Read

March/April 2004 Alternative Health
Natural Vision Improvement

by Katrina Patterson

Do you know how your eyes work?

Palming Exercise for Eyes

This must be the oldest natural vision improvement exercise there is. (To be done without glasses!) Sit with both feet squarely on the ground Rub the palms of your hands together vigorously. Gently close your eyes. Cover eyes with cupped palms for 2 or 3 minutes. Have the base of your palms gently resting on the base of the eye socket. Keep fingers relaxed. Imagine a piece of black velvet, notice the depth of the colour black and the texture of the fabric. Ensure that your shoulders are relaxed. (You may need to lie on the floor or lean forward to prop your elbows on a table or chair back to release the tension.) Do this exercise three times a day including first thing in the morning and at the end of the day to relax.

You probably don’t think about your eyes very much – only when something goes wrong and then you realise how precious they are. In fact you probably spend more time being concerned about your teeth! Consider the following:

1. Vision is 90% in the mind
2. Clear vision is the natural state
3. Sight is a learned ability
4. The visual field is a mirror of our energy level
5. Vision emanates from within the self, goes out and then returns within.
6. Eyesight reflects belief imprints about what can be seen and what must not be seen.
7. Muscles will regenerate if exercised

Do you find these statements surprising? Deepak Chopra suggests in Magical Mind, Magical Body that "nowadays we confuse normal with average. By common standards you can develop extraordinary eyesight and prevent cataracts happening in the future."

In the UK it is estimated that 96% of the population aged over 55 is wearing glasses or contact lenses and the figure is rising. I expect it is the same in the US. What has caused this?

Some contributing factors include:

• Diet – nutritional deficiencies; diets high in refined carbs leading to high insulin levels; overweight; diabetes.
• Drugs - Over 200 prescription medicines can adversely affect our eyes.
• Computer & TV screens - They encourage us to fix our focus in one place for hours on end instead of the varied focus people have when working outdoors.
• Stress – 24/7 society; sensory overload; anxiety about work, the world; even recreation is intense.

Vision Re-education

The good news is that anyone can benefit from vision re-education. In 1995 I met Vision Trainer Leo Angart who had worn glasses for 26 years and had a prescription of -5 dioptres (a high degree of myopia). Now at 60 he has 20/20 vision and has a completely different attitude to seeing. You’ll find details of Leo’s work at www.vision-training.com. He brings together the most effective elements of techniques from ancient to modern, and has designed a course for Natural Vision Improvement that works for both improving current eye problems and avoiding future degeneration. There are exercises and information to help with presbyopia (old age sight), astigmatism, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, imperfect fusion, strabismus(cross-eyes) or ambiliopia (lazy eyes).

Five Elements to Vision Training

There are five main elements to the work: physical eye exercises, relaxation, energy work exercises, visualisation and belief change work; plus a look at how nutrition affects our eyes.

Wouldn’t it be good to consider eye exercises before trying laser surgery? We have found that anyone can benefit from vision re-education. People with a prescription of up to -2 (short sight) or +2 (far sight), mild astigmatism and people who have just been prescribed reading glasses in their 40s and 50s can see some very quick changes.

 I think the time has come for people to take more responsibility for their own eye health rather than handing it over to opticians who can give objective and not subjective advice. Glasses are an aid - they don't improve conditions. Consider that once most women used to wear corsets to keep their stomachs in - then they found out about exercise and there went the corset industry.

Katrina Patterson teaches at Birkbeck College, London University and speaks regularly at conferences in the UK and abroad. She organises Leo Angart’s London workshops. Contact her at: 01895 255063 or katrina@key2.demon.co.uk
Katrina will be offering a 2-day course on "Natural Vision Improvement – Strategies for Improving Your Eyesight Naturally" on April 17^th-18^th, 2004 at the Knightsbridge Institute in SW Portland. For more information call 503-246-7300, email Geoffrey@knight.net