In this busy digital world, our eyes often bear the brunt of screen exposure, especially at night. This continuous digital strain tires our eyes, affecting our overall health. But don’t worry, there are simple and effective solutions, such as bedtime yoga, which grants immediate relief to tired eyes while relaxing the body. Let’s discover five bedtime yoga poses that replenish your eyes and foster better sleep.
The Child Pose (Balasana Yoga Asana)
The Child’s Pose is a soothing yoga pose, also known as Balasana. It gently stretches your hips, thighs, and ankles while calming your mind. It’s simple. Kneel on the floor with your toes touching and sit on your heels. Lean forward slowly, extend your arms either front or side. Rest your head on the mat and allow yourself to relax completely with deep breaths. This pose is perfect for releasing tension in your eyes and forehead before bedtime.
Seated Forward Bend or Paschimottanasana
This is a calming seated yoga pose that stretches the whole back of your body including the spine, hamstrings, and shoulders. Sit tall with your legs extended in front of you. Inhale, lengthen your spine, then exhale, hinge at the hips, and fold forward towards your feet. Hold for a few moments, and you’ll feel the tension release from your eyes, encouraging relaxation and sleep.
Legs Up the Wall or Viparita Karani
This is another pose that gently stretches the lower back and hamstrings while encouraging relaxation and improved blood circulation. Just lie on your back, extend your legs up a wall, relax your arms by your side, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. This asana helps reduce eye strain by improving blood flow to your head.
Corpse Pose, Savasana
This is a classic relaxation pose that promotes deep relaxation and rejuvenation. Just lie flat on your back, extend your legs, keep your arms by your sides, close your eyes, and let your body sink into total relaxation. It’s fantastic for releasing any leftover tension, including in your eyes, and preparing you for sleep.
Apart from these yoga poses, simple eye exercises before bed are useful in alleviating eye tiredness. An effective one is palming – rubbing your palms together to generate heat and then gently placing them over your closed eyes. This simple technique reduces eye strain and contributes to relaxation and improved eye health.