Starting Bates

[Determined]

Hi everyone

I have had myopia since i was about 3, and it has progresesed to about -8

i was wondering, since i had myopia when i was young, is it curable with bates?

Thanks

[clarknight]

Yes. Some people get fast improvement, others take a while longer to release the tension, strain in mind, body, eyes built up over the years. Go to my website and start studying. Pick what works for you. <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.cleareyesight.info">www.cleareyesight.info</a><!-- w -->
I can give you some e-mail free help to get you started. Stop wearing glasses as much as possible. Get reduced lenses only if needed for driving... Shift on objects and avoid staring. Copy people with clear vision, watch their eye movement.

[Determined]

thanks, the website is really helpful

when i do exercises such as shifting and swinging, should i wear my glassses or not?

[clarknight]

No glasses if possible.
Glasses ok when shifitng, central fixation, basic normal use of the eyes.
No glasses when swinging, cross crawl... Glasses ok if doing the sway at work... when cant take the glasses off.
Glasses slow improvement but can't completely block improvement when you continue Bates method.

[Determined]

i need to wear my full power glasses for around 8 hours a day, because i go to school and i need to see the board. Will this stop me from making progress? I don't wear glasses on weekends.

[Summon-Pretty-Peace]

i need to wear my full power glasses for around 8 hours a day, because i go to school and i need to see the board. Will this stop me from making progress? I don't wear glasses on weekends.

I just try to sit in the front of the room, and I never wear glasses in school. No one even knows I have glasses, I think. But that again, I do have less myopia than you do, so make your own judgment.

Stay Determined

[David]

I highly doubt that you need to wear them 8 hours a day at school. Really, how much of that time are you reading something on the board? You need to be honest with yourself about this.

Dave

[Determined]

yes i need to wear them 8 hours, school goes for 6 hours, takes me 1 hour to get to school. I need to catch a bus, so definetly need glasses.

of course, i don't spend 8 hours looking at a board, but i need glasses to read, write, and to just make my way around the school.

My question was, can you improve even if you wear glasses. I don't wear them on weekends and after school.

[clarknight]

You have to get reduced, weaker lenses. Strong 20/20... glasses will block vision improvement.
You might get improvement even when wearing your strong glasses but you will need a weaker pair handy, ready to wear as your vision improves. If you get improvement and keep wearing the strong glasses, the strong glasses can reverse the improvement. Also, if vision improves you will not be able to see clear through the strong glasses. Thats another reason to have the weaker pair ready.
Wearing a weaker pair enables the eye muscles to relax better and vision to improve. Then vision improves more and a new weaker pair of lenses is purchased...
Having a weaker pair in your pocket also gives you hope, optimmism and security.
Do you have a old weaker pair that gives enough clarity for school without being too weak, too blurry?
Avoid astigmatism corrections and bifocals!
When wearing the weaker glasses, continue to shift, blink, relax, no squiinting, no staring even though the vision through the weaker pair will be about 20/40. Thats still legal to drive in most states and provides clear enough vision for most work.
Many people have 20/40 and less clear vision and have never worn glasses. Their vision often improves 'on its own' back to 20/20.

[JMartinC4]

Yes, you can keep wearing your glasses while practicing Bates methodology. I did. I got glasses/lenses at age 11 and realized I had never seen 20/20 - probably myopic since childhood like you, just undiagnosed back then. I had to wear the glasses (and much later got contacts) for school, for my military and job duties, for safety, and for many other reasons. One of the things I started doing was to prop the glasses on my head whenever possible, and only move them down when necessary. But whenever possible I did not wear them at all. Unfortunately it then took me 35 years to begin achieving significant results. But in that meantime I have had a very satisfying life.

[Determined]

when i said full powered glasses, i realised my current glasses aren't full powered. I think they are about -0.5 lower

[Determined]

these are my goals

Main goal - to stop my progression of myopia

2nd goal - to be able to play sports (tennis) decently without glasses

3rd goal - to be able to read the board without glasses (will take a fair while to achieve)

4th goal - Attain 20/20 vision (impossible i know, but i will be happy with 20/40)

[clarknight]

You can do it!

[Determined]

1 question

when i first started swinging, when i swung, my eyes and the things infront of me kinda "twitched"

now when i swing, this doens't happen anymore? Its more smooth

Does this mean anything?

[Nancy]

Yes, this is good. The "twitch" was probably your eyes trying to hold on as you moved your body, then finally jerking forward and trying to hold on again. Now they're just flowing smoothly in a relaxed way which is what you want. Nice going!