YOGA FOR THE EYES

EYE ANATOMY
RETINA AND MACULA
HISTORY
Bates history
Advising fellow physicians not to wear their prescribed glasses.
Blank wall experiment
Meir Schneider story
Age 7 (shattered lens surgery)
Began the Bates Method of eye exercises at age 17
DR. SCHNEIDERS FINDINGS
The eyes see approximately 1 billion bits of information during any second.
This is too much information to be perceived, so we only pay attention to
certain data from the eyes and for efficiency, and we do it habitually.
Visual habits are hard to break.
He believes that all vision begins with thought and thought dictates the ways
your eyes function. The way your eyes function changes their structure.
Therefore, if you learn to function differently with your mind, you may also
change the structure of the eye.
Vision is effected by your emotional state. Dr. Schneider believes that visual
deterioration is often due to an unwillingness to observe the world closely. It
is less painful to partially blind ourselves that to notice the reality of our
experiences. Vision becomes fuzzy in an attempt to protect us emotionally.
CAUSES OF POOR VISION
Too much close vision
Overall shape of the eye. Long eyeballs are related to myopia
(nearsightedness; or an inability to see far) Short eyeballs are related to
hyperopia (farsightedness; or an inability to see near)
Eye tension
Tasks with high-level cognitive demand and prolonged, unrelieved near focusing.
Multitasking is another stressor.
Computer use. Long hours of near focusing with little visual breaks. The lens
becomes stiffened. Reduced blinking which can lead to glaucoma. Limited
peripheral vision and the central vision becomes overstressed. Pupils lose their
flexibility. Decreased circulation.

AS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST, LUANNE
KNOWS
Strong muscles shorten over time
Muscles that are chronically shortened can choke off incoming and/or
outgoing blood flow
Chronic decreased blood flow can lead to degeneration of structures
Prior damage to the eyes may have scar tissue in them. Scar tissue
is only 80% as strong as the original, so with exercises that take you
to the end of mobilitythe first to give will be the scar tissue.

EXERCISE GUIDELINES
Never strain to see
Let your vision be what it is
Do not force yourself to do any exercise that feels uncomfortable to
you.
Do not create goals for yourself.
Remember that your eyes are not isolated from the rest of your body.
BASIC PRINCIPLES
The goal is to relax the eyes
Your eyes should be able to adjust to varying intensity of light
Balance central and peripheral vision.
Work on gaining flexibility of the lens.
Working the eyes and body as a whole.
WHEN YOU ARE DOING YOUR
EXERCISES
Remember to remove your glasses
Breathe slowly and deeply
Pay attention to how your eyes feel as you practice
Be patient awaiting changes
# 1
# 2
# 3
# 4
# 5
# 6
# 7
# 8
# 9
# 10
# 11
# 12
# 13
13 CONTINUED