It is said that the eyes are the windows to the souls. No facial feature adds to our beauty and sparkling vitality than the eyes.
The precious gift of sight, which brings light and color into our lives, is worth all the attention we can focus toward achieving and maintaining a healthy vision. All organs give the purest part of their energy to the eyes, helping to create their alertness and brightness.
To keep our eyes strong and improve them it is important to express our emotions and not allow pressure to build (causing glaucoma) or cloudiness (cataracts). Crying can actually be a therapeutic way to clean and heal the eyes.
To Heal The Eyes, Look After Your Vital Organs
In Asian medicine, the liver governs the eyes and many ocular disorders have their roots in liver disharmonies. The liver meridian passes through the eyes.
For example, insufficient blood supply to the liver or liver heat can be a cause in eyes that feel dry. Eyes that are often irritated and bloodshot may be due to the liver being irritated by coffee, alcohol, and chemicals.
For bloodshot eyes, dip cotton balls in rose water, place over closed eyes and lie down (slant boards are great for this) for fifteen minutes.
The kidneys govern the function of vision and eye problems are also associated with deterioration of the kidneys.
Acute eye conditions, such as watery discharge are likely to be associated with the lungs and allergies. Eyes that have a discharge of mucous may be aggravated by a diet too rich in congesting fats.
Allow Your Eyes To Be Exposed To The Natural Outdoor Light
The eye area tends to be more prone to allergies and also tends to show wrinkles before other parts of the face.
Spend at least 20 minutes daily in full spectrum light, preferably in the early morning before rays are too harsh, without glasses or contact lenses as light enters the eyes and affects the pituitary and pineal glands.
During the day spend time looking at the healing green colors of nature. Consider using full spectrum lighting in the home and workplace.
Natural light improves visual acuity and helps prevent eyestrain. Glasses can help us see clearly, but they do not improve actual vision.
If you wear contact lenses do so consciously by cleaning them properly and remove them to let the eyes breathe as much as possible. If you always wear glasses or contact lenses consider that you may be blocking nature’s full spectrum lighting as well as available oxygen to the eyes.
When it is safe and can be done without strain, try to spend a little time each day without anything covering your eyes. Close your eyes and allow the sunlight to rest upon your closed eyelids for 3 to 5 minutes.
Another beneficial eye strengthening technique is called “sunning”. It is done by standing or sitting with closed eyes (though no glasses or contacts).
Then turn one’s head gently from the left to the right, allowing the sun’s rays to gently cross over closed eyes. This is best done outside, preferably when surrounded by the calm, cooling green colors of nature.
Cheap sunglasses filter only some rays, but allow other rays to come through that may be harmful. The best sunglasses are gray, green then brown in that order to limit sun exposure.
An ancient folk remedy to benefit the eyes is to gaze at the cooling rays of the moon.
Ensure Frequent Movement Of Eyes To Improve Blood Flow
Simple walking 20 to 40 minutes daily is also good for the eyes. Protect the eyes from excessive heat and toxic chemicals, even if inhaled, affect the eyes. Several times a day, splash cold water over your eyes to improve circulation.
Sleep in a well ventilated room. Sleep on your back, as sleeping all crunched causes creases leading to permanent lines. Using two pillows to elevate the head keeps fluids from pooling around the eyes.
When reading or focusing for long periods, squeeze eyes shut for a few seconds to increase blood flow to the area.
If you spend your days, looking at close objects, every half hour or so take a break and gaze off into the distance.
Why not have a mandala, beautiful collage that you make every year that inspires your goals, hopes, and dreams, window view or other inspirational things to gaze upon.
If you spend your days in front of computers keep room lighting low with screen brightness three to four times that of the room. Minimize glare by keeping monitors away from light sources such as windows.
Consider using an antiglare screen. Make sure characters on the screen stand out sharply. Have the screen positioned 14 to 20 inches away from eyes just below eye level.
The colors of display characters that are easiest on eyes are amber and green. Fifteen minutes out of every hour try to do some non-computer sort of work.
You might also try wearing a patch over one eye and spending some time roaming your yard, and drawing for short periods of time to exercise one eye at a time.
Gently Massage The Acupressure Points
Acupressure on the feet with special attention to the bottom of the second and third toes can benefit the eyes.
If your eyes need some extra help, you may want to massage the correlating reflex points at the base of the bottoms of the second and third toes in a firm circular motion.
Deep massage at the base of the neck may help to relieve tension that impairs vision by moving energy in the liver meridians.
Include Nutrient Rich Foods In Your Diet
Foods that are particularly beneficial to the eyes include raw sunflower and black sesame seeds, beets, carrots, celery, green leafy vegetables (especially spinach and watercress), leeks, sweet potatoes, barley, blueberries, dates, lycii berries, mulberries, raspberries and raisins. Rawk on!
Spirulina is a beneficial superfood, rich in beta carotene and DHA and can be added to smoothies. Use chervil, cilantro, paprika, and parsley frequently as condiments.
Garnish your meals with fresh organic marigold or calendula petals from your garden, which are rich in lutein, a nutrient that promotes eye health.
Here is a yummy “Morning Bright Eye Smoothie” to kick off your day!!
Bright Eye Smoothie [Recipe]
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh (unpasteurized) carrot juice
- 1/4 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp spirulina powder
- 1 cup water
Directions
Blend and enjoy. Other good juices to mix are beet, celery, endive, parsley, and spinach.
