Netra tarpanam: lubrication for the eyes

I have been visiting one of Ayush Ayurvedic Therapy Centres for a few times now, and one of the treatments I undertake is what is known as "Netra tarpanam". In fact, after these few sittings, I have come to like its effect on my eyes. Working by spending a larger part of the day staring at a computer screen, it is easy for the eyes to be strained. Fortunately, for me, I still do not have had to resort to lenses. But in my experience, this therapy seems to have the good benefits that it touts - at least, my eyes feel better.

Let me explain the treatment first: You are asked to lie down, and a "wall or dam" is prepared using ground (urad or rice?) flour around both the eyes. The idea is to put some medicated liquid on the eyes, and to make it remain there and enter the eyes. This medicated liquid is usually some kind of medicated ghee that is warmed up just before pouring it on the eyes. While some people I have described this to get scared just thinking of hot ghee being poured into one's eyes, notice that I said warm and not hot.The ghee is warm enough to cause a good fomentation of the eye lids. You are then asked to open the eyes, and the liquid is allowed to float on the eyes. After a little twitching (as is the usual case with eye drops), the liquid is then dabbed up. The eyes feel much relieved and lubricated.

In another context, a book on natural therapies that I had read recommended that the hard area (bones around the eye socket) around the eyes be massaged with one's fingers on a regular basis, if one needs to get rid of lenses. The idea is to exercise and strengthen the eye muscles so that they feel relaxed.
I think among other things one of the things that this oil therapy does is also the same. The twitching makes ones eye muscles to be exercised. Its probably the same with eye drops that cause tearing. I know there are eye drops that claim to not bring tears to the eyes - this is good especially  for kids - but I think those eye drops are for cleansing the eyes only, not exercising them.


By the way, the Ayush therapy centers are probably run by franchisees, and the Ayush center brand has been in existence for some years now - launched by Unilever (then HLL) and AVP (Arya Vaidya Pharmacy). I also came across this board that greets visitors in the therapy center that I visit. I will leave you with these words of wisdom to think about.

How to understand stress:

To untie a knot, one must know how the knot was tied in the first place.
(Surangama Sutra)