W. Bates, who worked in the 20-30s of the twentieth century, discovered that 6 motor muscles of the eyes are responsible for the quality of vision, regulating focus, and thereby changing the shape of the eyes. If vision is 100%, then all the muscles of the eyes are relaxed and the eyes have the shape of a ball, due to which the image can be correctly focused on the retina. If you want to see something close up, the eye relaxes its longitudinal muscles and, conversely, tenses its transverse muscles. Thus, the eyes are compressed and pulled forward, and take the shape of an oval, turned horizontally. If you want to see something in the distance, then the eye relaxes the transverse muscles and takes on its original spherical shape. Therefore, the cause of myopia is persistent and excessive tension of the transverse eye muscles. The cause of farsightedness is persistent and excessive tension of the longitudinal muscles of the eyes. And W. Bates proved that it is possible to restore vision at home.

In order to restore vision in case of myopia, you need to relax the transverse muscles of the eyes and train the longitudinal muscles. In order to restore vision in case of farsightedness, it is necessary to relax the longitudinal muscles of the eyes and train the transverse muscles. W. Bates developed a special system of training exercises for the eye muscles, and took as a basis the system of the North American Indians, who already had a system for improving and preserving vision. The general principles of how to restore vision yourself and these exercises, in particular, are to relax some eye muscles and strengthen others later in the article.

Eye exercises

It is a known fact that the eyes relax best in the dark, so you need to cover your eyes with your palms. It is better to fold it crosswise and keep your eyes closed. You need to imagine that you are looking at black velvet. This exercise is called “palming” and is performed for at least 5 minutes. This method of resting your eyes will help you reduce the load on them, but is it possible to restore vision using this method? No. It must be performed together with a set of exercises. You can improve your vision at home without involving a specialist if you perform special therapeutic exercises several times a day.

Such gymnastics, which improve visual function, are usually carried out both during palming and after.
First look right and left 5 to 10 times, then look up and down 5 to 10 times.
Perform eye movements from bottom to top diagonally and vice versa 5-10 times.
Make rotational movements with your eyes clockwise and counterclockwise 5 to 10 times.
Write the number 8 with your eyes, and then write the infinity sign - ∞, also 5-10 times.
The main thing is to do eye exercises so that your eye muscles do not overstrain; on the contrary, your movements should be smooth, without sudden jumps or painful sensations. You need to start one movement with 5 repetitions, and gradually increase them up to 10 times.
Before leaving palming, be sure to take a deep breath and make a couple of movements with your head down and up, and then left and right. This will improve blood flow, then open your eyes and blink quickly. If, after relaxing the eyes with palming, you simply remove your palms, then this will be a strong stressful situation for them, and therefore the exercises done in advance will not have the slightest result.
Also, you need to minimize the time spent in front of the TV and computer monitor. For an adult, the norm is 3-4 hours a day, and for a child under 7 years old - no more than half an hour, for teenagers - one hour.

Now you know how to restore and preserve your vision on your own. This is a very important sense organ and must be protected throughout life. Be healthy!

Myopia can only be cured through surgery; glasses and contact lenses can help correct it. How, then, is gymnastics good for the eyes? To understand this, you need to know how the eye muscles work in myopia. Based on the characteristics of the functioning of the eye muscles, specific exercises are prescribed.

What is myopia?

Myopia, or myopia, is a disorder of the refractive system of the eye, accompanied by poor distance vision. With myopia, a person has difficulty seeing what is more than a meter away from him. At the same time, the quality of long-distance vision depends on the degree of pathology. There are three of them in total. With the first degree, expressed in a deviation of up to −3 diopters, a person sees well near, but the outlines of objects at a distance seem blurry.

The second degree (from −3 to −6 diopters) is characterized by a decrease in the distance of good visibility. Without correction, the patient can clearly see what is at a distance of 30 cm from the face. Everything else is perceived vaguely.

A high degree may be accompanied by a vision deviation from normal up to −30 diopters. Visibility is maintained only at a very close distance - no more than 10 cm. A person constantly has to wear glasses or contacts.

As myopia develops, structural changes occur in the eyeball. Gradually it increases in size, the cornea becomes curved, the vascular, scleral and retinal membranes become thinner. There is a high risk of developing dystrophic processes. A person sees almost everything as if in a fog.

If with mild and moderate degrees of myopia a person can still do without glasses when reading or watching TV, then with severe myopia, the patient cannot move normally in space without the use of corrective optics.

How do the eye muscles work in myopia?

Understanding how the eye muscles work in myopia allows you to choose the right set of exercises. There are many types of eye gymnastics that are used for myopia, farsightedness, astigmatism, strabismus, as well as for training binocularity. Each type of gymnastics helps to relax or strengthen certain muscle groups. For myopia, exercises are aimed at two groups of eye muscles:

longitudinal (straight);
transverse (oblique).

There are 4 rectus muscles and 2 oblique muscles in the human eye. Straight or longitudinal are located on the right, left, below and above the eyeball. These muscles are responsible for turning the eyes, holding them in the correct position, and also giving them the correct shape, similar to a spherical one. With this form, the image is focused directly on the retina, so a person can see well at any distance. The oblique muscles of the eye, responsible for compressing it and giving it an oval shape, are located above and below the eyeball. When it has an oval shape, a person can see well up close. Thus, the visual system works like a camera lens.

In myopic people, the oblique muscles work constantly, almost never relax, and are always tense. Because of this, the eyes are slightly elongated and protruded forward. Although outwardly it is not noticeable. Light rays are focused in front of the retina, which allows you to perceive your surroundings well only at close range. To see better, you need to relax the transverse muscles.

In people with farsightedness, on the contrary, the rectus muscles of the eyes are tense and the oblique muscles are relaxed. The eyes with such muscle functioning have a more spherical shape, but with a shorter anteroposterior axis than it should be normally. Because of this, the image is formed not on the retina, but behind it. This allows you to see well into the distance, but limits a person when viewing objects located close to him.

In this regard, various sets of exercises are prescribed for one or another ophthalmological pathology. For myopia, exercise is aimed at relaxing the transverse muscles. An ordinary person without a medical education does not know these nuances and can choose a set of exercises that are not suitable for him and are even contraindicated. Therefore, gymnastics should be prescribed by a doctor.

What are the benefits of exercises to relax the eye muscles with myopia?

Gymnastics for the eyes is especially useful in children, when they are asked to study a lot of lessons at school, as well as for people whose work involves stress on the visual organs. It is also used for preventive purposes. Depending on the type of exercise, gymnastics helps relax certain muscle groups. In general, any exercise for the eyes with myopia has the following positive effect:

helps to relax the eyes, relieve tension from them;
elimination of symptoms of asthenopia and nervous spasm;
preventing the occurrence of symptoms of dry eye syndrome by stimulating the lacrimal glands;

increased visual acuity, improved focusing;
normalization of blood circulation in the eye and provision of eyeball tissue with oxygen and other nutrients;
stopping the progression of myopia.

Most importantly, eye exercises help stop the development of myopia. As this disease progresses, laser correction is contraindicated. Because of this, vision can become severely impaired, which can lead to even more serious consequences, including retinal diseases.

Can everyone do exercises to relax the eye muscles with myopia?

Eye exercises are a safe and painless way to relax the eye muscles, but, nevertheless, there are several contraindications to such exercises.

Restrictions include:

Retinal detachment. When blood circulation is stimulated, the condition of the retina may worsen.
Inflammatory and infectious eye diseases, such as conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Some exercises are accompanied by eye massage, which can cause even more bacteria to spread.
Recovery period after eye surgery. Gymnastics will interfere with the healing of the cornea and can lead to displacement of the artificial lens after its replacement or the corneal flap after laser correction.

In other words, the eyes should be healthy, unless we are talking about the main pathology - myopia.

Exercises to relax the eye muscles with myopia

There are standard exercises that are suitable for all patients, including children. There are also special techniques developed by ophthalmologist-scientists. They are aimed at relaxing the eye muscles, improving blood circulation and other effects. Standard exercises for relaxing the eye muscles with myopia include tasks that involve the following algorithms:

1. Open your eyes wide and, moving only your pupils, draw a figure eight in the air. Do this exercise slowly 7-8 times.
2. Extend your right arm in front of you. The thumb should be moved to the side. Move your hand to the right without taking your eyes off your finger. You cannot move your head in this exercise. You can only follow your finger with your eyeball. The task must be repeated at least 7 times.
3. Sit by the window, extend your arm forward at a distance of 30 cm from your eyes. Next, you need to alternately look out the window, then at the index finger of your outstretched hand. You need to change focus sharply, and not smoothly, as in the first exercise.
4. Cover your right eye with your palm, and with your left look at the index finger of the other hand, which is located at a distance of 30 cm from the face. You can perform the exercise for 5-10 seconds with each eye.

5. Take the pen and place it in front of your face at arm's length. After this, move the pen in different directions, looking at its tip. You can only move your eyes, not your head.
6. The next exercise is performed while standing. You need to turn your head left and right with your eyes wide open. Do 20 reps on each side.
7. Open your eyes wide, and then squint quickly. Repeat this algorithm of actions several times, and upon completion, slowly lower your eyelids and relax. Perform 15-20 repetitions.

These exercises for relaxing the eye muscles are very simple in technique and do not take much time from a person. But the effect from them should be expected only when they are performed daily 2-3 times a day. You can do this right at your workplace, taking a little break from work.

Ophthalmological scientists have created other sets of exercises for the eyes for myopia. There are quite a lot of them. Let's look at them briefly.

A set of exercises for the eyes by W. Bates

W. Bates was one of the first to develop eye exercises to stop the progression of myopia. The scientist named the main cause of myopia as overexertion, which occurs as a result of trying to look at objects distant from a person after prolonged stress on the visual organs, for example, after reading. Because of this, pressure on the eye caused by tension in the oblique muscles causes it to stretch. Complete relaxation, according to Bates, can be achieved through exercises that use the OM card. The card is a design resembling a sun with small triangular rays along the outer surface of the circle. In the center of the circle is a hieroglyph similar to the letters “O” and “M”. The hieroglyph is surrounded by other unusual symbols.

The following tasks are performed with the OM card:

1. Place the card at a distance of 30 cm to 3 m from your eyes. Focus on the center of the picture and slowly move your gaze along the hieroglyph. During the exercise, you will notice that the clearest and blackest point of the hieroglyph is the one to which your gaze is directed. You need to repeat the exercise 3 times. With each repetition, the hieroglyph will appear darker than at the very beginning.
2. The OM card should be placed from the eyes at a distance of 30 cm or 1.5 m. This time you need to look not at the hieroglyph, but at the rays of the sun, moving your gaze along them. In this case, movement along the segment is carried out by turning the head, not the eyes. At each ray you need to hold your gaze and blink lightly. Each ray should appear darker than the previous one.
3. Leave the OM card at the same distance from your face. Now focus on the circle and move your gaze around it while moving your head. After this, you need to close your eyes and continue moving in an imaginary circle.
4. For the fourth exercise, you will need a Sivtsev table with optotype letters to test visual acuity. It should be hung on a wall or cabinet at arm's length. Keep your gaze on the letters that are clearly visible. After this, dim the lights in the room. Take a book and read a few pages, holding the book 25 cm from your face. It must be difficult to read due to poor lighting. After this, you need to increase the brightness of the light again in order to read the letters on Sivtsev’s poster again. This exercise, according to Bates, improves visual acuity.
5. Read the vision test table while being at a distance of 3-5 m from it. Gradually you need to increase the distance between you and the table. Start at 3 meters and work your way up to 5 meters.
6. Another exercise can be performed directly on the street or in the passenger seat of a vehicle. You need to watch moving objects that rush towards you. The eyes should be relaxed, half-open.

Also, complete relaxation of the eye muscles can be achieved, as stated by Bates, using the following techniques:

1. Palming method, which consists of closing the eyes from direct light.
2. Rocking and moving method. This includes any exercise during which the gaze moves left and right.

Exercises with the OM card are aimed at normalizing central gaze fixation, while the other two techniques allow you to relax the eye muscles as much as possible. They can be performed alternately.

Not all ophthalmologists fully accept the complex developed by Bates, and therefore it is not recommended to perform these exercises without examination by a doctor.

Eye Exercises for Myopia Margaret Durst Corbett

Corbett is a student of Bates. She developed her own set of eye exercises for myopia. The Corbett method is based on the Sivtsev table. However, it is not used to establish visual acuity, but to read letters and relax the eye muscles. The main conditions for performing exercises are to relax the eye muscles and try not to perceive the table as a means of testing visual functions. In total, you will need two tables, one standard size and the other small. Before starting the task, you need to perform relaxing head turns and palming suggested by Bates. Next, we proceed directly to gymnastics.

1. Move 2 m away from the table. The small table should be positioned so that it is easy to read the letters on it without eye strain. First, slowly read the large optotypes on a small piece of paper, and then move the table further away from your face, continuing to look at the top lines. Bring the leaf closer to your face again and remove it again. Repeat this 2-3 times.
2. Next, look at the large letters of the large table. Read all the optotypes and close your eyes. Make several turns with your head left and right. Breathe slowly and deeply while doing this.
3. Then move on to reading the second, smaller line on the smaller poster. Complete the exercise by completely closing your eyelids and mentally drawing the letters, as if the tip of your nose were a pencil. After a few seconds, quickly open your eyes and look at the large poster. You must achieve a complete reading of the table.

Corbett suggests other exercises that will require a new table. You need to draw it yourself. You will need a piece of Whatman paper and a black marker. The phrase “Relaxation will return my sharp vision” is written on whatman paper. In this case, it should be written in three columns. The first column will contain the word “relaxation”. The first letter should be 7.5 cm in size, the second - 5 cm, then - 4.5, 3.5, 2.5, 2, 1.7, 1.3, 1, 0.6, 0.4, 0 .3 cm. Total 12 lines. The second column should also have 12 letters of the appropriate size. The second column contains part of the original phrase - “will return it to me.” In the third column is the end of the phrase - “sharp vision.” When starting the exercise, a person will know the location of the letters on the poster. This will relieve stress when reading optotypes.

Gymnastics should be done in a sitting position. Position yourself from the table at a distance from which the top line is clearly visible. Close your eyes, and then try to remember the location of the letters written in the second line. Write them mentally with the tip of your nose, taking a deep breath. After this, quickly open your eyes and look at the second line of the poster. Optotypes should be clearer than before. If not, then repeat the exercise with mentally drawing letters on your palm. If even repeated repetition does not help, reduce the distance between you and the table. Remember not to strain your eyes.

Gymnastics for the eyes for myopia from Professor R. G. Agarwal

Professor from India Agarwal R.G. systematized the Bates technique and developed his own set of exercises based on it. It uses the previously mentioned OM card. Exercises to relax the eye muscles according to Agarwal are carried out according to the following algorithm:

1. Place the OM card at a distance of 30 cm from your face. Gradually it will need to be removed from the eyes. Slowly move your gaze over the hieroglyph, mentally realizing that the central letters are more contrasting than the rest of the picture.

2. Roll your gaze around the circle while moving your head. While moving, slowly close and open your eyes. Complete the task several times at different distances, but not exceeding 1.5 m.
3. Perform the previous exercise with your eyes half-closed.
4. Take a book with small print. First, read a couple of pages using the correction products you are wearing. Depending on the degree of myopia, place the book so that you can get a good image with glasses. Then you need to take off your glasses and try to read the text. If this does not work, change the angle, lighting and reduce the distance between your face and the book. If your workout is causing you extreme discomfort, stop it, rest, and try the task again.

Eye exercises for myopia according to M. Windolf

Surprisingly, Windolf continued to develop the Bates system. At the same time, the scientist focused much attention on the accommodative ability of the eyes. According to Dr. Windolf, the treatment of myopia should be based on alternating tension and relaxation of the eyes when performing eye exercises. Before you begin the gymnastics itself, you need to relax your eyes using the palming method. After this, you need to choose a bright or shiny object, for example, a Christmas tree decoration, candy, etc.

The gymnastics itself includes two exercises:

1. Place the toy in front of your eyes at a distance of 30-40 cm. Look at it, blinking quickly. Pause periodically, closing your eyes completely.
2. Mentally try to reduce the size of the toy. Look at the object, squeezing the orbital muscles as if you were pulling your eyeballs back. You need to focus on the center of the toy. Blink more often while charging.

After completing the tasks, you may feel discomfort in your eyes, unpleasant sensations. Sometimes headaches occur. All this is temporary. Due to the fact that there are side effects, do not do the exercises without consulting a specialist.

Gymnastics for the eyes for myopia from Zhdanov

Like previous scientists, Russian ophthalmologist Zhdanov continued to develop Bates's ideas. However, our compatriot supplemented Bates’s set of exercises with the teachings of yoga. Zhdanov’s method allows you to restore the elasticity and mobility of different groups by meeting a number of conditions:

remove contact lenses or glasses before gymnastics;
do exercises every day 3 times;
do not make sudden movements with your eyes;
try to relax your visual organs as much as possible;
perform at least 3 repetitions for each exercise.

Prepare a sheet of Whatman paper and write on it the phrase “Give a person vision and the opportunity to correct many anomalies.” You can take Sivtsev’s table as an example. However, in the top line you need to place the word “give” instead of the letters “Ш” and “Б”. Write the rest of the phrase on the bottom lines, repeating it until 12 lines are completed. Next, make a second table of small size - A4 format. Start exercising. In total, Zhdanov proposed two sets of tasks. The first one is done like this:

move away from the table to a distance from which the upper letters are clearly visible without eye strain;
keep the second table at arm's length;
Cover one eye with a bandage;
read the letters on the top line of the large table;
move focus to the largest row of a small table;
look again at the large poster and again at the small one;
Repeat these exercises on the eye that was closed.

Gradually you need to move from the top lines to the bottom. The second set of exercises is performed without a table:

blink frequently with your eyes relaxed;
move your eyeballs left and right, drawing horizontal lines in your imagination;
mentally draw vertical lines by moving your eyes up and down;
draw a square clockwise with your eyes, erase it in your imagination by moving your eyes along the line of the quadrangle counterclockwise;
draw and erase in the same way a circle, an infinity sign, a zigzag, a wavy line;
Blink your eyes quickly.

These exercises help not only with myopia. They can be used to relax the eye muscles with increased visual fatigue, astigmatism, farsightedness, and strabismus.

Exercises for myopia according to Norbekov

Gymnastics according to Norbekov helps improve blood circulation in the eyes. To achieve a positive effect from exercise, you need to do the following:

1. Stand up straight and imagine that you are looking through your brow ridges. Keep your eyes on the ceiling. After this, look down, imagining that your gaze is passing through the larynx.
2. Direct your gaze left and right, imagining that you are looking through your ears.
3. Relax your eyes and in your imagination draw two diagonal lines from the lower left corner and from the lower right corner. After this, you also need to mentally erase the lines.

4. Draw a figure eight with your eyes, moving your gaze first in one direction and then in the other. You can't move your head. Perform the exercise 8 times at a slow pace.
5. Touch your index fingers to your nose. Gradually move your fingers away from your face. With your left eye you need to look at the finger of your left hand, and with your right eye you need to watch the right finger. Repeat the task three times.
6. Imagine that there is a round wall clock in front of you. Move along the edge of the watch, that is, around the circle, with your gaze clockwise, increasing the diameter of the dial. After this, return your gaze to the starting point, moving counterclockwise.

Exercises for the eyes for myopia according to E.S. Avetisov

The technique proposed by Avetisov is used not only for the treatment of myopia. It has proven its preventive value. The method is based on three sets of exercises.

The first group of exercises according to Avetisov
Gymnastics is aimed at improving the nutrition of eye tissue with oxygen by stimulating blood circulation. The complex includes 5 exercises:

1. Close and open your eyes wide, doing this slowly, with some effort, for 5 seconds. Correct execution involves repeating the task 6-8 times.
2. Blink for 15 seconds at an accelerated pace, interrupt the task for a few seconds and repeat it. This is done 5-6 times.
3. Massage the eyeballs with your index fingers, closing your eyelids.
4. Lower your eyelids and apply light pressure on your eyes with your fingers. Apply pressure for 3 seconds.
5. Place the index finger of your left hand on your left eyebrow and your right hand on your right eyebrow. Try to close your eyes while resisting the tension of the skin with your fingers.

The second set of exercises according to Avetisov

It is aimed at toning all eye muscles. The complex includes 3 exercises:

move your gaze from the floor to the ceiling 12 times without changing the position of your head and body;
move your gaze left and right 12 times;
move your eyes clockwise and counterclockwise 6 times, drawing a regular circle in your head.

The third group of exercises according to Avetisov

Another complex is designed to increase the accommodative abilities of the eye. Stand up straight and do the following:

look ahead for several seconds, moving your gaze from the tip of your finger, located 30 cm from your face, to distant objects;
extend your hand forward and look at the tip of your index finger, and then bring it closer to your nose until the outline of the finger begins to double;
look at the index finger of your outstretched hand with peripheral vision, cover one eye with your hand, and move the index finger of the other hand closer to your nose and away from it;
Attach some mark to the glass of the window, for example, colored paper, and move 30 cm away from the window. Move your gaze outside the window, and after 2 seconds look at the mark. Do this exercise for 5 minutes.

Remember that the presented exercises cannot cure myopia, but they can help stop its progression. In addition, gymnastics helps relieve eye fatigue and eliminate other symptoms of asthenopia. Exercise daily, following your doctor's instructions.

LECTURE BY PROFESSOR Vladimir Georgievich Zhdanov
Natural restoration of vision BY W. Bates METHOD"

The image in the human eye is constructed as in a simple camera, by changing the length of the eyeball. The main work in the process of accommodation (i.e., focusing the eye) is performed by six extraocular muscles.

When all six eye muscles are relaxed, due to excess internal pressure the eye takes the shape of a ball, the focus is on the retina, and such an eye sees perfectly into the distance.To see up close, you need to change the parameters of the eye's optical system. The longitudinal muscles of the eye relax and the upper and lower transverse muscles tense, the eye contracts and stretches forward, the focus goes inside the eye, and such an eye stretched forward sees perfectly close.

MYOPIA ACCORDING TO BATES
Tense transverse muscles compress the eye, the eye is pulled forward, but these muscles do not relax back. People with eyes stretched forward are called myopic. As soon as a nearsighted person puts glasses on his eyes, the transverse muscles will never relax.

WHAT DOES BATES OFFER FOR MYOPIA?
A simple and understandable scheme is to give up glasses as much as possible or temporarily replace them with weaker ones and, with the help of simple special exercises, relax the transverse muscles, and with the help of other equally simple exercises, train the weakened longitudinal ones, which are greatly weakened in all myopic people.

HARM CAUSED BY GLASSES

1. Glasses do not allow the longitudinal and transverse muscles of the eyes to work; glasses work instead of them.
2. Glasses immobilize a person’s eyes and instead of the eye muscles, the neck muscles begin to work, turning the head along with the eyes and glasses. In this case, the muscles stop working and eventually atrophy completely.

Farsightedness according to Bates
Over time and age, the transverse muscles of the eyes weaken, the longitudinal muscles of the eye become tense and slagged, as a result the eye has the shape of a ball, the focus is on the retina and the classically far-sighted eye sees perfectly into the distance.

To see up close, relaxed transverse muscles do not have enough strength to push the eye, and tense longitudinal muscles do not allow this to be done on their side, so that the eye stretches forward.

But if a farsighted person puts glasses on his eyes, the transverse muscles will stop working completely; instead, the glasses will do this work one hundred percent.

WHAT DOES BATES OFFER FOR LONG-SIGHTEDNESS?
A simple and understandable scheme: give up glasses as much as possible or temporarily replace them with weaker ones and, with the help of simple special exercises, relax the longitudinal muscles, and with the help of other equally simple exercises, train the weakened transverse ones, which are greatly weakened in all farsighted people.

BATES STRABISM
With strabismus, the lateral longitudinal internal muscle tenses and the external longitudinal muscle stretches, resulting in the eye squinting towards the nose; in another case, the external longitudinal muscle is tense and the internal muscle is relaxed, resulting in the eye squinting outwards.

WHAT DOES BATES SUGGEST FOR STRABISM?
With the help of simple special exercises, a relaxed muscle needs to be trained and a tense muscle needs to be relaxed.

BATES ASTIGMATISM
The problem of astigmatism is the improper functioning of six motor muscles. The muscles of the eye are tensed in different ways, from different sides, with different forces putting pressure on the eye. Due to different pressures, the liquid eye loses its symmetrical shape, and the symmetrical path of optical rays in the eye is disrupted.

As a result, the image becomes blurry, blurred, doubles, triples, glare appears, and sometimes one image is superimposed on another - this is a phenomenon that is simply called “astigmatism.”

WHAT DOES BATES SUGGEST FOR ASTIGMATISM?
With the help of simple, special exercises, it is necessary to relax tense muscles and train weakened ones.

Due to internal excess pressure, the eye will take on its symmetrical shape, as a result of which the symmetrical path of optical rays will be restored, and the person’s astigmatism will disappear.

THREE GOOD REASONS THAT THE BATES METHOD IS NOT ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE WITH VISION PROBLEMS:
1. Financial problem: net profit from the sale of glasses, contact lenses and surgeries is $50 billion per year. These $50 billion do not allow scientific truth to reach consumers for more than 100 years, who will eventually simply go blind from ignorance.

2. Conservativeness of Russian medicine: for more than 100 years, the most accurate theory of how the eye works is known - Bates, according to which people take off their glasses and restore their vision. To this day, in all Russian institutes in our country, students study G. Genholtz’s theory of vision, according to which, at the first visual impairment, glasses are put on the eyes.

3. The third reason is also banally simple. In order to restore vision, a person needs to work on himself. You need to switch to a sober and healthy lifestyle, cleanse your body, eyes and brain of toxins, do exercises, but for many this is simply not acceptable. It’s easier to go to doctors and ask them to prescribe glasses, just to do nothing yourself.

These three reasons hinder the introduction of W. Bates' method into our lives.

GLAUCOMA AND CATARACT ACCORDING TO BATES
The causes of glaucoma and cataracts are congestion in the eyes. A person’s eyes are fed with blood, including through the extraocular muscles, and if the muscles are well developed, they feed the eye with blood and constantly massage it. A good metabolism occurs in the eyes and in this case the person’s eyes are healthy.

When the work of the oculomotor muscles is disrupted, primarily from glasses, the blood supply sharply deteriorates, metabolism is disrupted, and congestion begins. The outlet channels become clogged, pressure increases, hence the formation of glaucoma.

Toxins begin to settle on the lens inside the vitreous body, hence the formation of cataracts.

90% of people with the initial stages of glaucoma and cataracts are helped by the gymnastics of Professor W. Bates.

A person begins to do exercises, restores the performance of the oculomotor muscles, improves blood supply, restores metabolism in the eyes, and these congestive phenomena begin to resolve by themselves

PRACTICAL EXERCISES FOR NATURAL VISION RESTORATION ACCORDING TO THE W. BATES METHOD TRAINING WEAK EYE MUSCLES

Cover your eyes so that the middle of the palm of your right hand is opposite your right eye, the same with your left hand. The palms should lie softly, there is no need to press them forcefully to the face. The fingers cross on the forehead. It is important that there are no “slits” that let light through.

In 5min. Before starting the exercise, drop one drop into your eyes.

Do the exercises three times a day for 30 minutes. before breakfast, lunch and dinner. Movements should be done “from stop to stop”, maximizing the range of movements.

1. Lightly blink about 10 times like the wings of a butterfly.
2. Raise your eyes up, then lower them down - 2 times.
3. Blink.
4. Turn your eyes to the left, turn your eyes to the right - 2 times.
5. Blink.
6. Diagonal (top right, bottom left) – 2 times.
7. Blink.
8. Reverse diagonal – 2 times.
9. Blink.
10. Rectangle (top right, down, bottom left, up) – 2 times.
11. Blink.
12. Rectangle back (top left, down, bottom right, up) – 2 times. 13. Blink.
14. Dial (draw a circle clockwise: 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock) - 2 times. 15. Blink.
16. Dial back (counterclockwise) – 2 times.
17. Blink. Quit palming:

18. With your eyes closed, close and relax your eyes 3 times.

Rub your eyes, take a deep breath, exhale, and open your eyes and blink quickly.

SOLARIZATION OF THE EYES ON A CANDLE

1. Light a candle, turn off the light, look around, look at the candle, blink.
2. Turn your head and eyes to the right and left 10 times.
3. Do “palming”, see above.
4. They opened their eyes under their palms and blinked.
5. Under “palming”, do gymnastics to strengthen the eye muscles, see above. 3 times each exercise.
6. At the end of the exercises, close your eyes and think about something kind, nice, and pleasant for 3-5 minutes.

Turn on the light.

Rub your palms. Do “palming” by relaxing the eye muscles for 3 – 5 minutes. During the exercise, imagine something black, think about something good, good and pleasant.

For a way out of palming, see above.

Look at the table for determining vision, compare which line you see.

This set of exercises is done three times a day before meals on a fasting basis.

In conclusion.
It is easy to get children interested in looking at color pictures and natural landscapes, developing their curiosity and observation skills. As a result of this they will have good eyesight. Don't force your child to wear glasses if their eyes are a little tired. Vision should be restored if you give it enough natural light and let it feel the pleasure that the desire to see brings. Do not be indifferent to the surrounding beauty of the world, notice the details, do not strain your attention with unnecessary television information and feel the life-giving pulse - and you will enjoy good vision.

Stress overstrain, which most young people and school-age children experience, causes both vision and psyche to deteriorate, and it can be very difficult to recover.

VISION CORRECTION
The essence of this method is the natural healing of the visual organs in normal operating conditions that meet the requirements of nature.

Vision correction is based on the following principle: if you provide your eyes with normal natural nutrition, cleanse them of toxins and other harmful deposits, give them natural stress and lightly train them in healthy conditions, your vision will certainly become normal. And the main thing is that anyone can do this at home.

So, vision correction begins with ensuring normal nutrition of the eye. The following vitamins and chemicals are essential in sufficient quantities:

Vitamin C (at least 100 - 300 mg per day) is found in cabbage, red and sweet peppers, citrus fruits, rose hips, berries, vegetable leaves, onions, peas, pineapples, tomatoes...

Vitamin B1 (20 -25 mg) helps restore the nervous systems. Contained in peanuts, cereals, corn, honey, dark rice.

Vitamin B2 (10 - 15 mg) stimulates oxygen metabolism. Contained in green leafy vegetables, apples, and sprouted wheat.

Vitamin B6 (2 - 3 mg) is a natural calmer. Contained in cabbage, sprouted wheat, and cereals.

Vitamin B12 (10 mg) normalizes blood circulation. Contained in grapes and grape juice, parsley, prunes, apricots, black currants and their juice.

Potassium. The condition of the circulatory system depends on it. It is found in apples, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Blueberries and their stems and leaves (tea made from them) are richest in potassium.

*Alcohol, coffee, tea, refined white sugar are “dead” foods that impair vision. Animal food, ice cream, candy, cakes and Coca-Cola are not beneficial. The fact is that they require B vitamins for digestion, which means these vitamins never reach the eyes.

Now that your eyes are provided with a sufficient amount of nutrients and vitamins, let's create normal conditions for them to function. First, you need your eyes to look at the world around you with the “naked gaze”; you cannot wear any glasses, not even sunglasses. After all, glasses free your eyes from the need to work, change the shape of the lens and change focus with it. From inactivity, muscles atrophy and a person loses the ability to clearly see objects located at different distances from the eyes.

Now you can begin a set of actions that will help you regain normal vision.

Every morning, while washing your face, give your eyes a special bath. Take 2 bowls, pour very hot water into one and very cold water into the other. Place a terry cloth in each bowl. Press a hot cloth to your eyes for 2 minutes. Then apply pressure with the cold cloth for one minute. Repeat this procedure 3 times.

Temperature changes have a surprisingly beneficial effect on the structure of the lens, making it soft and elastic, and removing clouding.

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Exercises for the eye muscles

It is believed that if the eye sees perfectly, then it has a perfectly round shape. The image passing through the pupil and lens must be focused on the macula or macula, which is located on the surface of the retina. But, for example, if for some reason (stress, prolonged tension, fear) the oblique muscles are in spasm, then the shape of the eyes becomes elongated. In this case, the light rays are focused in front of the retina, rather than on it. Because of this, the image becomes blurred and unclear. The most popular means of treating and preventing eye diseases include special gymnastics or physical exercises for the eyes, with which you can strengthen and relax the muscles of the eye. It is better to combine it with general strengthening physical exercises and, of course, a healthy lifestyle.

Structure and functions of the eye muscles

The ocular muscles are the muscles that are necessary for the movement of the eyeballs. Therefore, we can say that they provide high-quality, three-dimensional images. There are six visual muscles in total: two oblique and four rectus. They got their name due to the direction of movement in the eye socket, as well as the peculiarities of attachment to the eye. These muscles and their work depend on three cranial nerves: abducens, trochlear and oculomotor. They are rich in nerve endings, and this in turn ensures the utmost clarity and precision of their movements. Performing special exercises and gymnastics will help you achieve good vision and maintain eye health.

Exercises for the external eye muscles

Squat down and keep your head still. Smoothly move your eyes from the floor to the ceiling, and then back, then turn them from right to left and back. Repeat this exercise for the eye muscles 10-12 times.
Also, to relax the visual muscles, it is recommended to perform an exercise that involves blinking quickly for 20 seconds.
In addition, you can first make circular movements with your eyes from left to right, and then in the other direction. Repeat this exercise 4-6 times.

Exercises for the internal eye muscles

Attach a round mark with a diameter of about 4 mm to the window. It should be at eye level at a distance of 30-35 cm. Find any distant object outside the window and look alternately at it and then at the mark. Do this exercise twice a day. For the first two days, devote 3 minutes to it, then double this time. On the fifth and subsequent days, devote 10 minutes to a similar exercise.
Place your right thumb on the imaginary center line of your face. It should be located at a distance of 20-30 cm from the eyes. Look at it for 3-5 seconds. Cover your left eye with the palm of your other hand. Then remove your palm. Look at the tip of your finger with both eyes for 3-5 seconds. Do the same exercise, changing hands.

Exercises to strengthen the core eye muscles

The following exercises to strengthen the eye muscles must be performed in a standing position. First you should relax. While exercising, look forward in one direction.

Without moving your head and body, look first at the ceiling and then at the floor. Perform the exercise slowly, allowing the eye muscles to do this as accurately and efficiently as possible.
Fix your head and body in one position and do not move them. Move your eyes from right to left and back, moving them as far as possible in each direction. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Move your eyes diagonally from the upper right corner of the room to the lower left. Repeat the exercise 10 times. Then change the direction of your eye movements. Repeat the steps 10 times.
Imagine that there is a large circle in front of you. Run your eyes along its edge. In this case, the gaze should move to the right side. Do the same, but turning your eyes to the left. Repeat the exercise 10 times for each direction. The head should remain motionless.

To strengthen your eye muscles at home, you can follow these nutritional recommendations: include citrus fruits, sea fish, greens, carrots and blueberries in your diet. Self-massage of the neck area and exercises for relaxation and proper breathing are useful. To strengthen the internal muscles of the eye, training with a ball is recommended. This can be either exercises with throws to a partner or at a wall or target, or games of badminton, tennis or volleyball. Gymnastics for the eye muscles will also help preserve your vision so you can enjoy life without glasses or contact lenses.

As shown in Fig.4,

Rice. 4 Muscles of the eye

The so-called rectus muscles of the eye stretch above, below and along the sides of the eyeball, which ensure its rotation in different directions. In the figure you can see two other muscles of the eye, which are called oblique muscles and encircle the eyeball in a circle.

The necessary adjustment of the eye for clear vision at close range is carried out by pressing on the eyeball with the oblique eye muscles, as a result of which it changes its shape, lengthening in the anteroposterior axis. At the same time, the lens moves away from the retina of the eye, maintaining its shape unchanged. When we look into the distance, the oblique muscles of the eye relax and the eye takes on its usual spherical shape, adapted to perceive distant objects when the eye is at rest.

What makes the eye see?

The eye consists of the cornea, anterior chamber fluid, ciliary muscle, lens, vitreous body, choroid, optic nerve, and extraocular muscles (Fig. 4). And the state of each of these elements determines how our visual apparatus will perform its work.

Keeping your eyes in good shape requires certain skills and habits. A convex lens is called a converging lens and is used to correct farsightedness. A concave lens is called a diverging lens and is used to correct myopia.

William Bates and his technique for restoring vision

Is it possible to restore vision without glasses?

Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in interest in non-drug treatment methods, most often associated with alternative medicine. There are relatively few such methods in the field of ophthalmology, and those that are known, unfortunately, do not always give the desired effect. Therefore, any new information in the area under consideration is always received with great hope.

In a number of countries abroad there are special centers where Anyone can learn how to improve their vision. The largest training center is the Bates Academy in Johannesburg (South Africa).

Evidence of the recognition of the Bates method was also the fact that familiarity with it became mandatory when training ophthalmologists in a number of foreign countries at special postgraduate courses when completing an extended program for ophthalmologists.

Who is William Bates?

William Horatio Bates was born on December 23, 1860 in New York, New Jersey. He received his medical education at Cornell in 1881 and his doctorate in medicine from the American College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1885. From 1886 to 1896, Bates also served as a staff physician at the New York Eye Hospital. In 1886-1891, he began teaching ophthalmology at the New York Hospital, a research institute for graduate students.

In 1896, Bates decided to leave his work at the hospital for several years due to the need to carry out experimental work, and in 1910 he took up the post of doctor caring for patients with visual impairment at the Harlem Hospital in New York and worked there until 1922 .

W. G. Bates died on July 10, 1931. An obituary of his death was published in The New York Times on July 11, 1931.

How does this method work?

Basic theoretical principles of the Bates method can be reduced to this definition.

The eye carries out the process of adjusting to work far or near not so much by changing the curvature of the lens, but by influencing the shape of the eyeball by the external muscles surrounding it.

To understand what we are talking about, we will make some simplified explanations.

In ophthalmology, it has already become traditional to compare the structure of the eye with the structure of a camera. If we draw an analogy between the structure of the eye and the structure of a camera, then in the eye the role of a lens is played by a transparent elastic formation in the shape of a biconvex lens - CRYSTAL.

Rays of light, reflected from an object, enter the eye, and, passing through the lens, are focused on the retina. RETINA- analogue of photosensitive film in a camera. This is a thin membrane lining the inner surface of the eye. The main function of the retina is to convert light stimulation into a nerve impulse, which is then transmitted to the brain for subsequent interpretation.

With reaching the age of 40 - 50 years, many people experience so-called senile farsightedness. In this case, the eye may have a normal spherical shape, but the lens flattens somewhat. This is caused by various reasons: thickening of the lens tissue, weakening of the ciliary muscle, etc. Due to the flattening of the lens, older people, like farsighted people at a younger age, cannot see nearby objects clearly.

Theoretically, the possibility of the eye working, in the form described by Bates, was expressed even before the appearance of his works: by Stum (1696), Listing (1851) and many other authors.

Causes of visual impairment

According to Bates theory, the cause of visual impairment is mental stress, stress, irrational and irregular nutrition, atherosclerosis (vasoconstriction), habits that negatively affect our health, stimulants, alcohol.

Obviously, the goal of treatment should be to relieve tension and eliminate the causes that lead to deterioration in health.

How do the eye muscles work?

Each eye has six extraocular muscles: upper longitudinal, which, contracting, raises the eye upward; lower longitudinal, which lowers the eye down; internal longitudinal lateral, which leads the eye to the nose; internal longitudinal external, which takes the eye towards the temple, upper transverse and lower transverse, which fit the eye from above and below. (Fig.4).

How the eye will see depends on the work and condition of the extraocular muscles. A healthy eye is spherical in shape. If the longitudinal muscles are weak and untrained, and the transverse muscles are strong, then the eye will be pulled forward. (Fig.5)

Rice. 5. Myopic eye

If the transverse muscles are weak and the longitudinal muscles are strong, then the eye will be flattened in the vertical plane. (Fig.6).

Why can the extraocular muscles be unequally developed?

In order to see up close, the transverse muscles tense and the eye extends forward (Fig. 5). If you need to look into the distance, the longitudinal muscles tense, and the eye looks flattened. (Fig.6).

Rice. 6. Farsighted eye

Why do the eye muscles lose the ability to function, tuning the eye to work near and far?

These are the reasons that lead to constant tension in the longitudinal or transverse muscles. As a result, they lead to the development of myopia. These include constant work at the computer, long reading, working with printed documentation, stress, violation of work and rest schedules, and bad habits.

Lack of load on the eye muscles to work with nearby objects and the above-mentioned reasons, when the eyes almost constantly look into the distance, lead to the development of farsightedness. Muscles that are not used atrophy, lose mass and elasticity.

The method that is presented to you in this manual allows you to return your eyes to their mobility and restore vision.

What will happen to the eyes during exercise?

With the help of special exercises We can train weak muscles and relax strong ones. To verify the reliability of this method, I suggest you use the test table, which is located on the inside spread of the book. Hang the table at a distance of 2 meters at eye level in a well-lit room and, looking at the table, apply light pressure on the eyes with your index fingers through the eyelids. Gradually moving your fingers along the outer edge of the eye socket, find a position and shape the eyes in such a way that they will see better, and also try to tighten the skin in the temple area. You will definitely be able to do this. If someone doesn’t succeed, don’t be upset, do the exercises, get a massage, the results will definitely come.

Who can use this method?

All except those who had eye surgery in the next six months, and those who experience retinal detachment. But by applying the general principles of maintaining health and preventing bad habits, which we will discuss below, you can significantly improve your well-being. The uniqueness of the method lies in its simplicity, accessibility, and the absence of a large number of contraindications. In the process of our classes to restore vision, applying the tips below, the functioning of all organs and systems of the body will improve: cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, on which our vision depends.

Muscles of the eyeball and their oculomotor functions. Theory of vision Longitudinal and transverse muscles of the eye