Can you remember back to the first time you noticed that you couldn’t quite see as well as you thought? For me it was when I was 26, playing about with a friend’s glasses at the office and suddenly realised the venetian blinds actually had very crisp edges. I then went on to wear glasses and contacts for the next 10 years. During my Alexander Technique training we were not encouraged to wear visual aids and to work with our eyes naturally. Well I must say they improved dramatically and others in my class even went from a 7 to a 5 “in glasses speak” in only 12 months.

We were guided by the principles of Ophthalmologist William Bates (1860-1931) who through his works including Better Eyesight Without Glasses, found that eye strain and poor vision was commonly related to one’s habitual strain and misuse of the eye and its proper functioning. My eye teachers have come from a wonderful group called Altevi (www.altevi.com) who specifically focus (excuse the pun) on addressing habitual eye strain and how it can be relieved to improve eyesight naturally.

So what can you do about it now? We firstly take off your glasses or contacts at least once a day, in a place you feel safe and explore seeing without them. We often push our eyes out of our heads in an attempt to focus and see better. This causes more strain and tension on the eye and surrounding muscles, stops us blinking and narrows our overall field of vision.

Try this: Step 1- Allow your eyes to release naturally back into their sockets, as though they are resting back onto their own little cushion. Notice what that is like. Allow yourself to blink and lubricate your eye.

Step 2: Now allow what ever you are looking at to “come towards you”. So instead of you trying to see out… allow the picture to come in towards your soft, relaxed eyes.

Step 3: Notice how much you can actually see around you. Not only can you see directly in front of you, but also your peripheral vision will be activated to allow you to see to the left, right and up and down. (Hint: Pop our eyes out and see how far your peripheral vision extends….hmm, what a difference hey?) Ok, I know, let them relax again, a much nicer and clearer place to be.

Step 4: Notice how often you tense your eyes and try to “concentrate”. Once you notice, can you allow them to release and start to form a new healthy eye habit?

There are many activities that can be integrated into your day to improve your vision naturally. If you are in Rural Victoria, come along to our workshop at Beechworth on 21st May and we will have a workshop in second half of 2012 for our Melbournians colleagues. For our international folks, check out Altevi for a workshop near you!