If there is one thing I want to impress on you about the Bares method is that this method is not about physical exercises. Quite the opposite, in fact. It is about maintaining and developing correct visual habits, the right way to use your eyes. Lots of people read his book and think all they have to do is perform certain exercises, and then they wonder why they don’t see any results. Well, Bates method is more like yoga in that respect. If you decide to master, say, Raja yoga, you don’t practice a certain set of exercises and expect to become an adept after a while. It’s more about developing your mind, mind control, things that can’t be developed mechanically. Things that can’t be taught in a book. It is the same with the Bates method.
Palming and sun treatment can hardly be called exercises, techniques maybe, that allow one to relax. Shifting and central fixation are actions that are performed all the time even by people with imperfect vision. They should become more aware of them.
Bates advocated the use of an eye chart but this chart is used more for a feedback rather than an actual tool. You don’t have to use a eyechart, you can use trees, pictures on the wall or whatever object you want. He encouraged practicing shifting with an eyechart because it’s quite easy to do. He never advocated exercises like “roll your eyes all the way to the left, then all the way to the right”, that are so popular. Admittedly, they won’t do any harm. But no benefits either.
Just look at all the misconceptions that are around and used by people “promoting” Bates method
They would talk about “weak” muscles that need strengthening, “just like any other part of the body”. Yeah, right. Eye muscles are not like any other muscle. They are certainly not weak, in fact they are in a permanent spasm. To relax this spasm is what Bates method is all about.
They would talk about eyechart that if you use the same eyechart, you memorize it and it won’t be effective. That is precisely the idea! The eye chart in Bates method is not used to test your vision, it is used to practice shifting, or, if your vision is good, to maintain it just by looking at it as a familiar object. I actually saw someone on internet selling one of the numerous Bates rip-off products the random eyechart generator. These people just don’t get it.
On a side note: the more I look on internet, the more I think that any info product that is sold there is an overpriced scam. Vision improvement products are just part of it. You certainly don't need to buy anything. The Bates book is actually cheaper than books of his followers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
In the sense of yoga, not stretching for strength and flexibility, but rather to relax tensed up muscles, would stretches not help? The extraocular muscles can be so tense and I feel that just looking around at the extreme edges of vision can release the tension by stretching some of those muscles. I got this idea from David De Angelis' book. I agree that the main point is relaxation, as when you relax you move the muscles more correctly, thus naturally performing the stretches.
Yes, in that case they would help. If they help you, great, keep doing them. I really can't say that I noticed any improvement after I've been doing them for a while.
What helps me is stretching/relaxing focusing muscles (ciliary?) by performing near-far swing and just looking at the distance. Even these methods just bring temporary flashes of improvement but it is better than nothing.
The road of vision improvement is long and winding and not everyone will get out of the forest. But if you are on it, I wish you good luck.
Post a Comment