Rotation

     Imagine the face of a clock. Look straight ahead and you are in the center of the clock. Now without moving your head, move your eyes to the left to 9:00. Look back to the center. Look to 10:00, then back to center. 11:00, then back to center. Go clockwise around the clock in this manner. When you get back to 9:00, reverse and go around the clock counterclockwise.

     The key is not to move the head and let the eye muscles do the work. The muscles in our eyes become weak from underuse. We spend a lot of time looking straight ahead, and when we do look to the side, many people just turn their heads. This exercise strenghtens and stretches the eye muscles. It is health for the eyes, too, to make it a practice in daily life of looking to the side and around rather than turning the head.

     If not moving the head is difficult, sit at a table and, resting elbows on the table, hold your chin steady with the hands.

Variation #1: This is one advanced version to try after mastering the practice above. Begin by looking at the center point. Look left to 9:00, then go right back through center all the way to 3:00. Look back to center, and now look up to 10:00. Move the eyes diagonally right through center and down to 4:00. Look back to center, and then look up to 11:00. Go around the clock clockwise like this. When you get back to 9:00, reverse and go in the opposite direction.

Variation #2: This is another advanced version. Begin by looking at the center point. Move the eyes upward diagonally to 10:30. Now move the eyes downward diagonally through the center and down to 4:30. Go back to center. Move the eyes straitght up to 12;00, then straight down to 6:00. Go back to center. Move the eyes up to 2:30, then diagonally down and left to 8:30. Go back to center. Move eyes straight down to 6:00, then straight up through center to 12:00. Go back to center. Repeat in the same way going counterclockwise.