Beyond Yoga Mat To Vision Chart: Bridging Yoga With Ocular Health

Kajal¹, Prof. Kanchan Joshi², Dr. Himani Nautiyal³, Mohd.Yusuf⁴, Jyoti Upadhyay Chufal⁵, Savita Saklani Seth⁶

¹Research Scholar, School of Yogic Science & Naturopathy, Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
²School of Yogic Science & Naturopathy, Shri Guru Ram Rai University Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
³School of Yogic Science & Naturopathy, Shri Guru Ram Rai University Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
⁴Research Scholar, School of Yogic Science & Naturopathy, Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
⁵Indira Priyadarshini Govt Girls PG. College of Commerce, Haldwani (Nainital), Uttarakhand, India
⁶Research Scholar, Maharaja Agrasen Himalayan Garhwal University (MAHGU), Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India

ABSTRACT

Background: Myopia is an increasingly prevalent refractive error among adolescents often accompanied by visual discomfort and functional limitations. Traditional management strategies may be inaccessible to large populations highlighting the need for cost-effective and non-pharmacological interventions. Yoga an ancient mind–body discipline has shown potential benefits for ocular health, yet robust randomized controlled evidence remains limited. Objective:To evaluate the effects of a structured yoga intervention on visual acuity, refractive error and myopic symptoms among adolescents diagnosed with myopia. Methods: A two-arm pretest-posttest randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a 90-day yoga intervention in 120 myopic adolescents (aged 10-19 years). Participants were randomized to either a yoga intervention group (n = 60) or a no-intervention control group (n = 60). Outcome measures including visual acuity (snellen’s chart), refractive error (auto refractometer) and myopic symptoms (questionnaire) were evaluated at baseline and post-intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-tests and Pearson's Chi-square tests. Results: The experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity for the right eye (mean difference = 6.15, p 0.05) and left eye (mean difference = 5.75, p < 0.05). Refractive error also showed significant improvement in the right eye (−0.362 D, p 0.05) and left eye (−0.292 D, p 0.05). Post-intervention analysis indicated a significant improvement on myopic symptoms in the yoga intervention group compared to the control group across all assessed parameters. Conclusion:The structured yoga intervention significantly improved visual acuity, refractive error and alleviated myopic symptoms in adolescents. Yoga may serve as an effective adjunctive strategy for myopia management and ocular health promotion in school-aged adolescents..

Keywords: Yoga, Visual Acuity, Refractive Error, Myopic symptoms, Eye Health

How to cite this article: Kajal, Joshi K, Nautiyal H, Yusuf M, Upadhyay Chufal J, Saklani Seth S., Beyond Yoga Mat To Vision Chart: Bridging Yoga With Ocular Health...Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(1s): 439-448; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16. 439-448