), but the structure responsible for focusing is the lens, which is spherical or convex when focusing on close objects and flat when focusing on distant objects.
The size of the pupil and the convexity of the lens are controlled by the ciliary muscles and ligaments inside the eye. In contrast, the muscles involved in eye movement are located outside the eye (extraocular muscles).
Although the intrinsic and extraocular muscles work together to some extent, and reading involves both convergence and focusing, moving the gaze to different positions does not change the shape, size or focusing of the eyes, so the mechanism of using eye exercises to change refractive power is nonsensical.
However, certain eye exercises Orthoptist (A specialist who diagnoses and treats eye movement defects and problems with the coordination of the two eyes for specific conditions)
One example is “convergence insufficiency,” a condition that causes people to see double images of nearby objects due to difficulty moving their eyes inward. Smooth pen convergenceA helpful technique is to follow the pen with your eyes as it slowly moves towards your nose.
Adults too young to wear reading glasses who have trouble focusing on close objects can remedy this by focusing on small letters or text and slowly moving it toward their nose.
It’s normal for adults to find it increasingly difficult to look up as they get older. As children, we often look up to match the gaze of the adults around us. But our eye muscles tire with little practice, so unless you have a job or hobby that requires you to look up, like snooker, looking up may become more painful as you get older.
However, while such exercise may have some benefits for vision, there is a lack of evidence to support that exercise can significantly slow the progression of presbyopia.
Scott Bairstow/Alamy Stock Photo
Naturally, people care about their eyes and vision and want to improve them. Eye yoga won’t harm your eyes as long as you do it for just a few minutes and then stare into the distance to relax your muscles. But other lifestyle changes might be more beneficial for your eyes.
Regular visits to an optometrist (usually yearly for children and every two years for adults) to check your glasses prescription, eye pressure, and the health of your retina and eye can help detect and treat early signs of diseases like glaucoma.
Taking time off from screens regularly can help reduce dry eyes. 20:20:20 ruleEvery 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something at least 20 feet away. Spending time outdoors is good for your eyes, and children who spend time outdoors Less likely to develop myopia.
Eat well. Some evidence suggests that Mediterranean diet Green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach can help prevent macular degeneration. May be effective for dry eyesGet a good night’s sleep and wear good quality sunglasses when in sunlight.
If you suffer from dry eyes or use screens for long periods of time, Meibomian gland massage A simple technique like applying a warm compress to your eyelids followed by a gentle downward massage may help – directing the oils produced in the eyelids towards the surface of the eye for more comfort. Read in well-lit areas and, if possible, read large amounts of text on a computer rather than on your phone.
While eye yoga won’t eliminate the need for glasses, it’s another way to look after your eyes and vision.
