Ординатура / Офтальмология / Английские материалы / Relearning To See_Quackenbush_2000

T H E C E N T R A L I Z A T I O N - R E L A X A T I O N C O N N E C T I O N -

* Many students discover a sense of "centeredness" as they relearn abdominal breathing. Natural breathing throughout the day helps one be calmer and more peaceful. Many yoga and meditation techniques use breathing as a method of concentration. Some breathing teachers emphasize the close relationship between breathing, relaxation, and concentration to release chronic tension.

B A T E S O N B R E A T H I N G

Bates makes only one reference to breathing in Perfect Sight Without Glasses: "Palming was successful in half an hour ... the nose opened, and the breathing [of a girl with a cold].,. became normal."

Although there is little reference to breathing in Bates' Better Eyesight magazines, many modern Bates teachers have taught abdominal breathing as a key natural vision habit. Normal breathing is connected to correct vision habits.

Better Eyesight magazine, January 1923:

BREATHING

Many people with imperfect sight are benefited by breathing. One of the best methods is to separate the teeth while keeping the lips closed, breathe deeply as if one were yawning. When done properly one can feel the air cold as it passes through the nose and down the throat. This method of breathing secures a great amount of relaxation of the nose, throat, the body generally, including the eyes and ears.

A man aged sixty-five had imperfect sight for distance and was unable to read fine print without the aid of strong glasses. After practicing deep breathing in the man-

ner described, he became able at once to read diamond type quite perfectly, as close as six inches from the eyes. The improvement was temporary but by repetition the improvement became more permanent.

At one time I experimented with a number of students, first having them hold their breath and test their vision, which was usually lower when they did not breathe. They became able to demonstrate that holding their breath was a strain and caused imperfect sight, double vision, dizziness and fatigue, while the deep breathing at once gave them relief.

There is a wrong way of breathing in which when the air is drawn into the lungs the nostrils contract. This is quite conspicuous among many cases of tuberculosis. Some teachers of physical culture in their classes while encouraging deep breathing close their nostrils when drawing in a long breath. This is wrong because it produces a strain and imperfect sight. By constiously doing the wrong thing, breathing with a strain, one becomes better able to practice the right way and obtain relaxation and

better sight.

By the habit of practicing frequently deep breathing, one obtains a more permanent relaxation of the eyes with more constant good vision.

Once again, I do not teach "deep" breathing. Normal abdominal breathing is suffident for normal sight.

Many holistic practitioners find it necessary to teach students and clients to breathe normally again. This is a reflection of how much stress and tension many people live under today.

YAWNING

Yawning is natural, normal, and essential for normal health. Yawning helps maintain a proper pH level in the bloodstream. It also pumps cerebral spinal fluid.

Many people in this country have been trained to not yawn: "Don't yawn in public. It is rude." (Hmmm. Sounds like not pointing and not moving.) I once had a guest from Africa attend one of my introductory lectures, in which I included yawning. After the lecture he shared with me how strange it is that

Chapter Thirteen: The Second Habit—Breathing

children in the United States are told to not yawn in public.

Yawning in this society is considered to be a sign of boredom. This is incorrect. Yawning is a sign of being tired or relaxed. It does not indicate the level of interest.

As I like to remind my students, "Babies yawn, cats and dogs yawn, and people in Italy yawn!" It is time for adults in the United States to relearn natural yawning.

Yawning is contagious! If you practice a few, the "real" ones will start!

Even by thinking of the word "yawn" you may start yawning!

Ever notice how thinking stops during a yawn?!

Yawning is a habit that has been suppressed in this society. Yawn when you are not with other people. You can be more subtle when other people are present. I frequently compliment my students for yawning!

students to further appreciate the interrelationship among the three principles of natural vision—Movement, Centralization, and Relaxation. Each principle supports the other two. It is all one way of living in balance with nature.

The most important point of this chapter is for the student to releam natural abdominal breathing as a continuous, automatic, and subconscious habit. We are meant to breathe as easily and automatically as a newborn baby for our entire lifetime. It is not supposed to be interfered with for long periods of time.

N A T U R A L B R E A T H I N G I S RELAXING

Frederick Leboyer writes in his excellent book about breathing and childbirth, The An of Breathing:

—We are told to relax. —To relax? Excellent. How?

—I don't know. They don't tell us anything....

—Your teachers, probably, do not know. As for the secret, as I'm sure you suspect, it's breathing.3

Natural abdominal breathing is relaxing, and relaxation is the most important principle of normal sight.

Figure 13-5: The Yawning Vase.

M O R E O N B R E A T H I N G

Oxygen supplied to the eye by breathing is especially important because the retina consumes more oxygen by weight than any other part of the human body. The extraordinary lengths to which nature goes to supply oxygen to the retina is described in Chapter 17, "The Retina."

The study of breathing helps natural vision

NOTES

1 June Biermann and Barbara Toohey, The

Woman's Holistic Headache Relief Book (Los

Angeles: J. P. Tarcher, Inc., 1979), p. 74.

2 Alexander Lowen, Bioenergetics (New York: Penguin Books, Inc., 1976).

3Frederick Leboyer, The An of Breathing (Long- mead, England: Element Books Ltd., 1985), p. 32

When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see.

—William Shakespeare, Sonnet No. 43

The third habit of natural vision is blinking.

ANATOMY A N D P H Y S I O L O G Y

See Plate 14: Eyelids, Eyelashes, and Eye­ brows.

The eyelids, our "natural windshield wipers," sweep away particles that enter the eye and protect the eye from external injury and excessive light. Each eyelid has two or three rows of eyelashes, which help prevent dust particles from entering the eye. The eye­ brows divert perspiration, rain, and other par­

ticles from the forehead out toward the tem­ ples away from the eyes.

THE EYELID MUSCLES AND BLINKING

See Plate 15: The Orbicularis Eyelid Muscle (Side View), and Plate 16: The Orbicularis Eye­ lid Muscle (Front View). The upper eyelid closes by the contraction of the orbicularis palpebrae muscle, which encircles the front of the eye, and by the relaxation and length­ ening of the levator palpebrae superioris mus­ cle. The upper eyelid opens by the opposite actions.

The lower eyelid, which has a smaller range of movement than the upper eyelid, closes by the contraction of the orbicularis palpebrae muscle; it opens by the opposite action.

The orbicularis palpebrae muscle is shown in dark red; the eyelids are closed in these two illustrations.

See Plate ij: The Levator Palpebrae Supe­ rioris Muscle (Side View) and Plate ig: The

Levator Palpebrae Superioris Muscle (Top View). The upper eyelid is opened by the con­ traction of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle (from the Latin levator, meaning "to

raise," and palpebra, meaning "eyelid"). The levator palpebrae superioris muscle is located above the superior oblique and superior rectus muscles. The front part inserts into the upper eyelid, and the rear part attaches to the back of the eye orbit.

Blinking is the action of quickly and easily lowering and raising the eyelids. Like sketching and breathing, blinking is normally done unconsciously but can also be done consciously.

PTOSIS, A DROOPING OF THE EYELID

Ptosis is a drooping of the upper eyelid. Ptosis can be caused by deficient development, or paralysis, of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle. In both cases, this muscle is unable to contract sufficiently to raise the upper eyelid to its normal position.

SECRETION PORTION OF THE

LACRIMAL (TEAR) SYSTEM

See Plate 20: The Lacrimal (Tear) System. The lacrimal gland (from the Latin lachrima, meaning "tear") is located above the eye, toward the temple, underneath the eyebrow ridge, and between the eyeball and the eye socket. This almond-size, sponge-like gland is controlled by the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system and continually produces aqueous (watery) lacrimal tears Tears are delivered to the front of the eye by the six to twelve lacrimal ducts

Lacrimal tears are slightly alkaline, containing sodium chloride (salt) and proteins. Tears provide moisture to the eyes and remove dust and particles of dirt. They also contain oxygen and other nutrients for the cornea.

In addition to cleansing the eye, tears contain antibacterial protein called lysozyme. This powerful enzyme protects the eye from infections by dissolving the protective outer coats of harmful bacteria. Without lysozyme in the tears, micro-organisms would grow on the cornea and infections could occur on the eye.

Located inside the eyelids are about thirty sebaceous glands (Meibomian and Zeis glands), which secrete an oily lubrication, called sebum. Sebum coats the eye and the eyelids, providing lubrication between them, and prevents the watery lacrimal tears from running over the edges of the eyelids onto the cheeks.

Together, the lacrimal and sebaceous glands create three different layers of tears over the eye:

1.The layer of tears closest to the cornea, sclera, and eyelid is composed of mucous proteins. It coats the eye evenly and allows the second, watery layer of tears to easily adhere to the eye.

2.The middle watery layer, provided by the lacrimal glands, is the cleansing and nutrient layer. It washes away foreign particles and supplies the cornea with proteins, salt, and moisture.

3.The third outer layer is oily. It helps prevent the middle watery layer from evaporating too rapidly and provides lubrication between the eye and the eyelids.

These three layers of tears also help keep the front of the eye warm in cold weather.

THE CONJUNCTIVA

See Plate 21: The Conjunctiva. A thin transparent membrane called the conjunctiva

(shown in green) extends along the inner sur­ faces of both eyelids, over the front portion of the sclera, and over the cornea. The con­ junctiva forms a barrier, called the fornix con­ junctiva, which prevents tears and particles from traveling into the back of the eye orbit. Without the conjunctiva, water could flow into the back of the eye socket when you are swimming!

The conjunctiva is extremely sensitive to pain, and one learns quickly never to allow an object to touch the eye—our most impor­ tant sensory organ. A grain of sand in the eye is immediately flooded with copious tears and expelled out and over the lower eyelid onto the cheek.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva.

THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM

During blinking, the eyelids pump tears out of the lacrimal glands via the lacrimal ducts into the upper outer corner (fornix) of the conjunctiva. The tears cleanse, moisten, and disinfect the cornea, sclera, and conjunctiva as they travel toward the lower, inner corner of the eye. Some tears evaporate during this process.

THE DRAINAGE PORTION

OF THE LACRIMAL SYSTEM

Excess tears drain from the eye through two small orifices at the inner corners of both eyelids.These two minute openings, called lacrimal puncta, can often be seen by close inspection in a mirror. The lacrimal puncta glide along the sclera collecting tears into the lacrimal sac. By means of pumping action during blinking and a suction action by the nose, excess tears

Chapter Fourteen: The Third Habit—Blinking

drain from the lacrimal sac down through the nasolacrimal duct into the nasal cavity, where they evaporate due to respiration.

A THIRD EYELID?!

The small, round, pinkish fold of tissue at the inner corner of the human eye is called the lacrimal caruncle. Some consider this to be the remainder of an old nictitans, a third eye­ lid. Many nocturnal birds and some reptiles have a nictitans, which is discussed further in Chapter 17, "The Retina."

DRY EYE SYNDROME

Insufficient tearing from the lacrimal glands, overly rapid evaporation due to wind, or excessive heat can create dryness in eyes. This can result in a burning sensation, oversensitivity to light (photophobia), mucous dis­ charge, corneal changes, and impairment of vision.

Many people have dry eyes due to not blinking frequently enough. Some estimate over six million Americans have chronically dry eyes. Many natural vision students have eliminated dry eyes by simply relearning cor­ rect blinking. Many have also lowered their sensitivity to bright light, and have been able to discard their sunglasses completely. They now feel relaxed in sunlight by simply blink­ ing softly and frequently.

In strong wind or dry weather situations, it is important to blink more frequently to prevent the eyes from drying out due to rapid evaporation of tears.

Dry eyes can also be caused by undesir­ able effects1 from medication or diseases. Consult with your eye doctor if you have serious eye problems.

ARTIFICIAL TEARS—HELPFUL OR HARMFUL?

Moist, protective tear layers are essential for the health of the eyes. However, one might question whether artificial tears are a help or detriment if used on a long-term basis. Does the continuous use of artificial tears suppress the normal production of natural tears, thus creating more of a dependence on the artificial tears? Are the artificial tears truly an adequate replacement for natural tears?

Artificial tears may be needed for a short time in acute problems Again, consult with your eye doctor for any serious eye problems.

IRRITANT vs. EMOTIONAL TEAR S

The tears live in an onion that should water this sorrow.

—William Shakespeare

Lael Wertenbaker,in The Eye:Window to the World, writes:

While all animals that live in air produce tears to keep the eyes moist, man is the only animal that weeps. In 1957, intrigued by the dual purpose of crying, chemist Robert Brunish analyzed the ingredients of emotional and irritant tears. Tears induced by onion fumes and strong wind, he discovered, contained a lower concentration of the protein albumin. In the 1970s, biochemist William Frey began investigations whether this protein was related to the chemical changes in our blood stream caused by stress. Tears might well play a role in filtering out the body's stressful chemicals. The machismo ethic of suppressing tears, Frey thinks, might irritate peptic ulcers and other stress-related diseases. By not allowing himself to weep, the strong, silent male might not take advantage of natural reliel2

Fritz Kahn, in Man in Structure and Function, writes about crying:

All higher animals produce tear fluid to irrigate the cornea, but only man cries as an expression of emotional disturbance.

Only a thinking and emotionally sensitive person cries. An infant yells, but it does not cry. Children cry when they learn to think and to feel. Crying is a process connected with speech; it is a substitute for speech, a protective mechanism whereby a speaking individual can still express his feelings even though he may be prevented from speaking. People... cry when they are unable to make themselves heard or to obtain justice with the weapons of speech and thought. When it has achieved nothing by means of logic, a speaking creature appeals to sympathy by crying. Crying is a reflex which has extended its field of action from the physiological to the moral realm—it is a new phenomenon in the developmental history of life.3

B A T E S O N B L I N K I N G

From Bates' "Fundamentals" card:

The normal eye blinks, or closes and opens very frequently.

... By moving the head and eyes a short distance from side to side, being sure to blink, one can imagine stationary objects to be moving.4

Better Eyesight magazine, April 1922: "Rest your eyes continually by blinking, which means to open and close them so rapidly that one appears to see things continuously."

Blinking is a rest for the eyes Normal sight is based on relaxation.

Better Eyesight magazine, September 1923:

BLINKING

... Usually unconsciously the normal eye closes and opens quite frequently and at irregular intervals and for very short spaces of time. Most people can demonstrate that when they regard a letter that they are able to see quite clearly it is possible for them to consciously close their eyes and open them quick enough and see the letter continuously. This is called Blinking and it is only another name for dodging. Dodging what? Dodging the [harmful] tendency to look steadily at things all the time. All the methods which have been recommended for the improvement of the vision,... centralizing, palming, swinging, blinking, can all be grouped under the one word— dodging.

As with many other aspects of natural health, natural vision is based on continuous, easy movements Here Bates refers to this constant movement as dodging.

When relearning normal blinking, some students think that during the blink, they will not be able to see an object of interest continuously. This is not true. The period of time for a normal blink is very short.

Better Eyesight magazine, November 1923:

BLINKING

The normal eye when it has normal sight blinks quite frequently. By blinking is meant closing the eyelids and opening them so quickly that neither the student nor his observers notice the fact... Blinking is necessary in order to maintain normal vision continuously, because if one consciously prevents blinking, the vision for the distance or the ability to read fine print are modified. It is interesting to me how blinking, which is so necessary for good vision,

Chapter Fourteen: The Third Habit—Blinking

has been so universally ignored by the writers of books on diseases of the eyes Blinking is a rest, it prevents fatigue, and very important, it improves the sight in myopia, and helps to maintain good vision more continuously.

Blinking, when done properly, is so quick and easy, people with normal sight do not usually notice they are blinking.

Better Eyesight magazine, January 1924: In a remarkable article entitled "My Young Assistant," Emily C. Lierman (who later married Dr. Bates) writes about a three-year-old girl named Ethel, who was giving a man vision lessons.

Ethel complained, "You are staring. You shouldn't stare; that is bad ... You must blink your eyes. Just let me show you how." Ethel has perfect sight. Her eyes are never still and she blinks unconsciously all day long.

Better Eyesight magazine, February 1924:

Question: What one method of improving sight is best?

Answer: Swinging and blinking.

Better Eyesight magazine, March 1924:

By blinking is meant frequent closing of the eyes. It is usually done so rapidly that it is not conspicuous. Many persons with normal sight have the illusion that they do not blink. They believe their eyes are always at rest and that their eyes are continually open all the time.... One person was able to distinguish a small letter on the bottom line at twenty feet, 20/10. He was positive that he saw the letter continuously.

It was found... [that] he closed and opened his eyes frequently, without being conscious of the fact

[While studying people as they looked at moving pictures:] In all cases where the sight was normal, blinking occurred almost every second

When light is good ... blinking occurs at less frequent intervals.

Better Eyesight magazine, June 1924. Arti­ cle by Emily С Lierman:

Although weary and tired, after I had worked with Lewis over two hours, I was repaid a thousandfold when he read every letter of the 70 line and 50 line as he moved the ... [reading] card slowly from side to side ... blinking all the time. He was instructed to stand and swing his body from side to side to lessen the tension of his body; also to blink his eyes all the time to stop staring... On his second visit he read the smallest letters on the card, the 10 line

Better Eyesight magazine, July 1924. Arti­ cle submitted by Natural Vision teacher Dr. Edith T. Fisher, M.D., referring to one of her students:

I explained to him that by making an effort to relax he was increasing the strain. While he was talking I noticed that he had not blinked. His forehead was deeply wrin­ kled and there was a constant twitching of the facial muscles... First I explained about blinking, but when he tried this he con­ tracted all the facial muscles ... [After palming] I reminded him to blink, and though he did not contract all his facial muscles it was still a great effort for him. He said, "I don't think I ever blinked before" .. .Three days later ... his vision had improved ... He blinked easily now, but still stared at times

TOM'S PERSONAL LOG: I had so much tightness in my eyelids that it was impossible for me to blink easily and naturally in the beginning. I was only able to blink hard. It has taken me many years to re-establish soft eyelids and blinking.

Better Eyesight magazine, August 1924. Emily Lierman writes about one of her students:

As Frederick answered my questions he looked directly at me and ... I noticed he listened without blinking, for more than two minutes or longer. As the normal eye blinks unconsciously every few seconds, I soon realized what his trouble was....

The habits of poor vision are usually never thought about by persons with poor sight. Both the correct and incorrect habits of vision are primarily subconscious. It takes time to form poor blinking habits. It also takes time to re-establish proper blinking habits.

Better Eyesight magazine, August 1924: "BLINKING. Normal eyes blink constantly."

Better Eyesight magazine, January 1925. Article by Emily Lierman:

At one time a young man... came to us suffering from severe mental strain. His large staring eyes would make anyone uncomfortable ... His eyes protruded and he stared without blinking....

Better Eyesight magazine, March 1925:

Blinking is done quickly, and not slowly like a wink... Blink consciously, whenever possible, especially when reading.

In spite of Shakespeare's words quoted at the beginning of this chapter, winking is not the same as blinking. Winking is usually done consciously with one eyelid. It is not a nat-

ural vision habit and should not be confused with normal blinking, which is (usually) subconscious and relaxed.

magazine, December 1925:

Blinking is necessary to maintain normal vision in the normal eye. When blinking is prevented the eyes become tired, and the vision very soon becomes worse. Some persons, without knowing it, will blink five times in one second, as demonstrated by the [motion] camera.. .When blinking they may fail to obtain relaxation, because they too often blink with an effort... blinking is done easily without effort. Blinking is very important. It is not the brief periods of rest from closing the eyes which helps the sight so much, as the shifting or movements of the eyes. It should be repeatedly demonstrated that the eyes are only at rest when they are shifting.

Here Bates emphasizes the connection between the important principle of movement and the habit of blinking. A student might at first guess that the less movement one has, the less tired he will become. In regards to vision, the opposite is true. The eyes are designed for movements. Rigid staring lowers sight. Staring is almost always associated with infrequent blinking and shallow breathing.

When a student begins to understand how the principles and habits of normal sight all support each other, he is well on the path of success.

In begirming lessons, blinking is often done with an effort by many students. The eyelid muscles are relatively tense due to locking the eyelids open for long periods of time and due to the harmful habit of squinting. With practice, proper blinking becomes easy and automatic once again.

Better Eyesight magazine, August 1927:

The normal eye with normal sight blinks frequently, easily and rapidly, without effort or strain. If children do not blink frequently, but stare and try to see things with the eyes open continuously, the vision is always impaired. At first the child should be reminded to blink consciously but it soon becomes an unconscious habit and the vision is improved.

Here Bates links blinking to the principle of relaxation. The three vision habits are to be practiced easily—without any effort.

Better Eyesight magazine, August 1927:

Question: I have found blinking and shifting to be of great benefit to me but, although I have been practicing both for six months, it has not become a habit. I still have to practice both consciously. What means can I use to blink and shift normally?

Answer: Continue to consciously practice blinking and shifting until you acquire the unconscious habit. It is merely a substitution of a good habit for a bad one.

Better Eyesight magazine, September 1927: "To use your eyes correctly all day long, it is necessary that you: 1. Blink frequently...."

It is interesting that in his later years, Bates' summaries of proper vision habits place the blinking habit first. Perhaps this is because blinking is the simplest habit.

Better Eyesight magazine, October 1927: "The normal eye blinks quickly, easily and frequently."

In Better Eyesight magazine, December 1927, Bates connects the habit of blinking to the health of the whole person: