A growing interest in eye exercises and relaxation techniques — commonly called eye yoga — might prompt a few eye rolls. But the ophthalmologists interviewed for this story don’t dismiss the potential benefits. Dr. Deepa Abraham, for example, points to a study suggesting that mindfulness meditation can lower eye pressure and reduce stress-related chemicals in patients with glaucoma.
“While eye yoga hasn’t been proven to correct refractive errors like nearsightedness, it can help alleviate discomfort and strain,” adds Dr. Keith G. Tokuhara. Simple practices — such as shifting focus between near and far objects, controlled blinking, and taking regular visual breaks — can ease digital eye strain and improve comfort.
Palm Springs–based yoga and meditation teacher Lisa Botts, founder of The Sukha Life Soundbath + Well-Being Studio, recommends trataka — a yogic practice of concentrated gazing used in kundalini yoga. It involves focusing the gaze on a single point, such as a candle flame, for a sustained period of time.
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“Kundalini is the original breathwork. It’s also known as the yoga of awareness,” Botts explains. In trataka, you sit comfortably with a candle positioned about 7 feet away, gazing at the flame with relaxed lids — neither fully open nor fully closed. The practice is typically done in darkness or at dawn, both naturally soothing times for the eyes. “It’s almost like you’re going to sleep, but not quite,” she says.
“The mind runs wild in meditation, but focusing on that flame allows you to bring your attention back to something,” Botts explains. “When you’re watching a flame dance, the mind is engaged. Thoughts can’t penetrate it.” She has also practiced distance gazing in nature settings to achieve similar results — simply looking out to the horizon line and focusing on the farthest things you can see, like the light glowing from Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Mountain Station.
“Western medicine has often been slow to embrace alternative treatments, which are central to Eastern medical traditions,” says Tokuhara, who credits his early years training in Hawaii with fostering his interest in holistic and functional approaches to care.
He notes that eye yoga may encourage relaxation by pairing slow, deliberate eye movements with deep breathing or mindfulness, helping to reduce facial and periocular muscle tension. “This is particularly meaningful for those who spend long hours in front of screens,” he says. “Additionally, it may help with posture and neck strain as part of a broader body-awareness routine.”
