Have you ever considered what the relationship is like between your sense organs (skin, eyes, ears, nose, mouth) & the sense objects they interact with? Are those healthy relationships? Each one of our sense organs helps us explore & understand the world, keeping us safe & healthy. But what happens when our sense organs are not taken care of and the relationship is unwholesome?

Today let’s talk about eyes and sight! (Just in case you missed it, see my blog on Skin and the Sense of Touch)

According to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, when there is an unhealthy relationship between our eyes and what we look at, there is dis-ease. Our eyes are one of the main portals between our inner and outer world. However, our eyes don’t interpret what we see, our brain does. Most of the processing our brain does comes from visual stimuli (not true for those who are blind). Our brain will let us know if the visual stimuli are pleasant or unpleasant based on experiences and impressions. This will trigger a response by our nervous system to either relax/rest or to run/fight. What’s interesting is that not only does the interpretation of what we see affect our wellbeing, but excessive exposure to things like extreme temperatures and color hues at the wrong times can physically damage our eyes.

Consider for a moment what happens to your body and mind when you see a beautiful landscape or you look at your favorite person who is smiling at you. How do you feel? Good, I bet!

Next, what happens when you see an act of violence before your very eyes, or even an “ugly” picture? How do your body and mind respond?

Sadly, we’ve become so accustomed to looking at things that invoke unpleasant feelings in our body, like scary or extremely violent movies, overly dramatic sex scenes, that prey upon our adrenaline to keep wanting more and more extreme. Yoga and Ayurveda say that our nature, our most authentic being, is peace & harmony. So, when we are excessive in our exposure to violence & discord, we become imbalanced, distorted, dis-eased. Not that we have to hide our eyes from unpleasant scenes every minute. It means we should be discerning about what we expose our eyes to.

This also is true for things like staring at the sun or a solar eclipse. The ultraviolet rays actually burn the eye tissue. According to Vedic teachings, looking at an eclipse (solar or lunar) is advised against, as the “swallowing” or covering of the sun can create a mental “blindness” that leaves us distorted in our thoughts.

Not only what you are looking at is important, but consider the things you put into your eyes or on your eyes like makeup or eye products. Do those products contain toxic ingredients that degrade or damage the eyes over time?

Just like we wouldn’t want to have an unhealthy relationship with another person, it’s interesting to consider this relationship between our eyes and what they see! Below are some of my recommendations for taking care of the eyes.

Here’s how to practice self-care for your eyes and your sense of sight 

~Splash Cold Water – After waking in the morning, splash cold water in your eyes, blink a few times, then close your eyes for a few breaths. This will help wake up the eyes.

~Cover Eyes – When your eyes are feeling strained, hot, or tired from looking at a computer screen, cup your hands and gently cover both eyes, close your eyes. Stay like this for a minimum of 10 breaths.

~Look at Beauty – Let your eyes look at beautiful nature.

~Clean your house – Make your space at home visually appealing & organized. This can help you maintain inner peace.

~Sleep – During sleep, we replenished the cells of our eyes and the water around our eyes. This is necessary every night.

~Wear protective glasses (blue light filter glasses) when looking at a screen.

~If you wear eye makeup, be sure to completely remove it every night before bed. Using a simple oil like organic almond, olive, or sesame oil will do the trick. You don’t need those toxic makeup remover wipes!

~Meditation – Sitting with your eyes closed for silent meditation or guided meditation can be a wonderful way to rest the eyes and/or mentally visualize something pleasant.

Ayurveda means wisdom/knowledge of life. It is an ancient practice that can be traced back to India. Considered a 6,000-year-old healthcare system, Ayurveda is a way of life to experience wholeness & wellness on all levels. With ancient teachings such as Ayurveda, there is much to be learned. I am not an expert in Ayurveda. I have been studying and practicing Ayurveda since 2013. My Ayurvedic lifestyle has brought about a profound understanding of unhealthy patterns I’ve had in my life and how I can better take care of myself & my family. I use Ayurvedic principles when I formulate my Vital Living Wellness products. I’m excited to share this with you too, so you can thrive and live your best life!

Remember… your body is sacred, feel good in it!

Yvette