YOGA FOR YOUR EYES

Andrew Invanchenko M.D.
Aug 25
4 min read

When one's mind is under a strain one unconsciously tightens the muscles which encircle the eyeball, and consequently squeezes it out of shape and out of focus. But when the mind is at rest these muscles are relaxed and the eyeball is allowed to assume its proper shape and focus.

William H. Bates, M.D.

Doctor Bates' "yoga"

It would be hard to find anyone who has not heard about hatha yoga. And few people need to be convinced how important it is to have good eyesight. Hatha yoga does offer a few special exercises for the relaxation and stimulation of the eyes, but this is not my point.

The perfect yoga for eyes was developed early in the 20th century by Dr. Bates, an American ophthalmologist who probably had never been aware of yoga. His method restores normal, healthy, and functional use of the eyes by means of relaxing exercises. These exercises mobilize the body's hidden potential to correct the errors of refraction (focusing on the retina).

According to Dr. Bates, eye disorders result from chronic stress that overstrains the eye muscles and leads to vision impairment and pain. Much like yoga, the Bates method seeks to restore the relaxed state of the eye muscles by re-establishing the connection between mind and body. So, it may indeed be called yoga for your eyes.

Habitual strain in the mind

Dr. Bates found that behind each error of refraction, there was some "mental strain" translated into strain in the body, face, and especially the eyes.

In his research into the visual function, Dr. Bates studied the behavior of people with good to excellent eyesight. Based on this research, he developed exercises that emulate the ideal visual behavior. He found that behind each error of refraction there was some "mental strain" translated into strain in the body, face and especially the eyes. He assumed that habitual eye strain, like strain elsewhere in the body, can be addressed by using the eyes the right way and relaxing them often. Each exercise in his system is a method of relaxation.

The retina (from Latin for "net") is the light-sensitive back layer of the eye.

Full-color day vision is the sharpest at the macula, a tiny spot in the center of the retina. The macula looks like a parabolic satellite dish, except for light rather than radio waves. Eyesight acuity at the center of the macula is 20/20, while at just 19 degrees off the center, it drops down to 20/400, the borderline of legal blindness.

A normal eye sees clearest if it looks at an object using the so-called central fixation. In ophthalmological practice the terms 20/20 eyesight and central fixation are synonyms. A malfunctioning eye overstrains the macula, impairs sensitivity– and loses the capacity for central fixation. However, it can be restored with the help of Dr. Bates’ exercises.

To see countless details equally well, an eye set for 20/20 vision must quickly move from one detail to another. Dr. Bates thoroughly studied this process and called it "shifting." Good daytime eyesight is passive; it requires no effort. It implies precise automatic central fixation and shifting.

Myopia is a condition of the eye where light focuses in front of the retina rather than on its surface.

Normally eyes work in tandem with the posterior brain lobes responsible for vision. In a state of anxiety, the frontal lobes take the lead. Vision gets sharper, contrast enhancement mechanisms are launched, and the pupils dilate. The eyes switch to the typical myopic "peering" to include as much detail as possible in the central fixation area. Unfortunately, the macula is too small for a large picture to fit in the clear focus zone. While the eyes strain to focus on this area, the field of vision contracts and peripheral vision all but disappear.

Overstressed eyes start hurting, but anxiety causes, among other things, a decrease in sensitivity to pain. The face frowns, leading to muscle spasms around the eyes. Blood circulation is impaired, so oxygen supply to the eyes diminishes.

The beginning of eyesight correction is the skill of relaxation.

So, the beginning of eyesight correction is the skill of relaxation, a new and unusual activity that is seemingly not results-driven. However, it stimulates our minds and expands our opportunities and prospects

Dr. Bates’ exercises

Palming. Turn off the lights and turn on some soft music if you like. Rub the hands together until warm, and drop the shoulders. Close your eyes and gently cover them with your hands, the heel of your hand on the cheekbone. Don't press on the eye - you are not touching the eye, but covering it. Breathe deeply, slowly, without effort. Picture a black object and put it on a black background (sunglasses on a black desk, in a dark room, the windows are closed with dark curtains, it's the dead of night outdoors). Paint the whole world black. Remember that up to 60% of patients improve from palming alone!
Sunning. Go outdoors into strong sunlight. Close your eyes, raise your face to the sun and move your head slowly from side to side as if lazily signaling "no-no". After 30 no-no’s return to palming and then do some running again.
Shifting. Look at a picture hanging on the wall. In a relaxed way, move your attention from one small detail to another. Then close your eyes and visualize what you've just seen. Do the same with a page in a very small print. Imagine that the page is very white and each small point of a letter is very black. Open your eyes and appreciate the blackness of each letter. Each time the letters will become clearer and clearer.
Blinking. Blink fast about 300 times. Visualize blinking, then blink again, breathing slowly and deeply. This gives your eyes the necessary massage and cleansing. In a state of intense concentration or worry, just when blinking would be most useful, we often suspend this essential function, just as we hold our breath. Treat yourself to a few more relaxed breaths, and another series of blinks. You should develop this important habit to be used when necessary.