Both Charaka and Sushrutha, have given second place to Shalakya Tantra in the list of 8 branches of Ayurveda, next only to their respective specialities. This branch, in the words of Sushrutha, is vast like an ocean and completely explaining is next to impossible, even with thousands of lines. Charaka Samhitha has accepted Shalakya tantra as a specialists domain.
Definitions:
1. Sushrutha Samhitha
¯dd¬dd™Sda ¦dd«d E¥®d‰¡dÎdg›d£dd¦dda Úd®dPd ¦dSd¦d ®dQŠµ¦d œTdPddeQ ±daeÚd£dd¦dda ®Sdd¥df¦dda D§d¯d«d¦dd¤d‰a
Shalakya Tantra is the branch of ayurveda to manage the diseases arising above the jathru region namely ears, eyes, oral cavity , nose etc.,
Commenting on the above, Dalhana explains:
¡dÎdg ›d’f®dd «dj¬da, A¦Sdî ®d´d Aa±d ±de¦¥da AdUgµ; ®dQ¦d«dÎd «dgšdIg¶UµTa AdUgµZ, œTdPddeQ ±de«Úd£dd¦dda B£SdÎd AdeQ ¯d©Qdd£dŠ e¯dT I¶§dd¬ddeQ ±de¦Úd£dd¦dda ….
2.Arunadatta : Urdhwa jathruchikithsa
SdÎd EÙ‰ ¡dÎdg›d£dd¦dda Tdî›dd¦dda ¦dyÎd I¶Pd‰ œTdPddeQ ±daeÚd£dd¦dda AdÜddî£d¦d ¯d¬ddI¶deQµ¦ddî§d¯d«d¦ddî ®dPSd‰£dy £dQj¥®dd«dŠ›d eŸdeI¶£±dd ¦dd«d A¦›da
Commenting on the Astanga Hridaya Suthra 1/15, Arunadattha in his commentary Sarvanga sundari,has defined Shalakya tantra as that branch of medicine dealing with the diseases of eyes, ear, nose etc., with the help of therapeutics like aschyothana and with the use of shalakas.
3.Hemadri: Urdhwanga chikithsa
E¥®dd‰¦dŠ›daµ e¯dTZ
Commenting on the same lines, Hemadri, in his commentary ayurveda rasayana, defines Shalakya tantra as the branch of medicine that treats diseases of head.
4. Shalaka chikithsa
Yadavji Thrikamji Acharya, who edited the Charaka Samhitha with Chakrapani data commentary (Charaka suthra 30/28) has quoted another definition as:
§dLµ¬d ®dî¥d ¯d¬ddI¶d §T¥dd¦d«dŠ Aa›da ¯dd¬dd™Sda
Shalakya Tantra is the branch of medicine in which Shalaka is used for the surgical procedures like patala vyadhana
5.
Dalhana commenting on Sushrutha Samhitha Utthara 1/13, has termed the practitioners of Shalakya tantra as Shalakin, who are considered as the experts to bestow vision
QpeÞ µŠ e®d¯ddTQdZŠµ µ ¯d¬ddeIn¦dZ
With the above definitions, we can conclude that Shalakya Tantra is the one among the 8 branches of Ayurveda in which
· Diseases above the clavicle (jathru) are dealt with
· Diseases of eyes, nose, ear and oral cavity are described
· Diseases of the eyes were given priority
· Various probes (shalaka) are used to manage diseases
Luminaries of Shalakya Tantra
There are mainly three schools of thought in Shalakya Tantra,says Chakra pani dattha, the learned commentator of Charaka Samhitha (Chikthsa 26/131), while describing nethra roga nidanam.
. The Nimi – Videha school who advocate eye diseases as 76, Karala- Bhadra shounaka school. Who increased the number to 96 and the Saathyaki school who restrict the number to 80.
Sushrutha Samhitha (Utthara 1/5) has greatly relied upon the Nimi- Videha ideology. Dalhana, while commenting on this has explained that the opinions of Karala –Bhadra shounaka are not acceptable to Sushrutha. Dalhana even quotes a story on the origin of Chakshurveda. . Once upon a time, Janaka Maharaja,the king of Videha undertook alambha yagna. Sun god was angry at the king and cursed him to be blind. However, Janaka undertook meditation on Sun god and pleased him to revoke his vision . He even taught him the Chakshurveda, the science of better eye sight. In Brahma vaivartha purana, King Janaka is considered as a disciple of Sun God.
While quoting the original text books of the 8 branches of Ayurveda, the learned editor of Astanga Hridaya, Harishasthri Paradkar has enlisted 12 authentic works of Shalakya Tantra. They are;
· Videha Tantra
· Nimi tantra
· Kaankayana tantra
· Gaargya tantra
· Gaalava tantra
· Saathyaki tantra
· Bhadra shaunaka tantra
· Shaunaka tantra
· Karala tantra
· Chakshushya tantra
· Krishna atreya tantra
· Kaathyaayana tantra
We have references of Bhoja Samhitha in several occasions in Dalhana and Gayadasas commentaries on issues related with Shalakya tantra. The various commentaries on Astanga Hridaya, Astanga Sangraha, Madhava Nidana ,Sharangdhara samhitha etc are enriched with the statements of these authorities.
On the therapeutic aspects of Shalakya Tantra, the contributions of medieval writers are commendable. The Bhava prakasha, Yoga rathnakara, Gada nigraha etc., have advanced this branch towards new heights. Various Rasa Shasthra texts like Rasa ratna samuchaya, rasa chandamshu, Rasendra sara sangraha etc have also provided different formulations for the Shalakya practitioners .
Evolution of Shalakya Tantra
The evolution of Shalakya Tantra can be traced back to Vedas. The anatomical, physiological and pathological details of various sense organs are described in vedic literature. These references are scattered and an effort was made by the sages to compile and present them in a systematic manner on the basis of their clinical experience under Shalakya Tantra.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishat (11/2-3) narrates that “ the two eyes are vishwamitra and jamadagni , located in two of the seven cavities of the skull. Eye ball has 3 distinct layers as shuklam, lokinam and krishnam,
The kaneenika is like sun and lacrimal glands are there in like parjanya.
Chandogya upanishat(1/6/6) has even described the inner structures of the eye as hiranya maya, hiranya kasha and hiranya smashru. These parts perhaps refers to macula lutea ( yellow spot), optic nerve( golden coloured) and rectus bulbi of the eye ball.
Treatment of eye diseases, including blindness is described in some of the hymns of Rgveda. The Ashwin twins have said to bestowed sight to Rjashwa(Rg. 1/116/16), Paravrija (Rg. 1/112/8), Kashivit (Rg. 1/16/120), Kanva (Rg. 1/117/8) and Kavi Puru (Rg. 1/116/7). ; hearing to Nahusha (Rg.1/116/16); complete head transplantation of Dadheechi.
The physiology and pathologies of Shrothr or ears is reflected in some of the hymns of Yajurveda (6/31; 7/27; 14/17;4/8;). The tongue or jihwa, which is responsible for proper speech and organ of taste (20/6;17/8;) the dantha mula (25/1) thaalu ( 25/1) finds place in the hymns of Yajurveda. The effect of medicinal plants for the management of diseases (25/1) of dantha moola, agra jihwa, thaalu, hanu , kaneenika, shukla mandala, Krishna mandala, pakshma mandala etc are also explained.
The tongue is said to be the seat of Saraswathi and the nostrils, the abode of Ashwin twins, according to Shathapatha brahmana (12/9/1/14), which also describes certain physiological aspects of these two organs.
We also come across the name of eye surgeon Shivaka who rooted out the eye ball and transplanted the same on some other body (Jataka X V )
Chakshushopanishat is devoted exclusively for the promotion of eye sight, and to remove the adverse effects of the misdeeds of the previous births. Yathaaham andho na syam thathaa kalpaya kalpaya (Please prevent me from becoming blind) is the prayer involved in this upanishat which also craves for the speedy recovery from the eye diseases ( twaritam chakshu rogan shamaya shamaya). There are several such prayers in Atharva veda: May Surya, the soverign lord of eyes, protect me (5/24-9 )
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
trachoma
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Trachoma is a hidden disease
Few people have heard of trachoma, a preventable disease that threatens to blind nearly 10 percent of the world’s population. It remains hidden in rural communities where people live in overcrowded conditions with limited access to water and health care. Because the disease is not fatal, it is often overlooked as a priority for public-health intervention. In some communities, the disease is so common that blindness from trachoma is simply accepted as a fact of life. Yet trachoma is treatable, and the suffering that it causes is avoidable.
Trachoma is an infectious disease of the eye caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. The bacteria can be spread easily on an infected person’s hands or clothing, or may be carried by flies that have come in contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person. Because trachoma is transmitted through close personal contact, it tends to occur in clusters, often infecting entire families and communities.
Trachoma can ruin the economic well-being of entire communities. Globally, the disease results in an estimated US $2.9 billion in lost productivity per year. Blindness from trachoma strikes adults in their prime years, hindering their ability to care for themselves and their families. Women, traditionally the caretakers of the home, are three times more likely than men to be blinded by the disease. When a woman can no longer perform vital activities for her household, an older daughter is often removed from school to fulfill her mother’s role, thus losing her opportunity for a formal education. Without intervention, trachoma keeps families shackled within a cycle of poverty, as the disease and its long-term effects are passed from one generation to the next.
Trachoma is a quiet disease
Those who are infected by trachoma do not instantly go blind. The disease manifests gradually – while children are most susceptible to infection, they may not note its effects until adulthood, when scarring from repeated infections causes the eyelashes to turn inward and scratch the cornea, leading slowly and painfully to complete blindness.
Women are up to three times more likely than men to be blinded by the disease.
History of Trachoma
Trachoma is one of the oldest known infectious diseases, with references dating back to ancient Egypt. At the turn of the 20th century, trachoma remained a serious health threat in the United States and Europe—indeed, it was a leading criterion for excluding immigrants at Ellis Island. By the 1950’s, however, trachoma had virtually disappeared from the industrialized world, thanks to improved sanitation and overall living conditions.
Trachoma continues to plague the developing world, remaining endemic in the poorest regions of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and in some parts of Latin America and Australia. Currently, 8 million people are visually impaired as a result of trachoma, and 84 million suffer from active infection.
ABOUT TRACHOMA ABOUT ITI ITI PROGRAMS PRESS CENTER GET INVOLVED CONTACT ITI
Copyright © 2005 The International Trachoma Initiative. All rights reserved.
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Swinging
Long Swinging: Instructions
"Rotate your body from left to right and back. Eyes, torso and head move together. Turning mostly around your waist. Don't look at anything as you swing; be aware of movement mainly. Let your eyes go, let your consciousness stay in front of you while you turn. Make sure to keep breathing."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
"There is another type of mobility swinging in the Bates method, sometimes called "long swinging", which has a rather different purpose [from regular swinging]. It is simple to do, and consists essentially of turning from side to side. Stand with the feet about 30 centimetres (12 inches) apart, the arms hanging loosely, and, lifting the right heel as you do so, turn to the left. When you have reached the limit of comfortable travel, turn to the right, letting the left heel rise and the right one return to the floor. Go on like this until you have performed 20 complete swings. The turning should involve your hips as well as your waist. Keep your arms relaxed so that they rise slightly as you swing. Do not go too fast; try to make the swings smooth, level, and rhythmical.
Keep your eyes open and allow the image of your surroundings to rush past without trying to focus on anything in particular. Nearby objects will naturally seem to move faster than distant ones, and will probably be no more than a blur. Make no attempt to hold on to or fix any part of the image; notice only that everything seems to be moving in the direction opposite to that of your swing.(Pages 63-64)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Long Swinging: Benefits
"Long swinging is very effective in breaking the habit of staring. It also promotes looseness and relaxation in the upper part of the body. According to Dr. Bates, 50 swings performed at bedtime and again on rising will help to prevent or alleviate eyestrain during sleep.(P. 64)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Long Swinging: Dizziness
"Should you find yourself becoming dizzy, begin with just a few swings and each day add one or two to the total. Eventually any feeling of nausea should disappear and you will be able to do as many swings as you please.(P. 64)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Sunning
Introduction
"The Bates technique for relieving photophobia is called sunning, and consists simply of taking sunshine on the closed lids. In this way the retina is accustomed to progressively brighter light, until the stage is reached where the eye can function efficiently over the entire range of normally encountered light intensities. The warmth of the sun and the therapeutic properties of its rays also have a profound and beneficial effect on the health of the eyes and on the ability to relax them (Page 49)."
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Things to Avoid
Do not look directly at the sun
Do not wear contacts or lenses when sunning
Do not use fluorescent light
Never use an infrared or ultraviolet lamp
It is advised to sun only in the morning or evening and only for short periods of time
What is Sunning?
"Face the sun, eyes closed. I repeat: EYES CLOSED. Allow the warmth of the sun to penetrate deeply into your eyes and forehead. Relaxedly turn your head from side to side. Keep breathing. Feel the position of the sun."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
"Begin if you can by taking half a minute of sun [do not look directly at the sun], palm until the after-images have substantially faded, and repeat two or three times. At the next sunning session increase the period slightly and repeat it an extra time, building up over the weeks and months to a maximum of 20 minutes of sun in all.(P. 50)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
"If direct sunlight isn't availlable, artificial full-spectrum lights can be used."
What is Sunning?
"Many people have reported that their vision improve [sic] after sunning."
The Vision Improvement Site: Sunning
"Sunning is an ancient tradition in India."
Sun Treatment
"If you are very light sensitive you may want to start by closing your eyes and just facing into the sky but not directly at the sun. NOTE: At no time are you to open your eyes while looking at the sun!! This stimulates the rods and cones in your eye. Anytime I come out of a very dark place, like a movie theater, I do this exercise for about 20 seconds, and have no problem. I do not wear sunglasses anymore on a regular basis. I keep them handy for glare situations and only then when I'm wearing contact lenses which is not very often anymore"
http://www.i-see.org/archive/sun
"It is advised to sun only in the morning or evening and only for short periods of time."
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Blinking and Breathing
"Practise giving half a dozen rapid and very light blinks, shut the eyes lightly for the space of two whole breaths, and repeat four times. This little routine, practised regularly, twice or more a day, will, especially if followed by a brief spell of palming, help to establish the correct tone in the muscles of the eyelids and develop better habits of blinking. No more than a few seconds should pass between one blink and the next. As a very rough guide, between two and four blinks in each period of ten seconds is about right.(P. 60)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
"Beware of the stare. We lock ourselves into a stare, eyes immobile and breath stopped. Spaced. Blink your eyes rapidly as you take two big breaths whenever you become aware of your eyes or breath."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
Fusion
"We now come to the part of the Bates method aimed at improving the use of the extrinsic muscles. Tracking, searching, and scanning are helped by the techniques covered in the chapters on mobility; fusion techniques, given here, will improve control of the visual axis.
Together with the accommodation drills to be described later, fusion techniques come as close as anything else in the Bates method to what is normally understood by the term "eye exercises". In one sense they are indeed eye exercises, because the extrinsic muscles and the mechanism of accommodation are strengthened by them, but to say that they are nothing more is to simplify what the achieve. They make use of conscious control in order to improve control on an unconscious plane. This principle is basic to the whole of the Bates method, and runs through nearly every one of its techniques.
Fusion drills are simple. The first [pencil fusion] may be used as a test to determine whether your fusion (control of the visual axes) is faulty and needs further work.(Page 53)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Pencil Fusion
"Take a pencil and hold it straight up in front of you and about 45 centimetres (18 inches) from your face. Look at the pencil, and then allow your eyes to refocus in the distance beyond it (on the far wall if you are indoors). You should now be able to see two blurred pencils, like gateposts one on either side of the point you are looking at. The two pencils should be equally plain. If they are not, if you can only see one, or if the point in the distance also appears double, then your fusion is certainly faulty.
If you can only see one pencil, shut either eye alternately to find out which is the weaker. Now cover the stronger eye and look at the pencil again. Refocus in the distance and memorise where the pencil comes in relation to the distant view. Uncover the stronger eye. Does it dominate the weaker one completely; does the pencil immediately switch sides? Or are you able to retain the weaker eye's pencil, at least for a moment or two?
Similarly, practise covering the stronger eye if both pencils are visible but one is clearer than the other. If the distant point is also double, practice with one eye at a time, focusing first on the pencil, and then in the distance, bringing your focus back to the pencil. Repeat this routine three times with each eye, then try both together. Don't worry if you have difficulty with this or with any of the fusion drills. They will all come eventually, aided by your progress with palming and sunning.(Page 53)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Two-Pencil Fusion
"For two-pencil fusion you need some definite reference point in the distance: any object that will fit conveniently into the 'gateway'. Hold one pencil up at arm's length, and another a few inches from your face. Practise making two gateways, one enclosing the other and both enclosing the reference point. Aim to make each of the 'four' pencils equally plain, although the nearer gateway will of course be more blurred. Now focus on the further pencil. You should find that your reference point has doubled: each of the two should appear equally plain. Bring your focus back to the nearer pencil. The far pencil should now be making a gateway, which is itself enclosed by the paired images of the reference point. Again, the paired images and the gateway should appear equally plain. Finally, focus somewhere in the middle distance, between the far pencil and the reference point, and see whether you can maintain not only both gateways but also the paired images of the reference point. (Page 54)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Comments
The 'distance' referred to in the instructions for pencil fusion and two-pencil fusion should be a distance which is farther away than your eyes are accustomed to at the time you do the exercise.
For example if you are watching television, and you are doing the fusion exercises during the commercials, you should focus on a point in the distance which is farther away than the television.
Mobility
"The techniques [blinking and breathing, shifting, swinging, long swinging] given under this heading, besides improving the remaining functions of the extrinsic muscles (tracking, searching and scanning), also counteract the various tendencies which are part and parcel of the habit of "trying" to see. As already noted, this "trying" is commonly accompanied by some degree of immobility of the eyes and body. The rate of blinking decreases; breathing becomes shallower and may, for a while, even stop. The muscles of the head, neck, shoulders, and perhaps other parts of the body too, may be unnaturally tensed, and all the time the eyes are fixed with increasing intentness on their target. As the eyes become fixed so does the attention, which only encourages the eyes to become yet more fixed, with a resulting impairment of both vision and perception.(P. 59)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Accommodation
What is Accommodation?
"Bates's proposal was that the eye accommodates [changes focus for far and near objects], not by a change in the shape of the lens, but by a change in the shape in the eyeball itself, this change being brought about by the six extrinsic muscles which control the movement of the eye in it's socket. (Page 3)."
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Long Swinging: Instructions
"Rotate your body from left to right and back. Eyes, torso and head move together. Turning mostly around your waist. Don't look at anything as you swing; be aware of movement mainly. Let your eyes go, let your consciousness stay in front of you while you turn. Make sure to keep breathing."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
"There is another type of mobility swinging in the Bates method, sometimes called "long swinging", which has a rather different purpose [from regular swinging]. It is simple to do, and consists essentially of turning from side to side. Stand with the feet about 30 centimetres (12 inches) apart, the arms hanging loosely, and, lifting the right heel as you do so, turn to the left. When you have reached the limit of comfortable travel, turn to the right, letting the left heel rise and the right one return to the floor. Go on like this until you have performed 20 complete swings. The turning should involve your hips as well as your waist. Keep your arms relaxed so that they rise slightly as you swing. Do not go too fast; try to make the swings smooth, level, and rhythmical.
Keep your eyes open and allow the image of your surroundings to rush past without trying to focus on anything in particular. Nearby objects will naturally seem to move faster than distant ones, and will probably be no more than a blur. Make no attempt to hold on to or fix any part of the image; notice only that everything seems to be moving in the direction opposite to that of your swing.(Pages 63-64)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Long Swinging: Benefits
"Long swinging is very effective in breaking the habit of staring. It also promotes looseness and relaxation in the upper part of the body. According to Dr. Bates, 50 swings performed at bedtime and again on rising will help to prevent or alleviate eyestrain during sleep.(P. 64)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Long Swinging: Dizziness
"Should you find yourself becoming dizzy, begin with just a few swings and each day add one or two to the total. Eventually any feeling of nausea should disappear and you will be able to do as many swings as you please.(P. 64)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Sunning
Introduction
"The Bates technique for relieving photophobia is called sunning, and consists simply of taking sunshine on the closed lids. In this way the retina is accustomed to progressively brighter light, until the stage is reached where the eye can function efficiently over the entire range of normally encountered light intensities. The warmth of the sun and the therapeutic properties of its rays also have a profound and beneficial effect on the health of the eyes and on the ability to relax them (Page 49)."
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Things to Avoid
Do not look directly at the sun
Do not wear contacts or lenses when sunning
Do not use fluorescent light
Never use an infrared or ultraviolet lamp
It is advised to sun only in the morning or evening and only for short periods of time
What is Sunning?
"Face the sun, eyes closed. I repeat: EYES CLOSED. Allow the warmth of the sun to penetrate deeply into your eyes and forehead. Relaxedly turn your head from side to side. Keep breathing. Feel the position of the sun."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
"Begin if you can by taking half a minute of sun [do not look directly at the sun], palm until the after-images have substantially faded, and repeat two or three times. At the next sunning session increase the period slightly and repeat it an extra time, building up over the weeks and months to a maximum of 20 minutes of sun in all.(P. 50)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
"If direct sunlight isn't availlable, artificial full-spectrum lights can be used."
What is Sunning?
"Many people have reported that their vision improve [sic] after sunning."
The Vision Improvement Site: Sunning
"Sunning is an ancient tradition in India."
Sun Treatment
"If you are very light sensitive you may want to start by closing your eyes and just facing into the sky but not directly at the sun. NOTE: At no time are you to open your eyes while looking at the sun!! This stimulates the rods and cones in your eye. Anytime I come out of a very dark place, like a movie theater, I do this exercise for about 20 seconds, and have no problem. I do not wear sunglasses anymore on a regular basis. I keep them handy for glare situations and only then when I'm wearing contact lenses which is not very often anymore"
http://www.i-see.org/archive/sun
"It is advised to sun only in the morning or evening and only for short periods of time."
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Blinking and Breathing
"Practise giving half a dozen rapid and very light blinks, shut the eyes lightly for the space of two whole breaths, and repeat four times. This little routine, practised regularly, twice or more a day, will, especially if followed by a brief spell of palming, help to establish the correct tone in the muscles of the eyelids and develop better habits of blinking. No more than a few seconds should pass between one blink and the next. As a very rough guide, between two and four blinks in each period of ten seconds is about right.(P. 60)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
"Beware of the stare. We lock ourselves into a stare, eyes immobile and breath stopped. Spaced. Blink your eyes rapidly as you take two big breaths whenever you become aware of your eyes or breath."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
Fusion
"We now come to the part of the Bates method aimed at improving the use of the extrinsic muscles. Tracking, searching, and scanning are helped by the techniques covered in the chapters on mobility; fusion techniques, given here, will improve control of the visual axis.
Together with the accommodation drills to be described later, fusion techniques come as close as anything else in the Bates method to what is normally understood by the term "eye exercises". In one sense they are indeed eye exercises, because the extrinsic muscles and the mechanism of accommodation are strengthened by them, but to say that they are nothing more is to simplify what the achieve. They make use of conscious control in order to improve control on an unconscious plane. This principle is basic to the whole of the Bates method, and runs through nearly every one of its techniques.
Fusion drills are simple. The first [pencil fusion] may be used as a test to determine whether your fusion (control of the visual axes) is faulty and needs further work.(Page 53)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Pencil Fusion
"Take a pencil and hold it straight up in front of you and about 45 centimetres (18 inches) from your face. Look at the pencil, and then allow your eyes to refocus in the distance beyond it (on the far wall if you are indoors). You should now be able to see two blurred pencils, like gateposts one on either side of the point you are looking at. The two pencils should be equally plain. If they are not, if you can only see one, or if the point in the distance also appears double, then your fusion is certainly faulty.
If you can only see one pencil, shut either eye alternately to find out which is the weaker. Now cover the stronger eye and look at the pencil again. Refocus in the distance and memorise where the pencil comes in relation to the distant view. Uncover the stronger eye. Does it dominate the weaker one completely; does the pencil immediately switch sides? Or are you able to retain the weaker eye's pencil, at least for a moment or two?
Similarly, practise covering the stronger eye if both pencils are visible but one is clearer than the other. If the distant point is also double, practice with one eye at a time, focusing first on the pencil, and then in the distance, bringing your focus back to the pencil. Repeat this routine three times with each eye, then try both together. Don't worry if you have difficulty with this or with any of the fusion drills. They will all come eventually, aided by your progress with palming and sunning.(Page 53)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Two-Pencil Fusion
"For two-pencil fusion you need some definite reference point in the distance: any object that will fit conveniently into the 'gateway'. Hold one pencil up at arm's length, and another a few inches from your face. Practise making two gateways, one enclosing the other and both enclosing the reference point. Aim to make each of the 'four' pencils equally plain, although the nearer gateway will of course be more blurred. Now focus on the further pencil. You should find that your reference point has doubled: each of the two should appear equally plain. Bring your focus back to the nearer pencil. The far pencil should now be making a gateway, which is itself enclosed by the paired images of the reference point. Again, the paired images and the gateway should appear equally plain. Finally, focus somewhere in the middle distance, between the far pencil and the reference point, and see whether you can maintain not only both gateways but also the paired images of the reference point. (Page 54)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Comments
The 'distance' referred to in the instructions for pencil fusion and two-pencil fusion should be a distance which is farther away than your eyes are accustomed to at the time you do the exercise.
For example if you are watching television, and you are doing the fusion exercises during the commercials, you should focus on a point in the distance which is farther away than the television.
Mobility
"The techniques [blinking and breathing, shifting, swinging, long swinging] given under this heading, besides improving the remaining functions of the extrinsic muscles (tracking, searching and scanning), also counteract the various tendencies which are part and parcel of the habit of "trying" to see. As already noted, this "trying" is commonly accompanied by some degree of immobility of the eyes and body. The rate of blinking decreases; breathing becomes shallower and may, for a while, even stop. The muscles of the head, neck, shoulders, and perhaps other parts of the body too, may be unnaturally tensed, and all the time the eyes are fixed with increasing intentness on their target. As the eyes become fixed so does the attention, which only encourages the eyes to become yet more fixed, with a resulting impairment of both vision and perception.(P. 59)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Accommodation
What is Accommodation?
"Bates's proposal was that the eye accommodates [changes focus for far and near objects], not by a change in the shape of the lens, but by a change in the shape in the eyeball itself, this change being brought about by the six extrinsic muscles which control the movement of the eye in it's socket. (Page 3)."
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Maximize the Effect of the Bates Method
"It is important for you to become self-aware of the ways in which you overtense your eyes in order to try to see. It is important that you free your body -- your potential mechanism. The places to look for tension mostly include: the back of the upper neck; the upper back; between the shoulders; the hands and feet; the shoulders; the pelvis; the chest; and the stomach. Yoga, meditation, massage, Feldenkreis, Alexander, Rolfing, polarity, dancing, running, breathing, swimming, etc. are all excellent adjuncts to Bates' system. It is important to learn to take your glasses off, especially in non-demanding, non-threatening situations. You are not blind, and though you can't see what you think you are supposed to see, you can see what you can see, so pay attention to that which is there for you. Everyone experiences emotional factors when they change to no glasses."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
"…A problem with identifying strain immediately is those of us who strain most are often suffering the least discomfort from it. It may become so habitual, so ingrained in our normal way of doing things, that we don't perceive it as necessarily uncomfortable."
Strain and Relaxation
The Four Basic Exercises
"To be done when they feel good -- ten minutes or thirty seconds -- the more often and the longer, the better."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
Palming
Instructions
"The simple idea of resting the eyes by closing them is basic to the Bates method. Dr. Bates coined for it the term 'palming'.
· The eyes are gently closed and covered with the palms in such a way that all light is excluded and no pressure is applied to the eyeballs.
· The heels of the hands rest lightly on the cheekbones and the fingers on the forehead.
· Palming is usually done while seated.
· The elbows should be supported, either on a table in front of you or on a thick cushion or two in your lap.
· While palming you should feel entirely comfortable, safe and warm. Choose if you can a quiet time and a place where you are not likely to be disturbed.
· Become conscious of and do your best to relax any undue tension in the muscles of your face, neck, shoulders, and the rest of your body.
· Listen to the radio if you wish, or just allow the mind to wander, keeping it away from anything unpleasant. If stressful thoughts intrude, push them aside to be dealt with later.
Remain with the eyes shut for several minutes. The exact period that suits you best has to be found by trial and error; five minutes is about right, and four should be regarded as a minimum. It can be difficult to judge the passage of time, and some such device as a non-ticking cook's timer, or one of those electronic watches or pocket calculators which incorporate an alarm, is very useful.
Palming like this should be repeated from three to five times in succession and forms the basis of your daily practice period. Once or twice in the period you might like, rather than merely allowing the mind to wander, to try some visualisation. (Pages 45-46)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
· "Eyes covered by palms (no pressure on the eyes);
· fingertips at hairline;
· fingers overlapped to allow breathing room for your nose. Elbows resting on table, chair back, pillow, etc.
Relax, feel your eyes give up the tension of trying to see. Let yourself go as much as you can. Let go into what you may be seeing; keep breathing. Memorize the feeling of palming. To be done especially before doing a visual task such as reading. EYES CLOSED."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
Palming vs. Sleeping
"It might be wondered why an ordinary night's sleep does not have the same effect as palming and visualization. They eyes are closed, and during dreams there is plenty of imagery to work on. If the sleep is sound, the eyes are indeed rested and the eyesight tends to be better on rising, but for many people sleep produces a degree of eyestrain. While dreaming the eyes perform rapid and random movements, there is no control of the memory or imagination, and very often the dreams themselves are in some measure disturbing. In all, dreaming would seem to be associated with a turmoil in the cortex which is the opposite of the calm, easy state in which the eyes work best. If you suffer from eyestrain during sleep, the Bates technique of 'long swinging' (see p. 63), practised just before retiring, may be of value. (Pages 46-47)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Palming and Visualization
"Visualisation is also valuable exercise for the memory and imagination. With your mind's eye examine some outdoor scene, remembered, imagined, or a mixture of both, that gives you particular pleasure. Allow your gaze to take in details both in the distance and near to, changing the focus swiftly and easily as various objects attract your interest. If you are short-sighted, pay special attention to distant scenes, and if you are long sighted or presbyopic, pay special attention to objects close at hand. (Page 46)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Palming and Visualization: Advantages
"[Visualization] is a powerful technique which relies on the fact that all mental activity is accompanied by corresponding physical rehearsal. Thus if you imagine that you are speaking, or even if you frame your thoughts in terms of words rather than abstractions, there are minute but measurable movements of the vocal apparatus; if you imagine you are clenching or unclenching your fist, all the muscles involved undergo fractional changes
"It is important for you to become self-aware of the ways in which you overtense your eyes in order to try to see. It is important that you free your body -- your potential mechanism. The places to look for tension mostly include: the back of the upper neck; the upper back; between the shoulders; the hands and feet; the shoulders; the pelvis; the chest; and the stomach. Yoga, meditation, massage, Feldenkreis, Alexander, Rolfing, polarity, dancing, running, breathing, swimming, etc. are all excellent adjuncts to Bates' system. It is important to learn to take your glasses off, especially in non-demanding, non-threatening situations. You are not blind, and though you can't see what you think you are supposed to see, you can see what you can see, so pay attention to that which is there for you. Everyone experiences emotional factors when they change to no glasses."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
"…A problem with identifying strain immediately is those of us who strain most are often suffering the least discomfort from it. It may become so habitual, so ingrained in our normal way of doing things, that we don't perceive it as necessarily uncomfortable."
Strain and Relaxation
The Four Basic Exercises
"To be done when they feel good -- ten minutes or thirty seconds -- the more often and the longer, the better."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
Palming
Instructions
"The simple idea of resting the eyes by closing them is basic to the Bates method. Dr. Bates coined for it the term 'palming'.
· The eyes are gently closed and covered with the palms in such a way that all light is excluded and no pressure is applied to the eyeballs.
· The heels of the hands rest lightly on the cheekbones and the fingers on the forehead.
· Palming is usually done while seated.
· The elbows should be supported, either on a table in front of you or on a thick cushion or two in your lap.
· While palming you should feel entirely comfortable, safe and warm. Choose if you can a quiet time and a place where you are not likely to be disturbed.
· Become conscious of and do your best to relax any undue tension in the muscles of your face, neck, shoulders, and the rest of your body.
· Listen to the radio if you wish, or just allow the mind to wander, keeping it away from anything unpleasant. If stressful thoughts intrude, push them aside to be dealt with later.
Remain with the eyes shut for several minutes. The exact period that suits you best has to be found by trial and error; five minutes is about right, and four should be regarded as a minimum. It can be difficult to judge the passage of time, and some such device as a non-ticking cook's timer, or one of those electronic watches or pocket calculators which incorporate an alarm, is very useful.
Palming like this should be repeated from three to five times in succession and forms the basis of your daily practice period. Once or twice in the period you might like, rather than merely allowing the mind to wander, to try some visualisation. (Pages 45-46)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
· "Eyes covered by palms (no pressure on the eyes);
· fingertips at hairline;
· fingers overlapped to allow breathing room for your nose. Elbows resting on table, chair back, pillow, etc.
Relax, feel your eyes give up the tension of trying to see. Let yourself go as much as you can. Let go into what you may be seeing; keep breathing. Memorize the feeling of palming. To be done especially before doing a visual task such as reading. EYES CLOSED."
Neuropsychology of Myopia
Palming vs. Sleeping
"It might be wondered why an ordinary night's sleep does not have the same effect as palming and visualization. They eyes are closed, and during dreams there is plenty of imagery to work on. If the sleep is sound, the eyes are indeed rested and the eyesight tends to be better on rising, but for many people sleep produces a degree of eyestrain. While dreaming the eyes perform rapid and random movements, there is no control of the memory or imagination, and very often the dreams themselves are in some measure disturbing. In all, dreaming would seem to be associated with a turmoil in the cortex which is the opposite of the calm, easy state in which the eyes work best. If you suffer from eyestrain during sleep, the Bates technique of 'long swinging' (see p. 63), practised just before retiring, may be of value. (Pages 46-47)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Palming and Visualization
"Visualisation is also valuable exercise for the memory and imagination. With your mind's eye examine some outdoor scene, remembered, imagined, or a mixture of both, that gives you particular pleasure. Allow your gaze to take in details both in the distance and near to, changing the focus swiftly and easily as various objects attract your interest. If you are short-sighted, pay special attention to distant scenes, and if you are long sighted or presbyopic, pay special attention to objects close at hand. (Page 46)"
Book: Barnes, Jonathan. Improve Your Eyesight: A Guide to the Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Souvenir Press, 1999.
Palming and Visualization: Advantages
"[Visualization] is a powerful technique which relies on the fact that all mental activity is accompanied by corresponding physical rehearsal. Thus if you imagine that you are speaking, or even if you frame your thoughts in terms of words rather than abstractions, there are minute but measurable movements of the vocal apparatus; if you imagine you are clenching or unclenching your fist, all the muscles involved undergo fractional changes
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