Astigmatism exercises

Astigmatism theory

Astigmatism is a focusing disorder caused by changes in the corneal or lens surface, resulting in blurred and distorted images. Astigmatism most often occurs along with one of the refractive errors - myopia or hyperopia.

You can find more information about this condition here

Contrary to popular belief, astigmatism is an easy-to-correct defect, and the key to that is relaxation. Astigmatism is also a very good example of how easily eye training deals with this type of defect. There have been cases when small astigmatism defects (~1 diopter) were corrected in one day using the exercises below. For larger defects, several weeks of training were usually sufficient to heal. This is a significant achievement compared to, for example, the treatment of myopia. It seems highly probable that the cause of this defect is tension in the eye's rectus muscles. That is why the following exercises are mainly aimed at improving the condition of the rectus muscles, their relaxation, and reducing tension. Try to return to the "astigmatic mirror" from time to time to check your progress in the exercises. We hope that eventually, you will reach the moment when all lines are equally straight and black.

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Exercise A1. RELAXING THE RECTUS MUSCLES

This exercise is intended for gently relaxing the rectus muscles of the eye and should be performed before more strenuous exercises (like the Tibetan wheel). Its purpose is to relax the muscles, so if you experience severe pain during its execution, take a break for a short palming and do not perform more strenuous exercises.

  1. Extend your thumb in front of you at a distance of about 10 cm (4 inches) at the level of your nose. You don't need to see it sharply, as the purpose of this exercise is to relax the muscles.
  2. Slowly move your thumb upward (to 12 o'clock), to the height where you can still see it, and pause there for a moment (max. 2 seconds). You may feel muscle tension (sometimes slight pain) in this position. Then slowly return your thumb to the starting position. You should feel the muscles relax during the return movement. Continue the movement outward, this time to 1 o'clock, then back to the center, followed by 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12 o'clock.
  3. During the thumb movements, breathe as follows: during the movement from the center outward, take a slow inhale (tensing the muscles), and then during the movement inward, a slow exhale (relaxing the muscles).
  4. Perform the exercise starting at 12 o'clock, moving clockwise, and after a full rotation, start again at 12 o'clock, but this time moving counterclockwise.
Exercise duration in minutes: 2-4
Number of repetitions per day: 2-4
Alternative exercises: R8, A3
Eye strain: medium
Exercise A2. Tibetan Wheel
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Download the chart

This is the most important exercise in the treatment of astigmatism, causing significant relaxation and simultaneous strengthening of the muscles responsible for this defect.

  1. Place the chart very close to your eyes (about 2-10 cm) so that you can see the entire chart and the center of the chart is at the level of the tip of your nose. Do not worry if you cannot see the image sharply, the purpose of this exercise is to relax the muscles.
  2. Taking a slow breath in, start climbing the "steps" from the center to the top. Pause for about 2 seconds, and then, while exhaling, make a return movement on the other side, descending the "steps" of the drawing. During this movement, we try to feel the state of muscle tension during inhalation and their relaxation during the return movement (exhalation).
The further part of the exercise will be available only for Premium Zone members.
Exercise duration in minutes: 4-8
Number of repetitions per day: 2-3
Alternative exercises: A1, R8
Eye strain: high
Exercise A3. VISUALIZATION OF A BALL
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For visualization exercises in astigmatism, the following exercise is worth performing:

  1. Imagine looking at a small ball the size of an eye, made, for example, of rubber, and its location is at the right eye or just in front of it.
  2. Now, with the power of imagination, try to change the ball as if you were squeezing it with the fingers of one hand on its right and left sides. Imagine the ball gently changing its shape to elliptical and "egg-like," then imagine the fingers releasing the pressure and the ball returning to its perfectly spherical shape. Repeat 5-10 times.
The further part of the exercise will be available only for Premium Zone members.
Exercise duration in minutes: 2-4
Number of repetitions per day: 3-8
Alternative exercises: A4
Eye strain: low
Exercise A4. Eyeball massage
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This exercise is best performed during palming exercises or right after "Exercise A3 - Visualisation of a Ball". It is especially helpful for those with significant astigmatism, as it helps restore the natural spherical shape of the lens.

  1. Place one or two fingers on the closed eyelid of each eye, separately.
  2. The pressure should be gentle enough not to cause pain but firm enough to feel a slight pressure.
  3. Move your fingers left-right about 10 times, up-down about 10 times, and circular motions 10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise. Perform small, gentle massaging movements on the eyeball.
Exercise duration in minutes: 2-4
Number of repetitions per day: 2-4
Alternative exercises: A3
Eye strain: medium