Better Vision Essentials

Vision is the most important of the five senses. Without good vision, the quality of life is considerably compromised. The good news is that you can learn to have good vision throughout life if you know how to keep your eyes in good shape and maintain good vision health. More importantly, you can even train yourself to improve eye vision without glasses at any age.

The Essentials of Vision Health

Understand some of the important components of the human eye:

Eye nerves that send images to the brain to create vision

Eye muscles that retain the shape of the eyeball to prevent any distortion leading to farsightedness and nearsightedness

Blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the eye to maintain vision health

Vision health is contingent on the health of the nerves, the muscles, and the blood vessel of the eye.

Prerequisites to Improve Vision

Good vision is total health -- involving the mind, the body, and the spirit. To improve vision, you need a holistic approach to health.

Mind power plays the most important role in perfect vision. First of all, you must have the intention to see better, that is, a desire for perfect vision. Then, you will empower yourself with knowledge to improve vision. Eyesight correction techniques require regular practice; in other words, you need mind power for self-discipline to achieve your goal for perfect vision.

The eye is connected to other body organs, most importantly the liver and the kidneys. A healthy body makes healthy eyes. In addition, blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the eye. An efficient circulatory system optimizes vision health.

Eyestrain is the No. 1 cause of eye problems and weak vision. Eyestrain constricts eye muscles, and thereby not only distorting the shape of the eyeball but also restricting blood flow to the eye. Stress causes eyestrain. A healthy spirit relaxes the mind and the body, and therefore soothes the eye.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

The Truths and Myths of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a painless eye disorder due to high or abnormal eye pressure that slowly and imperceptibly damages eye nerves, leading to loss of vision. 

There are many myths and truths of glaucoma:

Myth: glaucoma is curable; truth: glaucoma is treatable, but not curable.

Myth: glaucoma causes headache and eyestrain; truth: it does not.

Myth: glaucoma is a result of emotional stress or high blood pressure: truth: it is not.

Myth: glaucoma is affected by drinking or smoking; truth: it is not.

Myth: glaucoma may go away; truth: it does not.

Myth: glaucoma causes blindness; truth: it does not lead to blindness, if treated.

Myth: glaucoma can be treated with diet or Viagra; truth: there is no treatment other than eye drops and surgery.

Myth: glaucoma may be caused by menopause; truth: glaucoma is often a result of aging.

Glaucoma causes nerve damage that ultimately affects vision, which cannot be restored. Therefore, it is important to treat the disorder as early as possible. However, there are no symptoms, other than poor vision, in glaucoma. Therefore, it is important to have eye exam, if you are at high risk for glaucoma, such as a family history, an African American, poor  vision, taking steroid medications, and over 50 years old. 

Stephen Lau

Health and Wisdom Tips

Digital Strain

Digital Strain

According to recent CNN health news, digital eyestrain has become a common eye problem, which is plaguing millions of people working at the computer with headaches, eye pain, watering, redness, double vision and loss of focus, among others.

Vision is one of the most important assets in life. Without clear vision, the world will be totally different, and living will become difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, always protect your eyes and maintain good vision.

Digital eyestrain is just one of the many ways in modern living that may harm your eyes and damage your vision. If you have to spend many hours in front of the computer everyday, maybe you should get yourself a pair of computer glasses. In addition, make sure that your computer screen is bright enough and is at least some two feet away from your eyes. 

No matter what, you must give your eyes a break every half hour or so. Your eyes may not be able to see clearly because they cannot adjust to the focus as they shift from near vision to distant vision when you look up from the computer screen during the break. To facilitate the sudden shift of focus, blink your eyes repeatedly  Eye-blinking is especially important when you are moving your eyes along the line; blinking often avoids staring or eye-fixation, which causes eyestrain as well as reduces side vision over the long haul.

The best exercise to relax the eye and to reduce eyestrain is eye palming. This is a simple eye exercise in which you place both palms over your eyes, but without actually touching them. Before placing your palms over your forehead and cheekbones, rub them hard so as to generate some heat. Then close your eyes and let your palms cover but without touching them. Visualize darkness, and breathe slowly. Do eye palming anytime when you feel eyestrain; it will do wonders in relaxing your eyes.

You may also include other eye exercises, such as rolling your eyes up and down and sideways. 

Remember, whenever you feel eyestrain, you must stop working at the computer.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Improving Weak Vision

How To Improve Weak Vision

As aging continues, eye vision weakens and deteriorates. Loss of vision is avoidable and preventable.

The conventional way of treating weak vision due to refractive error (light not properly refracted on the retina of the eye) is to make use of corrective lenses (eyeglasses or contacts) with proper prescriptions to enable the light from a close or distant object to refract accurately on the retina.

The conventional treatment serves two purposes: making the eye see more clearly; preventing further eyestrain through clearer vision

These are the sole reasons for the professionals to provide eyeglasses and contacts: to provide better vision, and to prevent more eyestrain.

The Bates Method of Treating Weak Vision

Dr. William Bates (1860-1931), an American physician, who recommended an alternative therapy (known as the Bates Method) aimed at improving eyesight naturally. Dr. Bates completely disagreed with the conventional theory of distorted lens. According to Dr. Bates, the conventional treatment is WRONG because the eye is constantly changing, so much so that the eye prescriptions (which are constant) in corrective lenses may not help the patients in certain conditions; quite the contrary, they unduly increase their eyestrain. That is to say, if the eye is forced to see in different eye conditions with the same corrective lenses, the eye will have to strain itself to see in different conditions, and thus causing further eyestrain that damages vision.

According to Dr. Bates, what might fit the eye (i.e. the prescriptions) at one moment might not be appropriate at another moment, given that the conditions of the eye are constantly changing. In addition, because the eye is capable of adapting and adjusting to different conditions (eye accommodation), wearing corrective lenses will deprive the eye of such accommodation, and thus leading to further vision deterioration. That was the reason for his objection to wearing corrective lenses.

Dr. Bates’ treatment was based on the belief that the incorrect refraction on the retina is due to weak and unrelaxed eye muscles, which cause distorted shape in the eyeball, resulting in the refraction falling in front of or behind the retina, instead of directly on the retina. The bottom line: treat your weak vision by RELAXING your eyes.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

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"Under-Doing" for Better Vision

Vision healing has much to do with stress, which strains not only the body, but also the eyes, causing eye fatigue and all types of eye problems. Vision health has to do with relaxation, especially relaxation of the body and the mind. Remember, the body and the mind are interconnected. If the body is stressed, the mind becomes stressed too, and vice-versa. Stress is the major factor in human diseases, including those related to eye vision.

We are living in a fast-paced world, in which everything has to be done not only instantly but also efficiently. To meet that demand, much effort is required, often resulting in "over-doing" that creates the stress.

"Under-doing" -- rather than "over-doing" -- is wisdom in living because it enables living in the present to relax both the body and the mind. This deep relaxation is based on the ancient wisdom of Tao or that of Lao Tzu, the author of Tao Te Ching, the originator of Tao, which is "the way" to understanding and attaining wisdom in deep relaxation. Read my book: TAO The Way to Biblical Wisdom to get a better understanding and greater details of Tao wisdom.

First and foremost, to attain this ancient wisdom, one must negate the ego-self, or to have no separate-self. This is the most important first step on the path to wisdom. Once an individual has created an ego-self or an identity (which, according to Lao Tzu, is self-delusional), the individual will go at great lengths to live up to that "false" identity, and thus creating expectations of certain outcomes. To ensure that those expectations will materialize, the individual then begins to pick and choose what is presumably to be right or wrong. Preferences and judgments further lead to more stress. Obsessed with repeating the good in the past and avoiding the bad in the future, the individual is unable to live in the present moment, which is the essence of total body and mind relaxation. Instead of living in the present to enjoy life, "over-doing" what-it-takes to accomplish the goals becomes the norm. Unfortunately, "over-doing" often comes with a price -- stress.

To illustrate, former cyclist Lance Armstrong was stripped of his medals due to his role and involvement with the most sophisticated and successful doping program ever, professionally designed to groom and pressure athletes to use dangerous drugs, to evade detection, to ensure its secrecy and ultimately to gain an unfair competitive advantage over other athletes. That was a classic example of "over-doing" by an athlete who created an ego-self that craved for satisfaction. To meet his own expectations as well as those of others, including his coach, he manipulated the doping program in order to excel and surpass others. He got what he wanted through "over-doing" but with an ultimate price--losing what he thought he had gained, no to mention creating stress in the process. 

The unconventional wisdom, according to Lao Tzu, is to have no separate-self. With no ego, you have no expectations; you do what you need to do, without undue efforts, you live in the present, enjoying every moment of it, and you wait patiently for things to turn out naturally or the way they are supposed to. Without over-doing, everything will settle into its perfect place. That is the wisdom of "under-doing," which is the essence of a stress-free life; without undue stress in living, you may have better vision.

For more information on Tao wisdom, visit my website: Wisdom in Living.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Body Consciousness for Better Vision

There is body-mind connection in health and wellness, just as there is interrelationship between different body organs and tissues. Accordingly, your vision health is affected by your body as well as by your mind. A prerequisite of holistic health and wellness is acute awareness or body-mind consciousness. This is especially true when it comes to better vision and vision health.

What you see through your eyes is impacted by what your mind sees. Given that your body is connected to your body, your body movements, your expressive gestures, your posture and your breathing all play a pivotal role in the quality of your vision and hence your vision health.

A yoga instructor will tell you that you will not see as well as you should if your head is too far forward or tilted to the side, if your spine is not straight enough, if your shoulders are unbalanced or uneven, and if your torso movements are inappropriate due to incorrect breathing. In other words, you must align your head, neck, and torso if you wish to have better vision. To do this, you need constant consciousness of your body movements as well as your posture and breathing.

To enhance your consciousness for better vision, you need a relaxed mind, to begin with, to create a relaxed body. When your mind is too preoccupied with rambling and compulsive thoughts, it cannot focus, let alone remain conscious. Meditation is the best way to relax the mind. Living in the present is another mind-training exercise to keep your mind in full consciousness.

Mental consciousness holds the key to practicing body consciousness. With body consciousness, you can do some neck exercises to relax neck muscles, thereby instrumental in enhancing your vision.

To do the neck exercise:

(1) Bend your head forward and down towards your chest. It is important not to strain your neck. Hold this position for 5 seconds or more.

(2) Bend your head backward towards your spine. Without straining, hold the head position for 5 seconds or more.

(3) With your head facing forward, tilt it to the right side. Hold for 5 seconds or more, and then reverse the position to the left. Hold for another 5 seconds or more.

(4) Rotate your head slowly to the right and then to the left for several times.

If you have chronic neck problems, your nearsightedness may aggravate and reinforce your neck problems. Therefore, exercising your neck muscles will go a long way to helping you not only improve your vision but also your posture, which affects your breathing, your brain, and your vision.

Always be conscious of your posture by aligning your head and your spine. Be conscious of the position of your head: always tuck your chin in, instead of leaning your head forward  Be conscious of your shoulders: do not push them forward. Be conscious of your buttocks: squeeze and push them in.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Eye Exercises for Eye Relaxation

According to Dr. William Bates (1860 - 1931), the founder of natural vision improvement, poor vision is the result of eyestrain, due to mental and physical stress on the eye, and hence the distortion of the eye shape, leading to nearsightedness and farsightedness. Dr. Bates strongly believed that eye relaxation holds the key to improving vision. Given that vision health is holistic health, which means it includes the health of the body, the mind, and the spirit as well, the eye exercises recommended by Dr. Bates may help only partially to correct eyesight. Eye relaxation begins with the mind first, and not the eye. The mind must be completely relaxed before it can relax the body—and then the eye, which is only one of the organs of the body. In other words, eye exercises can relax the eye only when the body is also completely relaxed. You can relax the body and the mind through meditation.

Given that natural healing always takes time, natural vision improvement through eye exercises also takes time. Eye exercises are instrumental in both relaxing and strengthening eye muscles in order to correct eyesight.

However, if you want to have a quick-fix, then eye exercises are not for you. Indeed, many people are unwilling to try eye exercises to improve their vision. For one thing, many are still skeptical about the body’s capability to heal itself; for another, many consider poor vision a handicap rather than a physical condition that needs to be addressed. Indeed, many people believe that their poor vision can easily be fixed with eyeglasses or contacts, so they do not see the reason to use tedious eye exercises to correct their vision.

Practicing eye exercises has to be diligent and consistent. In addition, it is recommended that you stop wearing glasses or contacts as much as possible. That means you must get yourself accustomed to blurry vision around you as a result of not wearing eyeglasses or contacts. In addition, you must not strain to see clearly when your vision is blurry. The only promise is that you will see clearly only when your vision improves, and not before. All these pre-conditions may turn many away from the use of eye exercises to correct vision.

That said, eye exercises in conjunction with body and mind relaxation can indeed improve and correct eyesight. You have nothing to lose, even if you cannot completely dispense with your eyeglasses or contacts—at least your vision may not deteriorate any further with age. The bottom line: wearing eyeglasses or contacts will never improve your vision; they will only make it worse, not better.

If you really want to improve vision, go for eye exercises. If, on the other hand, you want a quick fix, maybe you should go for glasses or contacts. The choice is yours. Remember, if you do not want vision self-healing, you may not want self-healing in other health issues you may have—you may end up being another victim of the sickness industry, which also includes the optical companies.

Also, read my book NO EGO NO STRESS to find out how the ancient wisdom from China may help you live a stress-free life as if everything is a miracle even in this contemporary material world. Reduce your stress to have better vision.

Stephen Lau

Copyright ©2018 Stephen Lau

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Signs of Vision Improvement

Your vision improvement will not only take time but also undergo different stages of changes.

Physical Signs of Vision Improvement

The physical signs of improvement may include:

Eyes becoming more relaxed, feeling less tense

Black becoming blacker

Colors becoming more vibrant

Brief moments of clearer and wider vision

Less sensitivity to sunlight, and easier adaptation from light to darkness, and vice-versa.

Mental Signs of Vision Improvement

The mental signs of vision improvement may include:

More mental energy

Sharper mental focus, including greater concentration

More creative and imaginative

Better memory

Symptoms of Vision Readjustment

Your eye conditions may undergo a period of readjustment before ultimate vision improvement occurs, and these temporary symptoms may include eye tiredness, headaches, watery eyes, and changes in balance and orientation

Natural vision improvement takes time. Remember the following:

You must get yourself accustomed to blurry vision around you as a result of not wearing eyeglasses or contacts.

You must not strain to see clearly when your vision is blurry.

You will see clearly when your vision improves.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© 2018 by Stephen Lau