A 2024 randomized, controlled study published in EPMA Journal explored whether a structured “eye yoga” routine could help people with primary, open-angle glaucoma—the most common form of glaucoma that often damages the optic nerve due to increased eye pressure and reduced blood flow. Researchers measured the effects of eye-focused relaxation on eye pressure, vessel function and vision.

Twenty-seven adults were randomly assigned to either a one-hour daily reading of a relaxing book or an eye yoga program that included guided eye movements, gentle massage around the eyeball, hand-covering for relaxation and slow-breathing meditation. After one month, the eye yoga group experienced a 6 percent reduction in intraocular pressure. They also improved visual-field measurements and displayed less retinal vessel constriction. Retinal arteries showed mild widening, suggesting improved blood flow, with no adverse events reported. These effects were not observed in the control group. Researchers concluded that this type of eye yoga could be a safe, home-based complement to standard care.