Hello, I'm new to this forum.My names J and I recently started using the Bates Method.I'm myopic in both eyes with a slight astigmatism in the left.Last time I went to the eyedoctor she measure it to be 20/300 witout glasses in both eyes.I got a question about Palming.Whenever I palm both my arms get numb.Somehow my arms loses circulation and when I lift my arms up they get that tingling sensation like the blood is rushing back.I palm with a small fold up table and a chair,I put two pillows on the table and end up in a straight posture so i dont slouch.I have to continuesly move in order to get blood circulating in my arms and these movements mess up my relaxation and my train of thought.Does this happens to anybody?The two pillows I use is kind of firm is this the problem?Another question I have is when I palm and open my eyes to see if light is entering there is a gap on the bottom where my nose meet my hands and sometimes i could see a little bit of light reflecting on my left hand. i cant really cup my left hand good enough to block the light from the side and when I do it touchs my eyeball which I read is bad to put any pressure on it. is that ok (the faint reflection of light and bottom light)?
Don't worry about a little bit of light getting in while you're palming, the goal is only to exclude most of the light, your eyelids should filter out most of the rest.
As for the circulation problem, thats an interesting one for sure. You may have a medical condition if this is part of a larger problem.
I recently stopped smoking and drinking which I was abusing for 5 years. I just stopped 2 months ago and no signs of relapse or withdrawal sympthoms and i dont plan on going back to it. I think this had something to do with my heart pumping blood, i dont know, but this usually happens 10 mins into the palming and i have to move my arms
Thanks for the suggestion but i found something that worked better.I sat on my bed and put my back against the wall since my bed is right next to the wall and rest my arms on my legs with the legs bent up.Do you guys perfer palming with the lights on or off?
Really what works for you is what you should do, but it depends on what I plan on doing.
Sometimes I like to alternate palming and sunning, in which case I like to be outside in the sun, but sometimes I only palm, in which case I like to be indoors where is it dark.
If you can breathe deeply enough in that position then it's fine. I wouldn't think you would be able to as easily as in some other positions. But you know, one of the best palming experiences I ever had was on the floor leaning against my bed, with my knees up like that.
Dave
Site Administrator
"Half of our funny, heathen lives, we are bent double to gather things we have tossed away." - George Meredith
I have trouble relaxing my arms and shoulders when I palm, so I lie down and put a soft cloth over my eyes. It's like a blindfold but it doesn't put pressure on the eyes.
sorrisiblue Wrote:I have trouble relaxing my arms and shoulders when I palm, so I lie down and put a soft cloth over my eyes. It's like a blindfold but it doesn't put pressure on the eyes.
I would not recommend doing this. While it may supplement your Bates practices this is definitely not how Bates intended you to practice it. Read through his works, there is something about the unusual posture of covering your eyes like that which helps to impress upon the mind the urgency of attention.
Hi Urban, yes you are quite right, Bates does write that. I do find palming to be very helpful, but I rarely find the chance to get into a relaxed enough position. I will try it sitting with my back to a wall with my elbows on my knees as reommended. That seemed like a good recommendation.
Thank you for pointing out what I'm doing is very different, it's not palming. The reason why I lie down with the blindfold is because I'm combining this with imagery I use with autogenics training that I'm doing. Without fail I have lasting improvements to my vision after doing this. Autogenics training is a method developed to become more aware of the relaxation of your body and to gain control over your thoughts and subconscious motives. The best guide I have found is here: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.guidetopsychology.com/autogen.htm">http://www.guidetopsychology.com/autogen.htm</a><!-- m -->
It takes quite a commitment to get through it, but I see it as part of the commitment I'm making to improve my eyesight. The breathing and relaxation techniques I learn are helpful during the day when I don't have a chance to do other Bates method activities (like palming, sunning, and swinging).
I dont necessarily lay my elbows on my knees,I guess my arms are too short.You have to find a comfortable postion with both legs and arms which you dont feel any strain in any part of your body.Its all about angles, try lowering your legs a little if your arms are tall or pull your knee closer to your body if its too short. Mines usually land on my thighs when I get into the most comfortable position.
