Having worn glasses for ten years, I learned about the Dr. Bates Method of Vision Training from a friend.  I didn’t know there was anything one could do about wearing glasses.  I never liked them, but was unaware of any alternative until I heard about the Dr. Bates Method.  I went through the vision training process of physical therapy for the eyes, normalized my vision and went on to become a teacher of the method.  I have coined the term Eye-Robics because that is exactly what physical therapy is, getting the eyes into motion, to function and into its’ natural normal  flexible state.

If Eyes Can Get Worse, They Can Get Better

Have you ever given it any thought that that if your eyes can get worse (not see clearly) they can get better (see clearly again).  Our bodies were made to heal.  This is what ophthalmologist Dr. Wm H. Bates discovered over 90 year ago.  He asked,”If glasses are correct why do they continually need to be strengthened, while the eyes under their influence have been weakened?”  Glasses are a crutch, and not intended to be used for a lifetime.  As with all crutches, their purpose is to allow you to function (see to drive etc.) until your own muscles are strengthened and you no longer need the crutch.

In the Eye-Robics vision training process this is exactly what we do.  If a person has a strong prescription we have them wear a weaker prescription (safe for driving) for where ever they are visually.  This allows the eyes to function more under the lens and allows continued progress in getting healthier and clearer vision; you treat your glasses like a pair of crutches, using them when you need to see for safety etc. and leaving them off other times to allow the eyes to loosen up and function.   As the vision improves, a lesser prescription is needed and the person goes into a healthy spiral of weaker and weaker glasses until none are needed. The number of prescription changes varies with the persons need for clarity in their profession and the strength of the prescription. Someone with a mild prescription may never need a weaker prescription.  A strong prescription may need two or three changes.

There is a way to keep your eyes healthy and fit, even if you have glaucoma, or cataracts along with whatever reason you originally went into glasses, such as myopia (nearsightedness), presbyopia (farsightedness), astigmatism or any other eye problem even strabismus or a phoria..

Eyes Can Learn To Be Healthy And Function For A Lifetime

What does it mean to have healthy eyes?  If your vision is 20/20 and the demands on your eyes are not causing you physical strain and discomfort in your eyes, head, neck and back, then you have healthy eyes. If you are not seeing clearly and experience getting stronger and stronger lenses every year or two, have glaucoma, cataracts, astigmatism or any other eye problems then you need to consider a healthier alternative.

If you look around you and in care homes, you will find that the “Golden Years” are not  so “Golden”. So many older people have glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, ptosis (drooping eyelid), etc. Most all of these conditions are a result of stress which causes lack of functioning and circulation over time. This condition over a period of time causes deterioration.  The medical profession calls it old age, but eyes can learn how to be healthier and function for a lifetime.

The Cause And Cure Of Vision Problems

Dr. Wm. H. Bates, ophthalmologist, pioneered vision therapy in the early1900's; he discovered the cause and the cure of vision problems. He discovered that tension in the mind interfered with the involuntary focusing muscles of the eye. In the normal eye whether you look near or far, the eye automatically focuses where you put your attention. This is called eye-mind coordination. We see with our mind first directing our attention. Vision is 9/10 mental and 1/10 physical. The eyes are tools of the mind.

Just as ulcers and heart attacks are caused by prolonged stress (psycho somatic illness), so is the vision affected by stress. These stresses are always accompanied by changes: people moving, changing schools, a divorce, a death, career changes, a difficult relationship. These changes create stress and an element of the unknown which evokes fear. This fear is usually repressed as a survival mechanism and never dealt with again.

Learn To Relax

As opposed to a medical or mechanical approach, this vision training is based on the principle of relaxation. It teaches specific techniques and skills for relaxing mental stress, releasing muscle tension and restoring muscle flexibility. It releases the strain that keeps you from seeing clearly and re-educates the mind and body in good seeing habits again.  You once saw clearly.  Relearning is five times faster than learning.

It’s easy, safe, fun and it’s for everyone, regardless of age or strength of glasses (prescription). The Dr. Bates Method which I call Eye-Robics is physical therapy for the eyes. The process allows the muscles to return to functioning and therefore a healthy state allowing good circulation.

Benefits

The benefits are tremendous stress reduction on the autonomic nervous system. Dr. Bates says, ”All vision problems are nerve problems”. So the solution/cure for glaucoma, cataracts and all eye problems is this natural physical therapy process called Eye-Robics. Healthy eyes do not have eye problems. This natural process teaches you how to have fit and normal vision again and gives you the tools to keep your eyes healthy and fit for the rest of your life.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure but it does not matter where you are visually, you start from where you are.

A journey is not taken until the first step, then its one step at a time.  It is a wise man who is willing to improve his/her state of being when a brighter path is shown.