Blinking
Use breathing and blinking to relax the face and eyes.
Blinking: natural massage for the eyes
Computer Survival Tip: Make sure that as you use the computer, you blink softly. Try blinking with the rhythm of the cursor as you type from time to time. Don’t forget to breathe deeply as you blink.
This important exercise bathes and massages the eye, rests it from the work of focusing for near vision, relieves tension around the eyes, and breaks up the habit of staring, which is harmful to the eyes. Most people with bad eyesight have lost the ability to blink easily and often; when you see someone wearing thick glasses, you’ll notice that they tend to stare without blinking. They’ll also frown and squint with effort. Dr. Bates says that you can either squint or see well.
- Breathe deeply. Begin opening and closing your eyes slowly and gently. Your eyelids should feel light and weightless. Feel your forehead and make sure it isn’t frowning. If your forehead doesn’t move, it means that your blinking is relaxed. Check with a mirror to make sure that you open and close your eyes fully with each blink – or ask a partner who is joining you in the eye exercises.
- Close your right eye and cover it with your right hand, so that your fingers are gently touching the closed eyelid and your fingertips are just under the eyebrow ridge.
- Begin to blink slowly with the left eye, imagining that it is the eyelashes that are moving the eyelid up and down, and the eyelid is an idle passenger. Or, as you blink, picture that someone is very gently raising the eyelid for you with a finger held under the eyelashes, and that gravity is gradually pulling it down again.
- Stroke gently along the eyelid and brush your eyelashes with your fingers. Massage your forehead. Try to blink so gently that the fingers of your right hand feel no movement in the right eyelid.
- Massage the forehead over your left eye with the fingers of your left hand – start with your fingertips touching your thumb and then open them, smoothing your forehead with thumb and fingertips as they move away from each other.
- Now repeat the exercise, covering the left eye and blinking with the right eye.
Probably you won’t be able to blink with one eye while keeping the other entirely motionless. However, as you aim at this goal, you’ll achieve less motion in the non-blinking eye, and this will result in greater relaxation in both eyes.
