Yoga For The Eyes

By Ney Chaves / Translation: Murilo Miranda Jr.

My visual adventure began in 1993, tirelessly working to prevent the genetic tendency of Glaucoma, which plagued my family. My mother lost an eye due to Glaucoma, out of 8 siblings only one sister and myself were spared from this aliment. The prevention began with the introduction of eye’s relaxation during daily choirs. I had high ocular pressure.

Today more than 10 years later at the age of 64 years, my ocular pressure is stabilized and I can read without glasses. Searching for a cure, I developed a method base on Yoga, visual re-education and self-healing by Meir-Schneider who also suffered visual problems( born practically blind, with congenital cataract and glaucoma nistagmo). Meir-Schneider created a treatment combining the principles of visual re-education developed by Dr. W. Bates in the early part of the 20 century.

The Yoga for the eyes is part of the ancient Chinese medicine and a process of self-treatments. The affected individual becomes aware of it’s own limitations and begins to use innate powers of the body and mind has to self-heal. Through gentle movements combined with massaging, stretching, breathing and visualization, the person substitutes the patterns of tensions for relaxations thus improving the body functions and the general well being.

Beatriz Nascimento introduced this method in Brazil in 1989. She is an Occupational Therapist who became aware of Meir-Schneider’s work initially taking care of her – muscular dystrophy, a disease that degenerates the muscular cells. Meir and Beatriz are living proof of this method: Meir was practically blind and now can see, and Beatriz through movements became landmark case for science.

My work in Rio de Janeiro with students (produced a book titled Luz, Escuridao e Movimento = Light, Darkness and Movement) which was published in Sep/92). I tried to encourage the students to develop “curious eyes” by taking breaks in their daily activities and trying to: read, watch television, or use the computer. In order to diminish the visual stress and integrate a relaxation method in their daily routine. The gradual process improves eyesight with light, darkness and movement conditions ideal for better eyesight.

In order to maintain healthly vision it is important to remember not to let your vision become fixed by staying in the same position for hours on end. This type of practice can be stressful to the body and the eyes. To help avoid this some simple exercises can be done:

* Such as looking at a picture, a painting or a flower trying to capture every detail. Then practice closing the eyes, visualize the details, open the eyes and look the object again. This exercise will make you aware of new details on the object and the vision will become clearer.

* Try looking out the window balancing your vision far and near, creating frequent pauses of 10 minutes in order to relax your eyes. Let the sunlight warm the eyelida and close the eyes and turn your head from side to side. On the streets where innumerous visual stimulants can be found, try not to fixate on the object, but constantly look at it near and far as if it was nearing or distancing itself.

* Repeat the same procedure when waiting a the bus stop, going to the bank, at work, using the computer or watching televison.Try not to fixate – create movement for the eyes, turn you head around as if the people, furniture, walls and all your surroundings fall in the opposite direction of our head and body.