First of all, I'd like to congratulate you all for these fantastic forums. I'm 19 years old and I'm currently in Spain. I came across this website about Bates method not long ago, even though I've been interested in these exercises for some time now.
Having read many of the posts out here, I've decided to do my best to recover my eyesight as soon as possible - I'm aware that it may take many months/years, though -.
I've been wearing glasses for nearly 5 years now and my current prescription is around -3/-3,5. I know I'm not that blind but it's really hard for me to take my glasses off. Furthermore, university is just round the corner and I have no idea how I will manage to get by.
The reason why I'm writing this is because I would like to ask you a few questions before I start doing these exercises.
As I said some lines above, I know that I need to wear my glasses as little as possible but my question is; how do you manage to get by without glasses, for example, at school? Do you usually wear weaker glasses when looking at the blackboard? Will the exercises work even if I wear weaker glasses?
I'd also like to hear from people whose prescription was very similar to mine and who have achieved their goal I'm aware that I shouldn't ask this but, how long will it take me to restore my vision if I spend 30mins/1h on these exercises everyday? I'm pretty afraid of walking down the street with my glasses off.
Thank you very much for your attention. I'm looking forward to your replies.
PS: Feel free to add any extra information that you consider is important.
Subject: Have people been able to clear their vision from -3.5 diopters?
Re: Using various methods?
Sure, here is an example by a professional.
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Thank you. That article made me understand how Bates Method really works.
By the way, some websites state that we also have to work on our eye muscles, is that true?
Globe_trotter,
To answer your question, "working on our eye muscles" is a form of strain. Bates believed strain causes vision problems & relaxation is the cure. All his "exercises" (palming, swinging, etc.) are just different ways to achieve a more relaxed state.
Thank you both of you again. I'm definitely going to get a Snellen chart (where can I get it for free?). I'll start off by wearing my old -2 glasses whenever I really need something to see (that's weak enough, isn't it?) Let's give Bates Method a try! I hope it works. I will let you know about my improvements.
Here are some Snellens. I use the Joel Schnieder chart -- it is the most accurate.
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Also, here is a "computer" Snellen:
Just click here:
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and then on "Display" several times. Some 20/60 letters will appear.
See if you can read them at 10 feet (Since you are probably at 20/120 to 20/200
If you read (or guess) half of them you pass the line. Don't worry if they are blurred.
You are right about the fact that it is important to take your glasses of as much as possible. How? Start with a fixed timespace during a daily action that convinces you that glasses are not really requiered. In my case (and i am way out of your league, I have -20 D), three weeks ago I started taking off my glasses using public transport to go from home to work and back. The first day was horrible, I was scared I would fall on the railtracks or would disappear in a big hole in the road. But ... everything went really fine. I was very surprised how good I actually managed it, and the following days started even enjoying it: the vivid colours, the fresh air relaxing the eyes, I blink more often and for sure I shift more often (with the glasses on, I just rushed home looking straightforward, without blinking and shifting. Take advantage of the brightness of the light we have here most of the year in Spain. and go for a walk without glasses in one of the parks. Above all, enjoy your vision without glasses.
YBE
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Hi there Globe_trotter! Just thought I would comment here since I am student too also doing the Bates Method. I've been doing the method since January and have had a nice amount of improvement. A few weeks ago I got a lowered prescription to -1.25 having started at -2.50. I got it because the headaches from driving with my original glasses prescription were giving me horrible headaches. I read somewhere it's like going from 20/200 vision to something like 20/50 so of course it was hurting to wear a much higher prescription. So yes, I would say start wearing lower prescription glasses only when you need them. In class, I tend to keep mine off and only use them when the teacher has written something on the board that I cannot read. Then I immediately take them off again. I don't really care what anyone thinks about this and so far haven't gotten any comments like why do you keep taking you glasses off? Once in a while too I am lucky enough to be sitting close enough to the board where it is a bit blurry to see but can still make out what is written on the board, which forces me to relax and use the method even more. So maybe you could try and do something like that. I would like to add too that at the beginning it was scary taking off my glasses and going places. But it has been getting progressively easier, thankfully! Just keep your glasses with you. Also, I've found that exercise at least in my case (running in particular) really gets the clear flashes going, especially when it is sunny outside. I was extremely happy to find this out for myself and it gave me a lot of hope that my eyes were getting better, even before seeing the eye doctor and finding out they really had been improving. I hope these things I've done really end up helping you too.
Thank you very much for your comments, care_berry. I really appreciate them.
Your vision has improved a lot since you started doing your Bates exercises. Congratulations and keep up the good work!
Actually, I haven't put my glasses on for three days now and, sometimes, I don't even realise that I'm not wearing them! I believe it's a good thing. My vision gets much worse at night; how do you manage to walk down the street with your glasses off when it's dark? or do you just put your glasses on?
Yes, I will have to use my weak glasses when looking at what the teacher is writing. By the way, how long did it take you to get your very first flashes? 9 months? which exercises do you practise every day?
I do palming, sunning and shifting exercises and I go to the gym every day. What else would you recommend doing?
Hi again globe_trotter! No problem, I love helping people through this since the method has helped me a lot. I do get bothered too at night with how different it is than my daytime vision. Usually if I go out at night, it's to do some running or something so I don't bother to bring my glasses. I guess it just depends on where you are going though.
I got my first clear flashes in early June, so a little less than six months into the method. I've heard of a lot of people get them way sooner though. It didn't seem to matter so much overall since they were getting better anyway, but it was still great to have happen since reading about other peoples' experiences.
I try and do palming before I go to sleep for a little while, sometimes 10 or 20 minutes or so. It really depends on what I feel like. I think it helps me sleep better too. At the beginning, I would do palming a lot more. I try to remember not to stare by moving my head and neck and just trying to relax. Even now still I forget to do that sometimes, but it has gotten a lot better. When I read, I am always doing centralization with the words I read. I guess I don't really do "exercises", I just try to remember the key points to the method. They become more automatic after a while. Also, remembering to take a break from reading and looking out farther away to rest my eyes for a while. Oh, and I have a Snellen Chart in my room that I can see from my bed and practice. I printed it out online for free and there are lots of them available. I also measured how far it was from the chart in my room so that I can easily make a good estimate as to how far I am from it. This way I get to at least look at some of the letters every day. When I go outside sometimes I do sunning if I remember. Other than that I think it's just helpful be outside anyways. I think this is mostly what I do. You will probably find some things that work for better for you. Maybe palming in the morning will work better. Well, I hope this is a helpful start! If I remember anything else, I will post it. Good job to you too, I am glad you tend to forget you have your glasses off! It happens to me a lot too.
I'm aware that I shouldn't ask this but, how long will it take me to restore my vision if I spend 30mins/1h on these exercises everyday? I'm pretty afraid of walking down the street with my glasses off.
I hope it works. I will let you know about my improvements.