In The Eye Of Calm

By GAYATRI PAGDI

Summer is on, and none too gently at that. Many of us will be picky about wearing sunglasses when outdoors. But, there’s a lot that we can do indoors to take care of our eyes, summer or no summer.

Clear, sparkling eyes are a sign of good health, but the area directly under the eyes does not have sebaceous [oil] glands to lubricate the skin. So, the most delicate part of the face, the eye, is the first to show signs of aging.

Stress, anxiety, overwork, insomnia, or sleeplessness, water retention, overexposure to TV, or the computer, excessive alcohol [ab]use, strain the eyes and lead to early fine lines around the eyes.

There are a couple of simple methods to relieve and avoid eyestrain, prevent wrinkles and add more sparkle to your eyes.

Nurse “Bloodshot” Eyes

Classical Indian literature refers to beautiful eyes as those having the colour of pomegranate. But, in reality, “bloodshot” eyes aren’t a pretty sight. Some eyes are more sensitive and turn red more easily than others.

Cover your eyes with your palms gently, every hour or two, so that you cut out all the external light. Relax for a couple of minutes in this darkness. If you still see light in your mind’s eye, wait for a couple of minutes more till it is drowned in darkness. This technique soothes the eyes significantly.

Alternatively, you may also dip cotton pads in rosewater and place them on closed eyes for about 15 minutes while lying down.

Relieve Strain

Blinking is very effective for preventing strain and lubricating the eyes. It also helps improve your vision. Normally, our eyes blink 3-4 times every second. What we can do is consciously blink our eyes, frequently. Rotating your eyes clockwise and then anti-clockwise also helps ease the strain.

Washing your eyes once a week with fennel tea is supposed to be very useful in adding the sparkle to them. If you work for very long hours, washing your eyes with cool water once every hour, or so, helps considerably.

Our eyelids are ten times more penetrable to oils than any other part of the body. Massaging your eyes, very gently, at bedtime using warm ghee, almond oil and a few drops of sandalwood oil, works wonderfully well to reduce the fine lines around the eyes.

Prevent Insomnia

For centuries, we have been using Brahmi or coconut oil to massage our head and feet for sound sleep and well-rested eyes. A lot of people also prefer castor oil, but Brahmi and coconut oil are best suited for warm weather.

A friend once told me she had turned into a raccoon and preferred to wear her reading glasses to hide her tired eyes and dark circles.

She sought a brace of tips. A few days ago, I heard that she was fluttering her eyelashes at a very interesting gentleman.

It’s now my turn to seek tips from her!