You have probably experienced a feeling of strain in the eyes after hours of some monotonous activity, prolonged reading or sitting at the computer. Excessive close work can lead to deterioration of vision. Dr. Bates, an American ophthalmologist of the 20th century studied symptoms and causes of defective vision. He discovered that bad vision can be prevented and even reversed. All techniques are safe and beneficial not only for the eyes but for the mind as well.
Here are some relaxation techniques to boost the acuity of your eyesight according to Dr. Bates:
Relax
Palming: cover your closed eyes with your palms so there is no pressure on the eyelids and in a way that excludes all the light. Even a few seconds of palming help to reduce the stress. 5-10 minutes are even better. Combined with memory and imagination palming produces even better effect.
Sun treatment: expose you closed eyelids to the direct sun rays (it can be done through the glass too, if necessary). Do not strain or tightly squeeze the eyelids, just expose them to the sun moving your head gently from side to side. It helps to reduce light sensitivity and reduce general stress. It is also great for releasing the neck muscles. This technique, too, can be combined with memory and imagination for better result.
Memory: just remember any pleasant event from your life or some beautiful scenery, for example a sunny tropical beach, mountainous landscape, etc. Some people find it helpful to remember black ink of the letters.
Imagination: same thing, only instead of remembering you visualize some beautiful and relaxing scene, for example, meadow covered with beautiful flowers, clear lake, mountains, etc. It is helpful to visualize distant views and switch your glance between a distant objects and a close one. It is important to visualize pleasant thing and here of course it has its advantage over the memory. Also even you are doing it in your mind, remember to stay relaxed and not to strain. It does not matter if you cannot visualize clearly, you'll still get benefits.
Shifting: move your glance from one side of the object to another and observe the object moving in the direction opposite to the movement of the eyes. In the normal eye shifting is done very rapidly so it helps to develop and maintain this habit.
Central fixation: The part of the object one looks directly at is always seen the best. It is always used in combination with shifting. Do not try to see the whole object at once but rather shift you glance from point to point. It is actually automatic process, central fixation is rather a symptom than a cause of a good vision.
This is, in core, the Bates method. It is not exercises, it is maintaining correct visual habit. For more in-depth explanation I highly recommend you read the book of Dr. Bates Perfect Sight Without Glasses. It is very informative and a must read if you are serious for preserving your good eyesight. It is indispensable if your eyesight just started deteriorating.
How to Relax Your Eyes and See Better
Alice deMont writes about the Bates method and natural vision improvement. For more tips and techniques on how to see better, visit her blog http://thebatesmethod.blogspot.com