Meir Schneider, according to his biography at his School for Self-Healing, is an inspiring healer and teacher who has used his own health hurdles to teach people to heal their eyes and their bodies. Born with cataracts and other vision problems, Meir went through numerous eye surgeries and was ultimately pronounced legally blind. At 17, he learned the Bates Method of eye exercises and using those and a number of healing therapies of his own design he regained functional eyesight. His eye exercises are easy to learn and use at home for your own eyesight and health.
Peripheral Vision Exercises
Peripheral vision exercises help to reduce strain on the center of your visual field and eyestrain that results from the overuse of central vision. Meir Schneider suggests simple activities that "remind" your brain that your eyes, even when pointed straight forward, see to the left and right as well. One idea is taking a walk outside without your glasses or contacts and focusing on how much you can see to the sides. When you are working on your computer it is a great idea to take breaks every 10 minutes, raise your hands to the side of your face and wiggle your fingers. By keeping your eyes straight ahead but paying attention to your fingers it teaches your eyes and brain that the rest of the room exists, not just the computer.
You can also play a simple game with a partner that helps to wake up your peripheral vision. This is a great one to teach children good eye care when they are young. Sit down and have your partner stand behind you. Look straight ahead and have your partner wiggle his or her thumbs just outside of your peripheral vision and move them slowly in until you can see them. Grab your partner's thumbs as soon as they are visible to you. Make sure your partner uses all angles of your peripheral vision, not just straight out to your sides, but also top, bottom and diagonals. With practice you can widen your peripheral vision and extend the limits of your sight.
Blinking
Schneider describes blinking as "massage for the eyes" and as a simple way to relax the eyes and help you relieve staring, which he says can be harmful. You can practice blinking slowly and gently with a relaxed forehead at any time and by learning to blink with the rhythm of the cursor while you type it can help relieve computer-related eye strain. You can also practice covering one eye and blinking slowly and gently with only the uncovered eye.
Palming
Palming is a simple relaxation technique that increases circulation to your eyes, helps to relax them and can help to relax your whole body. According to the School for Self-Healing, palming involves covering your eyes with your cupped hands and imagining "ever-deepening blackness." By doing this regularly for 15 to 20 minutes, Schneider says you can begin to improve your vision.
Exercises for Improving Distance Vision
If you are near-sighted, Schneider suggests that it is because most of your focus is at close things like books and computers. By practicing looking at the horizon, you can exercise and strengthen the muscles involved in distance vision. By shifting your focus slowly from far to near, your eyes are retrained to accommodate those distances.
