You will need three items to get started:
- glass eye cups (quantity two). You may have the best luck finding these at your local drug store. You can also check the FitEyes store, as we are continually seeking a good quality glass eye wash cup.
- empty tea bags [product choices here and here and here]. You could also use filters or possibly cheese cloth, but I use tea bags for convenience.
- triphala powder [here]
I put about 1/4 tsp of the triphala powder in a tea bag and steep in about a half a cup of boiling water. I let it sit for about 5 minutes. (An alternative method is to let the triphala sit overnight in room temperature water, rather than using heated water as I do.)
Then I cool it in the refrigerator because the cold tea feels good to my eyes. If you wish, you can use room temperature or even mildly warm tea.
I'll give you a couple sentences related to Ayurvedic perspective regarding temperature. Cool tea will help reduce Pitta. If your eyes tend to be red, irritated or you sometimes feel a burning sensation in your eyes, then reducing Pitta might be the strategy for you.
Warm tea might help balance Vata and/or Kapha. Kapha is traditionally said to be responsible for intraocular hypertension. In reality, balancing Vata, Pitta and Kapha requires sophisticated knowledge. But if you simply pay attention to what feels good for your eyes, chances are you will be on the right track in terms of selecting the appropriate temperature for your triphala eye wash. Don't make it a big deal.
Put the tea in the glass eye cups. Put the eye cups on your eyes and rest for about 2 to 3 minutes, blinking frequently.
Watch out because the triphala tea will stain anything it touches, including your shirt or the carpet. I just use an old towel to make sure I don't get the tea on anything.
For most people, including those with healthy eyes and those with glaucoma or any other eye disease, this is something you could do every day. It is like brushing your teeth. Washing your eyes with triphala is considered part of the regular daily hygiene routine in Ayurveda.
Use caution to avoid contamination or bacteria if you have had a trabeculectomy (or have any wounds or open injuries on your eyes).
Optional: I put a pinch of high grade sodium ascorbate in each eye cup with the triphala tea. I you do use the ascorbate, be consistent with it.
