You wake up and immediately check your phone for messages, social media updates and news. While you eat a quick breakfast before work, you watch a little TV. At work, you sit in front of a monitor for 8 hours. Hopefully, you have time for some exercise but chances are high that to unwind at night, you stare at a screen for another couple hours.

No wonder so many people have eye health and vision problems. In fact, a poll commissioned by the American Academy of Ophthalmology reveals almost two-thirds of adults have eye or vision problems. Here is an easy acupressure routine to keep your eyes in top shape!

Eye Care Exercises

These pressure point exercises are part of a nation-wide program implemented by China’s Ministry of Health to help prevent myopia and eyestrain. Called Yan Bao Jian Cao or roughly translated as “Eye Care Gymnastic Exercises”, these exercises are routinely practiced everywhere in China, both in the school and workplace.

Myopia and eyestrain can result from focusing and using the same eye muscles in one position for too prolonged a period of time. To prevent eyestrain, take a break every hour or two hours from whatever you are doing and practice these simple eye exercises.

To prevent any possible infections, you should first wash your hands with soap and water before massaging these acupressure points. Gently massage in a circular direction for both left and right eyes at the same time, in the sequence illustrated in the diagram:

Point 1:  The first set of acupressure points is on the eyebrows facing each other. These two points are called Tianying points, which are excellent for tired eyes. Massage for a count of sixteen.

Point 2:  The second pair of points are called Qingming or “Clear Bright” points. You may have instinctively squeezed on them before,      when you felt eyestrain or fatigued. These are also good for moistening and detoxifying the eyes, while dispelling negative chi energies called “wind” and “heat”. Gently squeeze and massage these two points with forefinger and thumb for a count of sixteen.

Point 3:  Located just above the side of each nostril and just below the lower ridge of each eye socket, you will find the third set called Sibai acupressure points. These two are also used to treat facial paralysis and facial neuralgia. Massage again for a count of sixteen.

Point 4:  For the fourth set, massage the Taiyang or “Sun” pressure points with your thumbs.

Green Arrow:  For every count of four, use the side of your forefingers to massage across the bones of the eye sockets, from the center of your face across to each temple, (as indicated by the green arrows in the diagram). This way, you cover all the major acupressure points that line the eye sockets, top and bottom. Practice this exercise for a count of sixteen.

Do these exercises once through, optimally, at least once a day.  If possible, you should do a full set of these exercises: instead of one count of sixteen, massage each point for a count of eight and repeat eight times (totaling sixty-four counts) for each of the four exercises. And do your best to reduce your screen time!

Filed in Current Health News