How to Improve Your Eyesight Naturally

Research by Dr William H Bates in 1880 showed that common vision problems could be corrected naturally with exercise. Techniques used by teachers of the Bates method are aimed to re-educate the muscles in the eye, thereby improving eyesight.

Considering the eye muscles like all other muscles in the body might be strengthened and improved in the long-term through exercises, there is a lot of sense in this line of thinking. These exercises encourage the eyes to see rather than allow all the visual information that is coming into our brain, go nowhere.

When trying the following techniques, don't wear glasses or contact lenses.

Palming: Lie on your back in a darkened room with a pillow under your head. Bring your knees up but keep your feet flat on the floor. Cover your eyes with your palms. Keep the palms of your hands slightly cupped so there is no pressure on your eyeballs. Spend about five to ten minutes each day doing this exercise as this allows your eyes to rest.

Sunning: Lie down and relax, or sit in the sunshine. Close your eyes and face the sun. Feel its heat penetrate deeply into your eyes. Turn your head slowly from side to side, feeling the warmth of the sun. It is recommended that you take sunshine on the closed eyelids up to a maximum of 20 minutes each day.

Swinging: This exercise can be effective to help prevent staring. Stand up straight and start to rotate your body from side to side. Allow head, torso and eyes to move with each other using your waist mainly to turn. Become aware of the movement but don't look at anything specifically, just let your eyes wander.

Blinking: At intervals throughout the day make a point of blinking rapidly about 15 times per minute.

Finger Fusion: Hold a finger about 10 to 15 inches from your face. Focus on the finger but be aware of the background too. As you focus on the background beyond the finger you will see two blurred fingers. If you can only see one, shut each eye alternatively to discover which is the weaker. Cover the stronger eye gently with your palm. Look at the finger again and refocus on the distance. Remember where the finger is in relation to the distant view. Take your palm away from the eye. Does it still dominate the weaker one or does the finger immediately switch sides? Keep practicing with one eye at a time, firstly focusing on the pencil then focus on the distance and bring your focus back to the pencil.

Other things you might do to help protect your eyesight is to be sure there is good light when reading and doing close work. When reading magazines and newspapers, start with the largest print before reading the small print. When working at a computer, give your eyes regular breaks by looking out of the window and focusing on the distance. A herbal remedy like bilberry extract which contains antioxidant pigments called proanthocyhanidins might help slow the development of cataracts.

You should consult your optician if your eyesight deteriorates, your vision is blurred or you experience pain in the eyes. Always avoid looking directly at the sun especially when doing the sunning exercise.

Sources

http://www.seeing.org/

http://www.seeing.org/techniques/theswings/longswing.html

Barnes, Jonathan. "Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses." Souvenir Press, 1999.