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BatesFundamentals&ProceduresQuotesarefromBates’BetterEyesightMagazine

“Inthetreatmentofimperfectsightthesefundamentalprinciplesaretoagreatextentinterdependent.Theycannotbeseparatedasinwhatfollowshere.Itisimpossible,forinstance,toproducetheillusionofaswingunlessonepossessesacertaindegreeofcentralfixation.Thatis,onemustbeabletoshiftfromonepointtoanotherandseethepointshiftedfromlessdistinctlythantheonedirectlypresentlyregarded.Successfulpalmingisimpossiblewithoutmentalshiftingandswinging,andtheuseofthememoryandimagination.”“Theobjectofallthemethodsusedinthetreatmentofimperfectsight

withoutglassesistosecurerestorrelaxation,of themind first and then of the eyes. Restalwaysimprovesthevision.Strainingtoeffortalways lowers it. All errors of refraction andmanyothereyetroublesarecuredbyrest;buttherearemanywaysofobtainingthisrest,andall patients cannot do it in the same way.Sometimesafteralongsuccessionofpatientsishelpedbythesameparticularmethod,willcomesomeoneonewhodoesnotrespondtoitatall.”

Practicing:Bates:“Howmuchtimeshouldonedevotetopracticingthemethodsdescribedabove?Theansweris—ALLTHETIME.Onecanpracticeproperlyfortenminutesandbecomfortable.Thatdoesnotmeanthatalltherestofthedayonecanstrainandtearone'seyesalltopieceswithoutpayingthepenaltyforbreakingthelaw.Ifyouareundertreatmentforimperfectsightworktokeepinmindalldaylongfromthetimeyouwakeupinthemorninguntilyougotobedatnightthefeelingofcomfort,ofrest,ofrelaxation, incessantly. It is a great deal better to do that than to feel under a strain and beuncomfortablealldaylong.Oneshouldsecurerelaxationorrestuntiloneisperfectlycomfortableandcontinuefeelingcomfortableaslongasoneisawake.”

“Somanypeoplecomplainthattheydonothavetimetopracticeandthattheyhavefatigue.Sotheyare less inclined to practice central fixation, the swing, palming, sunning and imagining andrememberingperfectsightandotherthingsthatrelieveorpreventfatigue.Itshouldbeemphasizedthatonehas justasmuchtimetodorightastodowronganditcertainly is thewrongthingtogoaroundmostofthetimesufferingfromfatigue.”

ShiftingandSwinging:Bates’:“Theeyewithimperfectsighthabituallystaresandtriestofreezeitsaimatthepointoffixation.Thenormaleyedoesnotstareaslongasithasnormalsight.Eyeswithnormalvisionnever regards a point for more than a fraction of a second.Instead, thenormaleyeshiftsconstantly toaimatonedetailandthentoanotherandanother.Normallywearen’tawareofthis and we don’t notice the movement of a letter or otherobjectasitmovesacrosstheretina.Whenthenormaleyehasnormal sight, the small letters of the Snellen Test Card areimagined to be moving from side to side, slowly and

continuously,acrossthewidthoftheletter.”Swingingisthepracticeoflearningtoseethismovement.”

GETAGOODSTARTWITHSOMENEWRESOLUTIONSEyesmusthavesystematicrelief.

Resolvethat:

1.Iwillnotoverworkmyeyesbystaring. 2.Iwillrelievethemfromdutybyblinkingconstantly. 3.IwillPalmfrequently.Thisisrelaxationtotheeyes.

4.IwillSwingandseeobjectsmoving. 5.IwillReadsmallprintasmuchaspossible.

Letthesefiverulesgovernyoureyeaction.Theyaren'tdifficultandbecomeagoodhabitwithpractice.Youreyeswillappreciateit,andperfectsightisworth"resolving"for.

Howfasttoswing?Bates’- “Theease and speed of swinging can beaided by moving one’s thumbnailback and forth across a nail of afingeronthathand.Practicemovingthe thumb slowly, easily andautomaticallyandallowtheeyestoflow with the movement of thethumb.”

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“Thishabitofstaringcanbecorrectedbyconsciouslyimitatingtheunconsciousshiftingofthenormaleye.Itisaslow,short,easyswingmovingaboutasfastasonewouldcountorally.Thewidthoftheswing isnotmore than thewidthof the letter,and it is rememberedor imaginedaseasilyas it ispossiblewithoutanyeffortwhatsoever.Withpracticeonelearnstoswingthetiniestobjectsovertheshortestdistance,evenaperiodcanbeseentoswingwithabackandforthoppositemovement.”

“Asarule,mentalshiftingandswingingareeasieratfirstthanvisual.Personswithimperfectsighthavebecomeabletoimaginethisillusionbyalternatelyrememberingorimaginingthesmalllettermovingfromsidetosidecontinuously.Withtheireyesopentheymaybeabletodoitforamomentorflashit,atfirstoccasionally,andlatermorecontinuously,untiltheyarecured.Whenvisualormentalswingingissuccessful,everythingonethinksofappearstohaveaslightswing.“

BatesMemory:“Whenthesightisnormalthemindisalwaysperfectlyatrest,andwhenthememoryisperfectthemindisalsoatrest.Therefore,itispossibletoimprovethesightbytheuseofthememory.Anythingthepatientfindsagreeabletorememberisaresttothemind.Themostfavorableconditionfortheexerciseofthememoryis,usually,withtheeyesclosedandcovered,butbypracticeitbecomespossibletorememberequallywellwiththeeyesopen.Whenpatientsareable,withtheireyesclosedandcovered,torememberperfectlyaletterofdiamondtype,itappears,justasitwouldiftheywerelookingatitwiththebodilyeyes,tohaveaslightmovement,whiletheopeningsinsidetheletterappearwhiterthantherestofthebackground.“

BatesImagination: “Vision is largelyamatterof imaginationandmemory. Imagination iscloselyalliedtomemory,forwecanimagineonlyaswellasweremember,andinthetreatmentofimperfectsight the two can scarcely be separated. The cultivation of these faculties not only improves theinterpretationofthepicturesontheretinabutimprovestheretinalimagesthemselves”.

“Imaginationisveryefficientinimprovingthevision.Whensomepatientslookatablurredletterthattheyalreadyknow,theycanclosetheireyesandimagineitbetterthantheyseeitwiththeireyesopen.Byalternatelyimaginingaknownletterwiththeeyesclosedandwiththeeyesopened,notonlydoestheimaginationoftheletteroftenimprovestonormalwitheyesopenbuttheletteritselflookclearwhenthey lookat it. Thepatientwho isable todothis isalsoable todemonstrate thatwhentheimagination is improved foroneknown letter thevision forunknown lettersof thesamesizealsoimproves.Byimaginingthefirstletterofalineperfectlythepatientcantellthesecondletterandotherletterswhicharenotknown.”

BatesFlashing:Itistheunconscioushabitofmaking-an-efforttoseethatstrainstheeyesandspoilsthesight.Somepersonswithimperfectsightcanbetaughttoimprovetheirvisionbylearningtolookataletterorobjectforafractionofasecondwithouteffortusingthefollowingpractice:Theeyesarerestedforafewminutesbyclosingorpalming.Thepatientisremindedtonottryhardtoseeandnottoworryiftheyfailtoseeit.Thentheyaredirectedtoopentheireyes,lookataletteronthetestcardforafractionofasecondandquicklyclosetheeyesagainbeforethehabitofstraincanreassertitself.Theeyesareclosedorpalmedagaintorestthem,andtheprocessrepeatedagainandagain.Ihavecalled this procedure flashing, and through this practice permanent relaxation is sometimes veryquicklyobtained.Asthesightimproveslearntoquicklyshifttosomethingelse.Dodgeyourimprovedvision.

BATESQUESTION—Istillcannotvisualize"black"whatelsecanIuseasasubstitute?W.H.B.ANSWER—Don'ttrytoseeanything.Ifitisanefforttovisualizeblack,thinkofsomethingthatispleasant,forinstance,afieldofdaisies,asun-set,etc.Theresultwillbejustasbeneficial.

QUESTION—Topalmsuccessfullyisitnecessarytorememberblackortrytoseeblack?ANSWER—No.Whenonepalmssuccessfullytheeyesandmindarerelaxedandblackisusuallyseen,butanyefforttoseeblackisastrainwhichalwaysfails.

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BatesBlinkingandDodging:“Donotstare.Dodgeit.Wheneveryoursightimproves,shiftquicklytosomethingelse.Dodgeyourimprovedvision.Wheneveryouseethingsimperfectlyshiftyoureyesquicklytosomethingelse.Dodgeyourimperfectsight.Tostarealwayslowersthevision.Closingtheeyeseffectuallydodgesperfectorimperfectsight.Usuallyunconsciouslythenormaleyeclosesandopensquite frequently and at irregular intervals and for very short spaces of time. This is calledBlinkinganditisonlyanothernamefordodging.Dodgingwhat?Dodgingthetendencytolooksteadilyatthingsall thetime. All themethodswhichhavebeenrecommendedfortheimprovementofthevision,centralfixation,palming,swinging,blinkingcanallbegroupedundertheoneword—dodging.

BatesReadingFamiliar Letters: “The eye always strains to see unfamiliar objects and is alwaysrelaxedtoagreaterorlessdegreebylookingatfamiliarobjects.Therefore,thereadingeverydayofsmall familiar lettersat thegreatestdistanceatwhich they canbe seen is a rest to theeyeand issufficienttocurechildrenundertwelvewhohavenotwornglasses,aswellassomeolderchildren,andadultswithminordefectsofvision.ReadingtheSnellenTestCardtwiceadayoroftener,witheacheyeseparatelywithoutglasses,isagreathelpinimprovingthesight.”

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CENTRALFIXATIONBates’:“Bycentralfixationismeanttheabilitytoseeoneletteroroneobjectregardedinsuchawaythatallotherlettersornearbydetailsareseenworseinproportionasitisremovedfromthepointoffixation.Whenthevisionisimperfect,theeyetriestoseeallpartsofthevisualfieldequallywellatonetime.Thisisagreatstrainupontheeyeandmind.Anythingthatreststheeyestendstorestorethenormalpowerofcentralfixation.Centralfixationcanalsobegainedbyconsciouspractice,andthis is sometimes the quickest and easiestway to improve the sight. When the patient becomesconsciousthatheseesthecentrallyfixateddetailsbest,itbecomespossibletoworktoreducethesizeofcentrallyfixatedarea.Sincesmallobjectscannotbeseenwithoutcentralfixation,thereadingoffineprint,whenitcanbedone,isoneofthebestofvisualexercises,andthedimmerthelightinwhichitcanbereadandtheclosertotheeyeitcanbeheldthebetter.”

Bates’Exercisetodevelopcentralfixationthroughimagination:“Thefollowingmethodofusingtheimaginationhasproducedquickresultsinmanycases:Thepatientisaskedtolookatthelargestletteronthetestcardatthenear-point,andisusuallyabletoobservethatasmallarea,aboutasquareinch,appearsblackerthantherest,andthatwhenthepartoftheletterseenworstiscovered,partoftheexposedareaseemsblackerthantheremainder.Whenthepartseenworstisagaincovered,theareaofmaximumblacknessisstillfurtherreduced.Whenthepartseenbesthasbeenreducedtoaboutthesizeofaletteronthebottomline,thepatientisaskedtoimaginethatsuchaletteroccupiesthisareaandisblackerthantherestoftheletter.Thenheisaskedtolookataletteronthebottomlineandimaginethatitisblackerthanthelargestletter.Manyareabletodothis,andatoncebecomeabletoseethelettersonthebottomline”

Staringistheenemy.Becomeawareofstaring.Learntocatchyourselfstaring.Itisabadhabit.TryBlinkingandBreathinginstead.Wheneveryoubecomeawareofstaring,contractingyourmuscles,andholdingyourbreath,blinkyoureyesrapidlyandtaketwobigbreaths.

BLINKINGANDBREATHINGBLINKING is amajor tool for stoppingyourself fromstaring.Blinking canbe soft and rapid likea

butterflymovesitswings.Butterflyblinkingcanbedonewhiledriving,reading, cooking, sports. movies or any activity because it doesn’tinterferewithwhatyouaredoing.It’sespeciallyhelpfulwhiledoingBatespracticeslikesunning,swingingandworkingonthevisionacuitychart.Rapid blinking lubricates and relaxes the eyes and seems to increasevisualacuityatfarorneardistances.Blinkingcanalsobeslowandsoft.Closeyoureyeswhenyoumembertobeawareofstrainingorstaring.Youcando this fora fullbreathor severalbreathsor for justanexhaleorinhale. Somepeople find that squeezing the eyes closed, then quickly

openingandholdingthemopencancleartheirvision.

BREATHING - Slow, deep breathing reduces anxietyandcalmsracingmind.Severalminutesofslow,deepbreathing is the quickest way to reduce anxiety.Wheneveryouthinkaboutbreathing,makeahabitoftaking10breaths–count:“1-2-3-4”foreachinhaleandforeachexhale.Ifa4-countisnotcomfortable,youcanslowdownorspeedupthetempoorcountto5or3tofindwhatworksbest.After20or30breaths,youmayfindthatyourbreathingwantstodeepenandcountingto5or6worksbetter.Dothisbeforestartinganyofthevisionpracticeslikepalming,sunning,shifting,clearingprint, before falling asleep, after waking up and justbeforeengaginginanyvisuallyormentallydemandingtask.Itcanalsobehelpfulforcalminganxietyoranger.

Bates’: “The simplestwaytoresttheeyesistoclose them for a longeror shorter period andthink about somethingagreeable.Thisisalwaysthe first thing that I tellpatientstodo.”

BatesBreathing–“Manypatientswithimperfect sight are benefited bybreathing.Oneofthebestmethodsistoseparatetheteethwhilekeepingthelipsclosed, breathe deeply as though onewereyawning.Whendoneproperlyonecanfeeltheaircoldasitpassesthroughthe nose and down the throat. Thismethod of breathing secures a greatamountofrelaxationofthenose,throat,thebodygenerallyincludingtheeyesandears.”

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FINGERBREATHINGTOINCREASEYOURBREATHINGSPAN - Itmighthelpyoutokeeptrackofhowmanybreathsyouhavetakenbycountingeachbreathonyourfingers,onefingeraftertheother.Thismakesiteasiertokeepbreathingfor10wholebreaths.Youcanextendyourbreathingspanbyaddinganothercountof10-fingerbreaths,etc.Ifyouareanxiousordistracted,yourattentionmightwondersoyouunconsciouslystopbreathingandholdyourbreathbeforecountingall10fingers.Ifso,tryreducingyourgoalto5orevenjust3fingerbreathsinordertosucceed.Thenrepeat3againandagainuntilafterafewminutes,you’llbemorecentered,lessanxiousandabletosucceedatmindfulcountingfor10andeven100breathsbycountingtengroupsoften.REMEMBERING TO BE AWARE: Once youareawareofwhat it feels like tobeholdingyourbreath,cutouta"BLINKANDBREATHENOW" sign for your dashboard, desk,refrigerator, wristwatch, book-mark, etc.Makeapointofbreathingandblinkingwhenyouprepareasalad,payyourbills,readyouremail.

PASTETHESESIGNSAROUNDYOURENVIRONMENTTOREMINDYOURSELF

Stepstoreplacingabadhabitwithabetterone1.Becomeawarethatsomethingneedschanging.2.Remembertobeaware.3.Prolongyourattentionspanfortheawareness.4.Maintainawarenessindemandingsituations.

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BREATHINGGAMESEXTENDYOURATTENTIONSPANFORBREATHINGbymakingupbreathinggameswheneveryoucanrememberto.Choosesomefutureevent30or40secondsaway.Forexample,whilewalkingordriving,lookaheadforagoalsuchasastreetsignorparkedcaralittlewayaheadofyouandtrytoblinkandbreatheuntilyoupassit;orestimatehowmanybreathsitwilltakeuntilyoureachthecarandthencountthemtoseehowaccurateyouwere;orestimatewereyouwillbeafter20breathsofwalking,ordriving.Youcaninventandpracticebreathinggamesdriving,writing/typing(breatheuntiltheendofawordorsentence),listeningtotheradio(breatheuntilthecommercialisover),watchingmovies(breatheuntilthecameraanglechangesoranactorstopstalking),inrestaurants(untilthatwaiterpassesacertaintable),cooking(breatheuntilyoufinishslicingatomato),talkingonthephone(breatheuntiltheotherpersonfinishestalking),texting,etc.Atfirstmaytakeasomuchattentionthatyou can’t pay attention to themovie or conversation but eventually sustained breathing becomeseasierandmoreautomaticasyoupracticetobeabletomultitaskonmorecomplextasks.Therefore,startwitheasyactivitieslikewalkingordriving.Anddon’tfrustrateyourselfbychoosingimpossiblegoalsthataretoofarinthefuture.Evenaone-minutegoalmightbetoolong.Thisbringsthepracticeofbettervisionintoyourdailylifeactivities.Ittakesnoextratime,justrememberingtobeaware,tosustaintheawarenessandtoreplacesomebadhabitsofseeingthatcreatedyoureyeconditionwithhabitsofthatpromotewellness.

PALMINGPalmingisasimpleandnaturalactwithprofoundeffects.Palmingcalmsthemind,reducesanxiety,relaxeseyestrainandimprovesvision.Allyouhavetodoissitdown,leanforwardandrestyourelbowsonyourdeskortable.Asyouleanover,bendfromyourpelvisandmovetolengthenyourbacksothatyourneckandspineareextended,notflexedbackandallowyourshouldersfeelbroad.Youcanalsositwithyourelbowsproppedonyourknees,achairbackorcushionoryoucanrestonyourbackorsidewithpillowsbetweenyourelbows.Findyourfavoritepositiontofeelcomfortable.Thencloseyoureyesandcoverthemwiththepalmsofyourhands.It'sthepalms(concavepart),notthefingersorhealofyourhands,thatcovertheeyesockets.Yourfingerscanoverlapaboveyournosewithyourrightorlefthand’sfingerscoveringtheotherhand’sfingers.Feelyoureyesgiveupthetensionoftryingtosee.Keepasmuchlightfromreachingyoureyesasyoucanbutdon’tworryifalittlebitsneaksthrough.Thinkaboutcalmingyourmind,relaxingyourmuscles,andbreathecontinually.Relaxyourhands,imaginethatyoucanfeelthempullingenergyoutfromyoureyes.Palmingsessionscanlastforjusttenbreathsorforseveralhundred.Themostimportantthingistokeepbreathing.Manypeoplecanseemoreclearlyafterajustfewminutesofpalming.Palmmanytimeseachday.Palminthemorningtostartthedaywithrelaxationandawareness.Doitatnightjustbeforebedtimeforamorerelaxedandhealingsleep.Palmbeforeanyvisuallydemandingtaskandpalmwhenyoufeeltheneedtorelaxyoureyesorcalmyourself.Makeitalife-longhabit.Twothingshappenafterseveralweeksofpalming.Asyougetusedtopalming,therelaxationbecomesmoreprofoundandyoufeelitcomeonmorequickly.Afterawhileyouwillhavememorizedtherelaxedfeelingofpalming.Nowyouhavesomethingtocomparewiththeunconsciousoculartensionthatfeelsnormalbutlocksyourmindandeyesinanunhealthyposture. PalmingfromBates—“Astillgreaterdegreeofrestcanbeobtainedbyclosingandcoveringtheeyesso as to excludeall the light. Themereexclusionof the impressionsof sight is often sufficient toproducealargemeasureofrelaxationformanypatientsbutforothersthestrainisincreased.Restingtheeyesbyclosingandcoveringthemwiththepalmsofthehandsimprovesthesightofmostpeople.Somepersonshaveobtainedacurebypalmingonly.Whenthevisionisnotimprovedbypalmingdonotpracticeituntilyoucanlearnhowtopalmproperly.Themerecoveringandclosingoftheeyesisuselessunlessatthesametimementalrestisobtained.Asarule,successfulpalminginvolvestheuseofvariousothermeansofobtainingrelaxation.Patientsarerecommendedtopracticeforthecureoftheirimperfectsightistopalmatleastsixtimesdailyforfiveminutesorlongereachtime.Thelengthoftimenecessarytopalmtoobtainmaximumresultsvarieswithindividuals.Mostpersonscanobtainimprovementinfifteenminuteswhileothersrequirealongertime,ahalfhour,anhouroreven

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twoormorehoursofcontinuouspalmingtoobtainanybenefit. Withimprovementinthevisionitusuallyfollowsthatashorterperiodofpalmingmayobtainmaximumresults.“

PALMINGVISUALIZATIONPRACTICESThesepracticeswillmakeyoumoreawareofyoureyesandthedifferencebetweenwhentheyfeelstrainedandnotstrained.Whentheyfeelstrainedisamessagethatyoushouldstopwhatyouaredoingandcloseyoureyesandbreatheorpalm(ifthesituationallowsyoutodothis).Asyoupracticepalmingandthevarious"Palmingvisualizationexercises",youlearntobeabletorelaxbyjustrememberingwhatitfeelsliketodopalmingorbyimaginingthe'fivefingerexercise",thebigsqueezeorlighttouch.Thisallowsyoureducethestrainwithoutstoppingwhatyouaredoing(driving,typing,reading,talking,washingdishes,cuttingvegetables,etc.)andwithoutanyonenearbyabletotellthatyouarepracticingeyeimprovement.THELIGHTTOUCH:Varyhowhardyourhandspressonyourfaceasyoupalm.Thereisaspecialfeelingofspreadingrelaxationthatcomesatacertainpointasyoureducethepressure.Firstpushfirmlyonyourfaceandtheneasethepressurelittlebylittle.Continueforseveralminutesmakingthetouchlighterandlighter.Imaginefeelingthebonesaroundyoureyesexpandasiftokeepincontactwithyourhands.Imagineyourhandsgettinglarger,fingerslongerandfeelyourfacialbonesexpandtokeepcontact.Imagineyoureyesocketsstretching.Letyoureyeballsgrowtofillinthespace.Feelasifyourhandsaredrawingaflowofenergyoutofyoureyes.Continueforseveralminutes.Whenyougetgoodatit,youwillbeabletorelaxyourselfatanytimebyrecallingthefeelingofthisspecialtouch.

THEBIGSQUEEZE:Thebasicprocedureisasfollows.Palm,breathe,andtightenyoureyelidmusclestosqueezebotheyesshut.Atthesametime,relaxallfacialmusclesexceptthoseneededforthesqueeze.Releaseyourforehead,betweenyoureyebrows,yourmouth,lips,earsandjaws.Concentrateonisolatingthesqueezemusclesfromtherest.Payattentiontoyourbreathing.Relaxotherplacesinyourbodyasmuchasyoucanwhilestillsqueezingandbreathing.Throat,backofneck,shoulders,hands,arms,stomach,pelvis,knees,feet,ortoesdon'thavetobetightinordertosqueezeyoureyesclosed.Startbysqueezingafull,hundredpercent.Holditandthenrelaxasdescribedabove.Afterseveralbreaths,squeezeagain,butthistimeuseonlyhalftheforceofthefirsteffort.Hold,breathe,isolate,andagainreleaseafterseveralgoodbreaths.Keepbreathingandcontinuethesameprocessbutsqueezingonlyone-forthoftheoriginal.Repeatagainatone-eightpowerandfeelforthespreadofrelaxationafterreleasingthesqueeze.Thenextstepistogothroughthewholeprocedureagaininyourimagination.Imaginesqueezingahundredpercent.Isolatethefeelingbyimaginingthatonlythenecessarymusclesarecontracting.Relaxtheothersinyourfaceandbody.Afterseveralbreathsreleasetheimaginarysqueezeandfeelyourmindandbodyletgo.Continuethroughtherestoftheprocessreducingtheimaginedsqueezeateachstep.Practicethefinal1/8imaginarysqueezeseveraltimes.Thegoalforthisistwo-fold:tobecomesensitivetosubtletensioninandaroundyoureyesandtolearntheactionofwillingyoureyestorelax.Remembertobringthisnewskillintoawarenessthroughouttheday.

FIVEFINGERSEXERCISE:Willingyourbodytorelaxisnoteasy.Ifyouconcentrateonrelaxingthetensioninonepart,otherpartscantenseup.Youoftenfindyourselfchasingtensionaroundyourbody,relaxingonepartwhilebeingunconsciousoftightnesselsewhere.Inthisexercisethefingersprovideanorganizedmapforsystematicallyrelaxingthewholebody.Eachfingerrepresentadifferentsectionofthebodyandtheprocedureistorelaxeachfingerandatthesametimethematchingbodyparts.1.Thelittlefingerscoverthetoes,feet,ankles,lowerlegs,knees,thighs,groinandpelvis. 2.Theringfingerscoverthepelvis,lowerback,abdomen,middleback,andchestuptothearmpits.3.Themiddlefingerscoverallthefingers,hands,wrists,forearms,elbows,upperarms,shoulders,backofneckandhead,topofheadandforehead.

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4.Theindexfingerscoverthethroat,backoftongue,jaw,mouthandlips.5.Thethumbscoverinandaroundtheeyesandthemind.Palm,breathe,relaxthepressureofyourhandsonyourface,andthinkofrelaxingyourlittlefinger.Imagineitgettinglongerandlooser.Atthesametime,gothrougheachpartlistedaboveforthisfinger.Putyourmindonthefingerandthenonthelegandpelvisandthenbackandforthasyouimaginelettinggoofdeeperlevelsoftensionasyoufindthem.Imaginethejointsopeningintomorespaceandtheotherpartsgettinglonger.Youcandothisforjustafewbreathsorasmanybreathsasyouneedtocoverallthetightnessyoudiscover.Gothrougheachfingeralternatingbetweenthebodypartsandthefingers.Trytakingthreebreathsforeachfinger.Ifyoufeellikeyouwanttodomoreaftercompletingallfivefingers,startthewholeprocessagainfromthelittlefinger.Youcandothisasmanytimesasyouwant.Tryonebreathforeachfinger.Youwillprobablydiscovertensioninpartsofyourbodythatyouarenotnowawareof.Youwillgetbetterasyoudothisandsoonjustthinkingaboutafingerwillautomaticallyrelaxitscorrespondingbodypart.Itisnotnecessarytopalmwhiledoingthefivefingerrelaxation.

DOINGTHE"ABC'S":Ifyouhavetroubleseeingpicturesinyourmind.Tryingtovisualizemakesmanypeopleanxiousandfrustrated.Tolearntovisualize,trythefollowingexercise.Palmforonehundredbreathstocalmyourself.Counteachbreath.Ifyourmindwondersandyouforgetwhatnumberyouareon(asignofanxiety),gobacktooneandstartover.Youmayhavetomakemanyattemptsbeforeyoufinallysucceed.Whenyoudo,youwillberelaxedenoughtocontinuewiththenextphase.Don'tworryifyoufallasleepintheprocedure,thedeeprestwilldoyougoodandinthemorningyoumayhavebetterluck.Continuepalmingandsaytoyourself,"IcallfortheletterA."Waitforthelettertocomebutdon'ttrytodoanythingtomakeitcome.Dothisforthreebreathswithoutjudgingorfrustratingyourself.ThenletgoofAand"CallfortheletterB."Afterthreebreaths,dropBandcallforC.Continuethroughtherestoftheletterswithoutexpectation,effortorjudgment.Dothisinthemorningandatnightfortwomonths.Atfirstyoumaygetnoimagesbutafterseveraldaysorevenweeks,lettersmaycome.Soonmorelettersandthenallofthemwillappear.Astheybecomestrongeryouwillbeabletomanipulatethemwithjustathought.Youmightmakethelettersshrinkorgrowlarger.Youmightturnaletterup-side-downormakeoneofwoodenblocksandseethreedimensional.Itmaytakealongtimeandrequiremuchofpatiencebutifyouwanttobeabletovisualize,thisexercisemayworkforyou.

CHANTINGTWELVETHROUGHONE:Inthisexerciseyoumakealongsustainedsoundusingdifferentpartsofyourvocalmechanism.Voicingsoundsmaketheinsideofyourheadvibrate.Differentsoundsvibratedifferentpartsofyourhead.Trythefollowing:closeyourearholeswithafingertip;makethesoundoftheletterN;feelthesoundvibratetheinsideofyourhead;changethesoundtothatofaV;feelthesoundvibrationsmovetodifferentplacesinyourskull.Trythedifferentvowelsounds.Thesevibrationsseemtorelaxandcleanseyourbrain.Thefirsttwelvenumberscontainmanydifferentsounds.Anditiseasytorememberthesequenceevenifyourmindletsgointothefeelings.Proceedbyclosingyourearholes,takingabigbreathandthenvocalizingthenumbertwelveinslowmotion—tttttttt-wwwwwwww-eeeeeee-lllllll-vvvvvvvv-eeeeeee—makingthesegmentslastforthewholeexhale.Takeanotherbigbreathanddoeleven—eeeeeee-llllllll-eeeeeee-vvvvvvvvv-eeeeeeeee-nnnnnnnnn...,thenten,nine,eightandsoon.Feelthevibrationsopenuptheinsideofyourhead.Experimentwithopeningyourthroatandnosetogetmaximumvibrationandenergy.PALMINGEYESTRETCHVISUALIZATION:isgoodforyoureyesbecauseitincreasesthebloodflowtoyoureyes.Palminacomfortablepostureandbreatheslowlyanddeeplyfortenbreathswhilerelaxing.Imagineyourneckisrelaxing,allowingyourspinetogetlonger,yourshoulderstobroadenanddropandyourstomachtoreleasetension.Payattentiontothesymmetryofthetwosidesofyourbody.Feelforsubtledetails,foraslighttorqueinyourphysique.Doyourhips,shoulders,chestorneckfeelalignedortwistedleft,right,upordown?Doyourrelaxedeyesaimforwardorseemtopullinsomeotherdirection.Relaxintothesensationthatyourbodyandeyesareradiatingabeamof

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energyaimedstraightaheadofyouextendingtoinfinity.Holdthisforwardorientation,untwistedandunifiedinyourawarenessasyoubreathe.Onceyouachievethesenseofyourbody'sdirection,begintheeyestretchingexercise.Inhaleandthenmoveyoureyesallthewaytotheleft.Stretchthembutdon'tover-doit.Asyouslowlyexhalekeepyoureyesleft.Feelyourbody.Doesitseemtotwistinreactiontoyoureyestretch?Worktokeepthecentered,forwardorientationdescribedabove.Inhaleasyoucontinuewitheyesorientedleftandbodyforward.Nowmoveyoureyestothecenterandexhale,lettinggoofalleffort.Feelyourbodyrelax.Continueasyouslowlyinhale.Nextstretcheyestotherightandexhalerepeatingthestepsabove:Move,exhaleandinhaleforeacheyeposition.Returntocenterbetweeneachdirection.Stretchfirsttotheleft,thencenter,right,center,up,center,down,center,upper-left,center,lower-right,center,upper-right,center,lower-left,center.Worktodevelopsubtleawarenessofbodyorientationandaunified,relaxedanatomythatdoesnottwistoffcenterinresponsetoeyeposture.Theseeyestretchescanbepracticedwitheyesopenorclosed,palmingornot.

LOVE,TRUSTANDGRATITUDE:Trythefollowingvisualization.Youcandothisvisualizationatanytime,evenwithoutpalming.Ittakesjustamomentwhenyougetgoodatit.LOVERememberapersonoranimalforwhomyouhaveastronglove.Recallanactualeventormakeoneup.Stayinthesceneallowingthefeelingoflovingthatperson,placeorthingtogrowuntilyouexperienceanoutflowofenergyfromyourbodytowardstheobjectofyourlove.Onceyoufeelthisbodilyshift,letitbuild.Nowyouarereadyfortrust.TRUSTDeveloptrustfeelingsbyrecallingthemanytimesyousucceededbeyondyourexpectationseventhoughatsometimeintheprocessofgettingthereyouwereconvincedthatyouwouldfail.Yet,youmaystillseedoomratherthanvictoryasyoustruggletoreachyournextgoals.Saytoyourself,"HowcanIpredictfailurewithsuchcertaintywhenIhavesomanyexamplesthatmyanxietywaspremature.WhoamI,frommylowlyperspective,todoubtthatsomelargerforcehelpsandblessesmeinmyefforts."Rememberatimeofgreatsuccess.Experiencethesenseofaccomplishmentandaconnectionbeyondyourself.Letyourbodysenseafullnessandcertitudeaboutyourselfandthataloveandcommitmentisextendedtoyoufromahigherpower.LOVE&TRUSTWhenyouexperiencethisinyourbody,gobacktoyourlovepictures.Whenthelovestreamingcome,shiftagaintofillyourselfwithtrust.Gobackandforthuntilbothphysicalsensationsblend,thepeaceoftrustandthejoyoflove.Batheyourselfinloveandtrustforafewmoments.GRATITUDEFromdeepinsideletabubbleofgratitudeexpandandburstandflowouttoblendwithloveandtrust.Experiencetheclarityandgraceofthelove,trustandgratitudeconsciousness.Thisfeelingisyouandyoucanattainitbyplayingwiththeaboveimagesasoftenasyouwill.

LOVE,TRUST&GRATITUDEPracticelookinginwaysthatproducewellness.Learntolookwithloveinyoureyes.Wecanseeemotioninaperson'seyes.Actorslearntomaketheireyesangryorfearful.Theyalsolearntomakethemconveyloveortrust.Youcantoo.Angryeyesappearlessrelaxedthanloving,trustingorgratefuleyes.Thesearehealthierwaystouseyoureyes.Practicebyconsciouslygazingwithlove,trustand/orgratitudeatsomethingeasy:apet,aphotoofalovedone,orifyou'relucky,atanactuallovedone.Expandyourpracticetoincludeeverydayobjectslikeyourcomputer,abookyouarereading,andtheTVnewscaster.Eventuallyyouwillevenbeabletodoitwithyourtaxforms.Nowtryitwithco-workers,familymembers,servicepeopleor,ifyoudare,strangersandpeoplewithwhomyouareinconflict.

REMEMBERINGBLACK:Rememberingblacknesscanbeveryrestfultotheeyesandmind.Palm,breathe,relaxandremembersomethingthatyouoncesaw.Mygrandmotherhadaveryblackcoat.IoncesawaCadillacpaintedmetallicblack,itwasatnightinyellowsodiumstreetlampsandIstillrememberhowblackitlooked.Patentleathershoes.Albert,ourneighbor’sdog,ablackcatrunningawayfrommeonthesidewalk.Thinkofablackhatforthreebreaths.Breatheandwaitforthememoryoftheblackhat.Thenthinkfablackshoeforthreemorebreaths.Continuewithablackcat,dog,horse,umbrella,licorice,inkblot,dress,purse,belt,piano,bird,whale,car,orbook.Continuewithasmanyitemsthatfitintoyourpracticetimeoforrepeatsomeofthesameones.Don'tstrainforanimageanddon'tfeelbadlyifonedoesn'tcome.Justwaitwithpatienceandenergy.

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SUNNINGNeed to takeabreak?Gooutside and sunyoureyes. Sunlight isbeneficial for the eyes if taken inmoderationandinpropertechnique.Comfortisalwaysyourguide.Sunninghelpstokeeptheeyesyoungandflexible.Recentresearchshowsthatlackoftimeoutdoorsincreasesmyopiaandtimeoutinnaturallighthelpspreventitsonsetandprogression.Conditioningtheeyesbyexposingthemtobrightredlighthelpsprotecttheretinafromexcessiveultravioletlightandhypoxiadamage.Also,exposingtheeyestobrightlighthelpsgetthemusedtohandlinghighlevelsandreducesdiscomfortandocularstress(photophobia)whilesimultaneouslyrelaxingtheeyes.Batessaysthatlearningtorelaxwhenexposingyoureyestostresssituationsmakesusawareofunconsciousstresshabits.Awarenessisthefirst,importantsteptochangingabadhabit.Themostbasicpracticeofsunningconsistsofclosingtheeyes,facingthesunandgracefullyswaying(turning)theheadleftandrightwhilebreathingslowlyanddeeply.Feelthewarmthofthesunonyoureyes.Imaginethewarmthispenetratingthroughyoureyelidsanddeepintoyoureyes.Onepracticeistoalternatebetweensunningandpalming(20breathsof sunning and 10 breaths of palming). When you have time, do this for 5-15 or more minutes.Remembertosunyoureyesforseveralbreatheswheneveryougooutsideintothesunshine.

You canuse amagnifying glassormirror to focus the light onyour closedeyelids to increase theintensityofthesunlight.Butyoumustbevery,verycarefultonotburnyoureyelids.Ifthefocusedlightfeelshot,holdthemagnifiercloserinorfartherawaytochangethefocusfromatinypointtoalargercircleoflight.Bestwaytostartistofocusthesunonthepalmofyourhandheldnearyoureyesoyoucanseewhere.Holdthemagnifierwiththeotherhand.Positionittofocusthesunontoyourpalm.atadistancewherethefocusisaquarterorahalfaninchindiameter.Movethel.

CENTRALFIXATIONBates:“Bycentralfixationismeanttheabilitytoseeoneletteroroneobjectregardedinsuchawaythatallotherlettersornearbydetailsareseenworseinproportionasitisremovedfromthepointoffixation.Whenthevisionisimperfect,theeyetriestoseeallpartsofthevisualfieldequallywellatonetime.Thisisagreatstrainupontheeyeandmind.Anythingthatreststheeyestendstorestorethenormalpowerofcentralfixation.

Centralfixationcanalsobegainedbyconsciouspractice,andthisissometimesthequickestandeasiestway to improve the sight. When thepatient becomes conscious that he sees the centrallyfixateddetailsbest,itbecomespossibletoworktoreducethesizeofcentrallyfixatedarea.Sincesmallobjectscannotbeseenwithoutcentralfixation,thereadingoffineprint,whenitcanbedone,isoneofthebestofvisualexercises,andthedimmerthelightinwhichitcanbereadandtheclosertotheeyeitcanbeheldthebetter.”

BatesExercisetodevelopcentralfixationthroughimagination:“Thefollowingmethodofusingtheimaginationhasproducedquickresultsinmanycases:Thepatientisaskedtolookatthelargestletteronthetestcardatthenear-point,andisusuallyabletoobservethatasmallarea,aboutasquareinch,appearsblackerthantherest,andthatwhenthepartoftheletterseenworstiscovered,partoftheexposedareaseemsblackerthantheremainder.Whenthepartseenworstisagaincovered,theareaofmaximumblacknessisstillfurtherreduced.Whenthepartseenbesthasbeenreducedtoaboutthesizeofaletteronthebottomline,thepatientisaskedtoimaginethatsuchaletteroccupiesthisareaandisblackerthantherestoftheletter.Thenheisaskedtolookataletteronthebottomlineandimaginethatitisblackerthanthelargestletter.Manyareabletodothis,andatoncebecomeabletoseethelettersonthebottomline”

CENTRAL FIXATION CENTRAL FIXATION

CENTRAL FIXATION CENTRAL FIXATION CENTRAL FIXATION

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STAR-CIRCLECHARTThispracticeorganizescentralfixation(fovealfixation)anditsimmediatesurround(parafoveal).Itisaperceptuallearningpracticethatcanimprovetheaiminganddexterityofvisualprocessing(visualacuity).Perceptualtrainingrequiresdedicatedpracticesessionsatalevelofdifficultythatchallengesthedesiredperceptualskillatitspresentlevelandincreasesastheskilldevelops.Thisrequiresconsciousattentionwithminimalanxiety,straining,staring,breathholding,etc.Palmingorclosingtheeyestominimizestrainisrecommendedbeforepracticingandisencouragedduringthesessionwhenneeded.Ifpossiblewithoutstrainingorbecominganxious,imagineorrememberthesevisualimagesduringthesepalmingbreaksandatothertimesduringtheday.Bestimprovementresultsfrom20-minutepracticesessions,severaltimesaweekforseveralmonthsfollowedbyweeklyorbi-weeklytrainings.Lookatthemiddleofoneofthestarsonthelargestchart.Noticethatthefixatedstarlooksmoredistinctthanthenon-fixatedstarsandthatawhitecirclesurroundsthestarthatlookswhiterthantherestofthewhitebackground.Moveyoureyestofixatethenextstarandseethewhitecirclenowsurroundsthisstar.Startingatthetopleftstarmovetofixateeachstarinthatrow.Fixatefromstartostaracrossthenextrows.Waittoallowthefixatedstartosharpenandthesurroundingcircletowhiten.Warmupbystartingwiththelargestchartandthensmalleronestofindyourthresholdchart(i.e.,whereyoucansometimesseethewhitecircleandsometimesnot).Hereyoulearntorelaxtomorepreciselyaimatastartoseeitswhitecircle.Yourvisionmaybecomedisorganizedwhereinthedetailsarelost,andyouseepatternsofdottedlines.Maybeit’stimetopalmorcloseyoureyesfortenbreathsortogobacktousingalargercharttobringbackthestar’sdetailsandcircles.Practicethiswiththegoalofseeingthewhitecirclewhitenmoreeasilyandquickly.Flowfromstartostarwithasenseofeasebutdon’ttrytospeedthroughthechart.Eventually,aseachstarclears,andyourfixationrefinesitsnaturalalignment,youmayfeelasimultaneousandspontaneousreleaseoftensioninyourbody,eyesandmind.Bemindfulofstrainingorstaring;breathe,blinkandswingthestarsinstead.Remembertoalignonthecenterofthestarsandtowaittoseetheenhancedwhitenessofthecircle.Practicewitheacheyealoneandwithbotheyes.Practiceatvariousdistances(includingfarandverynear).Changethelightlevels(itiseasiertoseeunderbrightlight).

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Bates’ShiftingandSwinging:Theeyewithimperfectsighthabituallystaresandtriestofreezeitsaimatthepointoffixation.Thenormaleyedoesnotstareaslongasithasnormalsight.Eyeswithnormalvisionneverregardsapointformorethanafractionofasecond.Instead,thenormaleyeshiftsconstantlytoaimatonedetailandthentoanotherandanother.Normallywearen’tawareofthisandwedon’tnoticethemovementofaletterorotherobjectasitmovesacrosstheretina.Whenthenormaleyehasnormalsight,thesmalllettersoftheSnellenTestCardareimaginedtobemovingfromsidetoside,slowlyandcontinuously,acrossthewidthoftheletter.”Swingingisthepracticeoflearningtoseethismovement.

“Thishabitofstaringcanbecorrectedbyconsciouslyimitatingtheunconsciousshiftingofthenormaleye.Itisaslow,short,easyswingmovingaboutasfastasonewouldcountorally.Thewidthoftheswing isnotmore than thewidthof the letter,and it is rememberedor imaginedaseasilyas it ispossiblewithoutanyeffortwhatsoever.Withpracticeonelearnstoswingthetiniestobjectsovertheshortestdistance,evenaperiodcanbeseentoswingwithabackandforthoppositemovement.”

“Asarule,mentalshiftingandswingingareeasieratfirstthanvisual.Personswithimperfectsighthavebecomeabletoimaginethisillusionbyalternatelyrememberingorimaginingthesmalllettermovingfromsidetosidecontinuously.Withtheireyesopentheymaybeabletodoitforamomentorflashit,atfirstoccasionally,andlatermorecontinuously,untiltheyarecured.Whenvisualormentalswingingissuccessful,everythingonethinksofappearstohaveaslightswing.“

“Theeaseandspeedofswingingcanbeaidedbymovingone’sthumbnailbackandforthacrossanailofafingeronthathand.Practicemovingthethumbslowly,easilyandautomaticallyandallowtheeyestoflowwiththemovementofthethumb.”

Bates’Memory:“Whenthesightisnormalthemindisalwaysperfectlyatrest,andwhenthememoryisperfectthemindisalsoatrest.Therefore,itispossibletoimprovethesightbytheuseofthememory.Anythingthepatientfindsagreeabletorememberisaresttothemind.Themostfavorableconditionfortheexerciseofthememoryis,usually,withtheeyesclosedandcovered,butbypracticeitbecomespossibletorememberequallywellwiththeeyesopen.Whenpatientsareable,withtheireyesclosedandcovered,torememberperfectlyaletterofdiamondtype,itappears,justasitwouldiftheywerelookingatitwiththebodilyeyes,tohaveaslightmovement,whiletheopeningsinsidetheletterappearwhiterthantherestofthebackground.“

Bates’Imagination:“Visionis largelyamatterof imaginationandmemory. Imaginationiscloselyalliedtomemory,forwecanimagineonlyaswellasweremember,andinthetreatmentofimperfectsight the two can scarcely be separated. The cultivation of these faculties not only improves theinterpretationofthepicturesontheretinabutimprovestheretinalimagesthemselves”.

“Imaginationisveryefficientinimprovingthevision.Whensomepatientslookatablurredletterthattheyalreadyknow,theycanclosetheireyesandimagineitbetterthantheyseeitwiththeireyesopen.Byalternatelyimaginingaknownletterwiththeeyesclosedandwiththeeyesopened,notonlydoestheimaginationoftheletteroftenimprovestonormalwitheyesopenbuttheletteritselflookclearwhenthey lookat it. Thepatientwho isable todothis isalsoable todemonstrate thatwhentheimagination is improved foroneknown letter thevision forunknown lettersof thesamesizealsoimproves.Byimaginingthefirstletterofalineperfectlythepatientcantellthesecondletterandotherlettersthatarenotyetknown.”

BATES’QUESTION—Istillcannotvisualize"black"whatelsecanIuseasasubstitute?W.H.B.ANSWER—Don'ttrytoseeanything.Ifitisanefforttovisualizeblack,thinkofsomethingthatispleasant,forinstance,afieldofdaisies,asun-set,etc.Theresultwillbejustasbeneficial.

QUESTION—Topalmsuccessfullyisitnecessarytorememberblackortrytoseeblack?ANSWER—No.Whenonepalmssuccessfullytheeyesandmindarerelaxedandblackisusuallyseen,butanyefforttoseeblackisastrainwhichalwaysfails.

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Bates’Flashing:“Itistheunconscioushabitofmaking-an-efforttoseethatstrainstheeyesandspoilsthesight.Somepersonswithimperfectsightcanbetaughttoimprovetheirvisionbylearningtolookataletterorobjectforafractionofasecondwithouteffortusingthefollowingpractice:Theeyesarerestedforafewminutesbyclosingorpalming.Thepatientisremindedtonottryhardtoseeandnottoworryiftheyfailtoseeit.Thentheyaredirectedtoopentheireyes,lookataletteronthetestcardforafractionofasecondandquicklyclosetheeyesagainbeforethehabitofstraincanreassertitself.Theeyesareclosedorpalmedagaintorestthemandtheprocessrepeatedagainandagain.Ihavecalled this procedure flashing, and through this practice permanent relaxation is sometimes veryquicklyobtained.Asthesightimproveslearntoquicklyshifttosomethingelse.Dodgeyourimprovedvision.“

Bates’BlinkingandDodging:“Donotstare.Dodgeit.Wheneveryoursightimproves,shiftquicklytosomethingelse.Dodgeyourimprovedvision.Wheneveryouseethingsimperfectlyshiftyoureyesquicklytosomethingelse.Dodgeyourimperfectsight.Tostarealwayslowersthevision.Closingtheeyes effectually dodges perfect or imperfect sight. Usually the normal eye closes and opensunconsciously,quitefrequentlyandatirregularintervalsandforveryshortspacesoftime. ThisiscalledBlinkinganditisonlyanothernamefordodging.Dodgingwhat?Dodgingthetendencytolooksteadilyatthingsallthetime.Allthemethodswhichhavebeenrecommendedfortheimprovementofthevision,centralfixation,palming,swinging,blinkingcanallbegroupedundertheoneword—dodging”.

Bates’Practicing:“Howmuchtimeshouldonedevotetopracticingthemethodsdescribedabove?Theansweris—ALLTHETIME.Onecanpracticeproperlyfortenminutesandbecomfortable.Thatdoesnotmeanthatalltherestofthedayonecanstrainandtearone'seyesalltopieceswithoutpayingthepenaltyforbreakingthelaw.Ifyouareundertreatmentforimperfectsightworktokeepinmindalldaylongfromthetimeyouwakeupinthemorninguntilyougotobedatnightthefeelingofcomfort,ofrest,ofrelaxation,incessantly.Itisagreatdealbettertodothatthantofeelunderastrainandbeuncomfortablealldaylong.Oneshouldsecurerelaxationorrestuntiloneisperfectlycomfortableandcontinuefeelingcomfortableaslongasoneisawake.”

“Manypeoplecomplainthattheydonothavetimetopracticeandthattheyhavefatigue.So,theyarelessinclinedtopracticecentralfixation,theswing,palming,sunningandimaginingandrememberingperfectsightandotherthingsthatrelieveorpreventfatigue.Itshouldbeemphasizedthatonehasjustasmuchtimetodorightastodowronganditcertainlyisthewrongthingtogoaroundmostofthetimesufferingfromfatigue.”

Bates’ReadingFamiliarLetters: “Theeyealways strains to seeunfamiliarobjectsand is alwaysrelaxedtoagreaterorlessdegreebylookingatfamiliarobjects.Therefore,thereadingeverydayofsmallfamiliarlettersatthegreatestdistanceatwhichtheycanbeseenisaresttotheeyeand is sufficient to curechildrenunder twelvewhohavenotwornglasses,aswellassomeolderchildren,andadultswithminordefectsof vision.ReadingtheSnellenTestCardtwiceadayor oftener, with each eyeseparately without glasses, is agreat help in improving thesight.”

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STAR-CIRCLECHART

Thispracticeorganizescentralfixation(fovealfixation)anditsimmediatesurround(parafoveal).Itisaperceptuallearningpracticethatcanimprovetheaiminganddexterityofvisualprocessing(visualacuity).Perceptualtrainingrequiresdedicatedpracticesessionsatalevelofdifficultythatchallengesthedesiredperceptualskillatitspresentlevelandincreasesastheskilldevelops.Thisrequiresconsciousattentionwithminimalanxiety,straining,staring,breathholding,etc.Palmingorclosingtheeyestominimizestrainisrecommendedbeforepracticingandisencouragedduringthesessionwhenneeded.Ifpossiblewithoutstrainingorbecominganxious,imagineorrememberthesevisualimagesduringthesepalmingbreaksandatothertimesduringtheday.Bestimprovementresultsfrom20-minutepracticesessions,severaltimesaweekforseveralmonthsfollowedbyweeklyorbi-weeklytrainings.Lookatthemiddleofoneofthestarsonthelargestchart.Noticethatthefixatedstarlooksmoredistinctthanthenon-fixatedstarsandthatawhitecirclesurroundsthestarthatlookswhiterthantherestofthewhitebackground.Moveyoureyestofixatethenextstarandseethewhitecirclenowsurroundsthisstar.Startingatthetopleftstarmovetofixateeachstarinthatrow.Fixatefromstartostaracrossthenextrows.Waittoallowthefixatedstartosharpenandthesurroundingcircletowhiten.Warmupbystartingwiththelargestchartandthensmalleronestofindyourthresholdchart(i.e.,whereyoucansometimesseethewhitecircleandsometimesnot).Hereyoulearntorelaxtomorepreciselyaimatastartoseeitswhitecircle.Yourvisionmaybecomedisorganizedwhereinthedetailsofthestarsdisappearandyouseepatternsofdottedlines.Maybeit’stimetopalmorcloseyoureyesfortenbreathsortogobacktousingalargercharttobringbackthedetailsandcirclesPracticethiswiththegoalofseeingthewhitecirclewhitenmoreeasilyandquickly.Flowfromstartostarwithasenseofeasebutdon’ttrytospeedthroughthechart.Eventually,aseachstarclearsandyourfixationrefinesitsnaturalalignment,youmayfeelasimultaneousandspontaneousreleaseoftensioninyourbody,eyesandmind.Bemindfulofstrainingorstaring;breathe,blinkandswingthestarsinstead.Remembertoalignonthecenterofthestarsandtowaittoseetheenhancedwhitenessofthecircle.Practicewitheacheyealoneandwithbotheyes.Practiceatvariousdistances(includingfarandverynear).Changethelightlevels(itiseasiertoseeunderbrightlight).Tryswingingusingametronome.

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.

Usefortrainingatdistance.Tapetoawallorbackofachairandbackawayuntilyoufindyour

threshold(whenitbecomesdifficulttoseethew

hitecircles.Relax,breathe,closeandopeneyes,

swingbetweenstars,etc.Increasethedistanceasyouim

prove.

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TheABCchartsaretotransfertheeffectsofcentralfixationpracticeonvisualacuity.

Belowchartstopracticewhileconverging&diverging

TopracticeswingingO’s