Ayurvedic Home Remedies

Eyes-Ayurvedic Care

Ayurveda has a number of excellent suggestions for maintaining your eyes in strength and health.

COOL WATER WASH. Early in the morning, when you wash your face, fill your mouth with cool water and hold it there; then splash cool water over your open eyes. Traditionally, you’re not supposed to swallow or spit out the water, but keep it in your mouth as you sprinkle the cool water on your eyes. This has a double cooling effect, both from outside and from the oral cavity, that will make your eyes feel fresh, happy, and cheerful. (If you prefer, you can use an eye cup instead.)

GHEE LAMP. A traditional Ayurvedic way to strengthen and soothe the eyes is to gaze at the flame of a ghee lamp. Prepare a ghee lamp by taking a small bowl, placing a cotton wick in it, and adding ghee. Be sure the wick is made of genuine cotton; synthetic cotton will burn up in an instant. Also be sure the wick is not too thick. Apply a little ghee to the tip of the wick and then light it.

Ayurvedic Eye Exercises

The following exercises will strengthen your eyes.

  • First, blink the eyes rapidly several times. Then, with eyes open, move your eyes in this pattern:

up and down

side to side

diagonally from top left to bottom right

diagonally from top right to bottom left

clockwise in a circle

counterclockwise in a circle

  • Hold your arm outstretched in front of you. Look at the tip of your index finger, and gradually bring the finger close to you, following it with your eyes, until it touches your “third eye,” between the eyebrows.
  • Look at the tip of your nose, and then up toward your “third eye.”
  • Finally, close your eyes tightly, then release. These exercises are beneficial for improving the circulation of the eccentric muscles of the eyeball.

After finishing the exercises, or anytime your eyes feel tired or strained, rub your palms vigorously together for a few seconds to generate some warmth, then place them lightly over your eyes. Feel how soothing the warmth is! Keep them there for a minute or two to strengthen and nourish your eyes.

Set the ghee lamp at a distance of 2 or 3 feet from you, remove your glasses, and gaze at the flame for 2 or 3 minutes without blinking. This procedure will improve the tejas or lustrous quality of the eyes.

SALUTE THE SUN. Another effective way to keep eyes strong is to do the Sun Salutation exercise. Performing 12 sets of Sun Salutations is one of the best exercises for the entire body, including the eyes (see appendix 4).

FOR PITTA TYPES

The following six remedies are especially helpful for pitta types, who are more likely to find their eyes burning.

TRIPHALA EYEWASH. Boil 1 teaspoon of triphala in a cup of water for 3 minutes. Cool the tea, and strain it with double-or triple-folded cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter so that no particle of triphala is left in the tea. Then wash your eyes with the tea.

CASTOR OIL REMEDY. At bedtime, put 1 drop of pure castor oil, with no preservatives, into each eye. Also rub 1 teaspoon of the oil into the soles of your feet. Next morning your eyes will feel really happy and fresh!

TO SOOTHE BURNING EYES. For a burning sensation in the eyes, put 1 drop of lukewarm liquid ghee in each eye at bedtime. That will lubricate the eyelid and eyelashes and will also soothe and strengthen your eyes.

ROSE WATER. You can also put 3 drops of pure rose water into each affected eye. Rose water is cooling.

A HEALING SALVE. Collyrium is effective for soothing your eyes. (It is available in most Indian grocery stores. Ask for kajal.) It is made of castor oil and natural camphor. It is black and people use it cosmetically as an eye liner, but it is actually medicinal and good for the eyes. Scoop out a small amount of salve with your little finger. Make sure the nail is well trimmed. With the other hand, pull the lower eyelid down while looking in the mirror and with your little finger apply the salve sparingly to the inner edge of the eyelid.

STRESS REDUCER. For eyestrain, Ayurveda also suggests taking a sterilized cotton ball or a piece of gauze, dipping it into cool goat’s milk, and putting it over your closed eyes. This will ease stress and make your eyes feel better. (If goat’s milk is not available, you may use cow’s milk, but goat’s milk is preferable.)

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

READ SITTING UP. While reading, keep your vertebral column straight. Avoid reading while lying down.

USE A NONGLARE COMPUTER SCREEN. If you are using a computer, be sure it has a nonglare screen, or use a protecting filter to reduce glare so it won’t hurt your eyes.