Most people in society obtain glasses or contact lenses when their eye sight becomes blurred. These man-made devices help with the issue; but do not contribute to the solution of internally correcting the blurred vision. Broken bones and cuts heal. Stomach issue dissipates. Our body recovers from a cold in a few days. Are we to believe that one of the most major functions of one of our strongest senses, is the only part of the body that can't heal itself?
Vision occupies about 40 percent of the brain’s capacity with more of our neurons dedicated to vision than the other four senses combined. Vision requires 12 cranial nerves devoted to its function (plus two additional nerves that are vision-related)...in comparison to the cardiac and digestive functions that only requires one cranial nerve to control BOTH. Eye muscles are some of the strongest in the body so why would they be lacking the power of healing when other parts of the body can? Some healers subscribe to the idea that blurred vision is a message from the mind and body signaling that the visual system is out of balance.
The relief provided by glasses is not necessarily beneficial in the long run. A drug used to relieve stomach pain may cause serious problems if used continuously. Or a drug does not necessarily remove the cause of the stomach ache; but can mask the real underlying causes for the pain. If the problem continues, it can require a stronger increase in drugs to keep the pain manageable as the body becomes immune to lesser dosages. Same approach can be applied to corrective lenses: they mask the reason why the blurriness is caused and it does not heal the issue causing an increase prescription just about each year.
Dr. William Bates (1860-1931), a board-certified ophthalmologist, was a pioneer in discovering how vision can be restored naturally through relaxation. His approach to treating vision problems was truly holistic. If the eyes are strained, these muscles are going to start to get tight. Vision is not compromised because of weak eye muscles. They are strong enough. Take reading for example. Reading for one hour requires 10,000 coordinated movements. Bates believed that blurred vision was because our eye muscles are just too tense to work properly.
"Clarity is connection and blurry is disconnection. Improving eyesight naturally is a way of reconnecting to ourselves and internal change. When vision improves, its relearning relax vision habits. Relaxation is key for clarity of vision." --Bates
Unhealthy vision habits such as poor posture, unhealthy diet, overworked, fatigued, trauma and stress causes blurred vision. The alternative approach to addressing these bad habits is seeking balance in ones entire lifestyle and looking towards relearning relaxed vision habits.
Relaxed vision habits are as simple as closing your eyes and giving your eyes a break. You just have to incorporate it into a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few easy techniques:
Palming. Look around and notice the level of clarity of your vision at present. Then, simply place the center of your palms gently over your eyes. Relax your shoulders. You may want to lean forward onto a table or a stack of pillows, to facilitate relaxation. Relax like this for at least two minutes. Then remove your hands, open your eyes, and notice whether anything looks clearer.
Daily Walks. Take a 20-minute daily walk outside if you can, preferably in nature and without your glasses on! Researchers followed nearly 4,000 men and women in Beaver Dam, Wis., between the ages of 43 and 86 for 15 years. The participants gave information about their lifestyle and exercise habits and had eye examinations every five years. The study showed that older adults who had an active lifestyle and exercised three or more times a week had a 70% lower risk of developing age-related muscular deterioration. The most likely reason is that exercise maintains blood vessels and eyes need that vascular support.
Let your sight sore. Glasses help your eyes see perfectly as long as you look through the center of the lenses. Your eyes get used to always staring through the center of the lens and they don’t move around as much. This can cause tension on your muscles to hold your eyes in a fixed position. When you take off your glasses, your eye muscles get the opportunity to relax allowing your eyes more range of movement.
Loosen up with shoulder rolls and head turns. Eyes, neck and shoulders like to accompany each other when it comes to tension. Shoulder rolls and turning your head from side to side multiple times throughout the day are really beneficial. It lets the muscles unwind and improves circulation and the overall flow of energy in your body.
Sleep. Studies have shown that the eyes needs at least five hours of sleep per night to properly replenish. Without enough time to revive themselves, your eyes cannot work at their full potential. A common side effect associated with lack of sleep are eye twitches or involuntary spasm in your eyelid.
Diet. Good nutrition is important to keep your eyes healthy and functioning their best throughout your lifetime. Carrots may be the food best known for helping your eyes. But other foods and their nutrients may be more important for keeping your eyesight balanced. Some powerhouse foods for healthy eyes:
Nutrients:
Lutein, zeaxanthin: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, corn, eggs, kale, nectarines, oranges, papayas, romaine lettuce, spinach, squash
Omega-3 fatty acids: Flaxseed, flaxseed oil, halibut, salmon, sardines, tuna, walnuts
Vitamin A: Apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, mangos, red peppers (raw), ricota cheese (part-skim), spinach, sweet potatoes
Vitamin C: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, red peppers (raw), strawberries
Vitamin E: Almonds, broccoli, peanut butter, spinach, sunflower seeds, wheat germ
Zinc: Chickpeas, oysters, pork chops, red meat, yogurt
The goal is not to “train” or exercise your eyes to make them stronger. The goal is to relax them. If you want to protect your vision health, now is the time to act by finding ways to give your eyes much need relaxation breaks and eating more of the healthy vision foods.
Three-fourths of the American population have turn to eye wear to support the eye muscles versus other cultures that are of non-industrial nations who have no need for visual assistance because they have excellent eyesight.
Inspiration and research sites:
Richard Felder Index of Learning Styles
+http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/08/03/best-foods-for-eye-health.aspx#_edn6