Is there an alternative to eye glasses, lenses and operations?
If you have been to the ANHS conferences, you have probably met Ruth, perhaps joining in her eye exercise sessions. She is a firm believer in eye exercises, with personal experience of remarkably improved eyesight.
It is easy to learn more - there are several books about eye exercises on the market now, just check your local or online bookstore. (There are few eye exercise therapists.) Here are some interesting books.
But don't forget that improving your diet also can improve your eyesight visibly. As can a one-week fast, as you may have experienced. The cleaner body - the better eyesight. - Sugar and high carbohydrate diets are supposed to be especially problematic. - Diet together with eye exercises and sunshine may be the best answer.
The Art of Seeing
by Aldous Huxley
Both a document and a handbook, The Art of Seeing from 1942 records Aldous Huxley's victory over near-blindness and details the simple exercises to improve anyone's eyesight.
Utilizing a method devised by Dr. Bates, Aldous Huxley conquered a vision problem that had plagued him for more than a quarter century.
Quotes:
-Ever since opthalmology became a science, its practitioners have been obsessively occupied with only one aspect of the total complex process of seeing - the physiological. They have paid attention exclusively to eyes, not at all to the mind which makes use of the eyes to see with.
-My own case is in no way unique; thousands of other sufferes from defects of vision have benefited from following the simple rules, which we owe to Bates and his followers. To make this art more widely known is the final purpose of the present volume.
Normal healthy eyes without glasses This is the name of a booklet, written by Ruth Schoenfeld in 1985. It can only be purchased from her. Quotes:
- Wouldn't we all like to have normal, healthy eyes without glasses! Most of us can, unless we have an organic defect or degenerative disease, that is beyond help.
- If we are to retrain our eyes, we must be conscientious, patient, determined, dedicated. That means devoting at least 1/2 hour daily to these exercises. Of course doing them once in a while is better than not at all, .. since it will relax tense eyes.
- I removed my glasses after wearing them for 21 years, from the age of 13. My original condition was nearsightedness. ... For distance my sight was blurry. I needed to wear glasses outdoors to read street signs etc. more clearly. .. Also at times spots appeared in my vision, that lasted a while. I am eternally grateful that all this is behind me.
- My instructor was referred to me through a friend who had taken off her glasses under his guidance. She was bubbling over with enthusiasm, and I still am. I sincerely want to help as many people as possible through my book.
- By putting lenses on people at a point when they need a
change in lifestyle, we are treating symptoms, not getting at
cause. Defective vision can be retrained to normalize the eye
muscles and restore the elasticity.
- When we have normal eyesight, where we can see our beautiful world clearly, we have priceless jewels in a shining crown.
Meir Schneider's
Self-Healing Method
This interesting method grew out of Meir Schneider's experience in overcoming his own congenital blindness as a teenager, using the Bates-method. He has produced a natural vision improvement seminar on audiotape, Meir Schneider's Miracle Eyesight Method (1997), and a videotape program, Yoga for Your Eyes.
Improve your vision without glasses or contact lenses
If you want to test the Bates-method on your own eyes, here is a modern, easy-to-read eye training book, with eye exercises and acupressure points, by four doctors at the American Vision Institute in California. Good pictures.
Better Eyesight Without Glasses
by William H. Bates
After years of experimentation, Dr. Bates came to the conclusion that many people who wore glasses didn't need them. He gradually developed a simple group of exercises for eliminating the tension caused by poor visual habits, that are the major cause of bad eyesight. Since 1940 the book has gone through innumerable printings and is more popular than ever today. Heavy-to-read.
Quotes:
-One of the best methods of improving the sight, we now find, is to imitate consciously the unconscious shifting of normal vision, and to realize the apparent motion produced by such shifting.
- Most people are benefited by merely closing the eyes; and by alternately resting them for a few minutes or longer and then opening them and looking at a test card for a second or less, flashes of improved vision are as a rule very quickly obtained.
Natural Vision Improvement
by Janet Goodrich Ph.D.
"You have a choice. It is possible to improve your sight and see clearly without glasses."
Many cartoons. Interesting, easy-to-read, lots of information. 230 pp. 1986, 1998
Relearning to See : Improve Your Eyesight - Naturally
by Thomas R. Quackenbush
A virtual encyclopedia of natural eyesight improvement. Presentation of the Bates method. Simplified, practical self-help approach to improving your eyesight. Lots of pictures. 521 pp. 2000
The Bates Method
by Peter Mansfield
About using simple techniques to relieve eye strain and improve brain-eye coordination. The author outlines the development and philosophy of the Bates Method, tells how to find a teacher and what to expect from learning the method.
166 pp. 1997
QUESTION:I was wondering can your methods help or even
cure blindness or near-blindness?
ANSWER:
we are no experts, but here are a couple of ways you can go about trying to reverse blindness:
1. DIET - follow the hunter-gatherer hygienic type diet - in case your eye nerves are damaged better not choose vegan/vegetarian diets, but instead use the (as raw as possible) 75% meat + animal fats diets - you need the fatty acids for your brain and nerves to rebuild whatever is damaged (if we got it right). Especially raw bonemarrow has lots of fats and minerals of value. Note that it must be grass-fed beef though, for the best fats (omega3 & 6). Or raw wild fish. Also, that dairy, especially cheese can be detrimental for eyesight. Too much cheese may cause blindness (due to clouded lenses) in certain cases. Cream here is the best dairy choice, and from goat.
Overeating, sugar and starch can cause catarrh, which affects the eyes negatively.
2. DETOXIFY - if you have been on a standard diet with lots of additives, spices and grains/starches, and have taken drugs - you need to give the body a chance to detoxify. This will happen automatically when you start eating better = more raw foods and less non-foods (salt, pepper, herbs, supplements, drugs, etc).
You might even want to water-fast for a day or two, but only if you do not have deficiencies. If you are a vegan with eye problems be careful with fasting.
3. EYE EXERCISES - see the selection of books that is presented above on this page.
Get e.g. the Schneider video: "Yoga for your eyes" - he supposedly recovered from near blindness.
4. THERAPY - We have seen how powerful a non-invasive therapy, CRANIOSACRAL, can be for hearing loss (experienced by a NHN member) - and is supposed to be for vision loss as well, in certain specialized cases - if you get the right therapist (ask if they have experience with eye problems). Supposed to speed up detoxification by removing blockages in the brain-spinal system, especially the cerebrospinal fluids.
See www.brainrenew.com and www.upledger.com for info and list of therapists.
5. SLEEP - and of course sleep more, plus rest and meditate with closed eyes, do mental exercises imagining your eyes healing, and similar.
It is when you sleep that your eyes will heal - sleep, sleep, sleep! Preferably on empty stomach, so all energy goes to healing, and nothing to digestion.
6. Don't get fooled into thinking that any energy-craving chemical (herbs, condiments, additives, supplements, remedies) is good - avoid everything that drains energy. Especially if it gives you a kick and later a craving - you know that the stimulation-depression mechanism is activated, see www.drbass.com.
You want to give your body rest, and a healing-friendly climate, on the inside and outside!
7. SUNSHINE - Do you get enough sunshine? On the eyelids of your closed eyes - every day. Or carefully looking towards the sun early morning. Sunshine is very important for the eyes!
8. Exercise is also good - to get the lymph system moving - to flush out everything you are detoxifying.
But do not exercise too much at this stage - since you may need to save energy to go to healing. Also - do NOT waste energy on worry or anger or similar! Learn to meditate perhaps? Or learn the powerful and fast EFT-method for emotional tension release. Or perhaps spirituality is something for you?
9. Perhaps look into spiritual options is another possibility. E.g. read Eckhart Tolle's books?
Meir Schneider's
Self-Healing Method 
Quotes:
Natural Vision Improvement 
Relearning to See : Improve Your Eyesight - Naturally 
The Bates Method 