Most of us do not exercise our eye muscles at all, but yet, we work them all the time, causing them to be under constant strain. The only time the eyes rest for more than a split second, is when we are asleep. Here are a few yogic eye exercises to strengthen eyes. They are easy to do, and most of them can be performed any time of the day, wherever you are.

• Close your eyes as tight as possible, for around 5 seconds. Open them, and close them again. Do this 6 times.
• Do you sit in front of the computer screen for hours at a time? Every half an hour, get up from in front of the screen and move around a bit. Get yourself a glass of water. Give your eyes a 2 minute break.
• Shut your eyes and roll your eyeballs around for a minute.
• Rub your palms together and gently cup them over your closed eyes for around a minute. This is known as palming and is very beneficial for the eyes. The eyes need darkness to rejuvenate themselves and this need is best served by palming. Palming should be done after every eye exercise, to relax the eyes and every now and then during the day.
• Imagine that there is a huge clock in front of you. Look at the number 12 for around 10 seconds, and then move your gaze down to 6. Do this around 10 times, rapidly. Then, move your eyes horizontally, in the 3-9 position. Finally, move them diagonally (2-7 and 10-4).
• Look up to the position in the middle of your eyebrows. Hold for a few seconds and then move your gaze downwards, towards your nose. This is called Sambhavi mudra.
• Slowly, direct your gaze to the ceiling, as you inhale. Exhale, and move your gaze down in a straight line, towards the floor. Do this 6 times.
• Any form of exercise, including walking, reduces pressure on the eyeballs and is beneficial for the eyes. So keep exercising.
• We blink to lubricate the eyes. But sometimes, when we are concentrating hard, we tend to blink less. Make a conscious effort to blink more.
• Dim the lights in your workplace. Bright lights increase eye strain.
• Reduce the brightness on your computer. The eyes can adjust to dim light without much strain.
• Strengthen the organ which adjusts the lens of the eye, by this exercise, and you may never need spectacles. Sit in a room by the window, and focus on a point in the distance. Hold your arm straight out in front of you, in the same direction as the point you are focusing on, with your thumb extended in a 'thumbs-up' position. Your thumb should be directly in the line of vision of the object you are focusing on in the distance. Now, keep shifting your focus from your thumb to the point in the distance. Do this around ten times, and at least once a day.