Care for Your Eyesight Naturally

Eyesight and health

Eyesight is too often missing from the holistic healthcare picture. Just as our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing can be supported with different forms of care (e.g. good nutrition, exercise, creative expression and relaxation) so too can our eyesight. Eyesight is inherently variable and a sensitive health indicator. It can be very beneficial to integrate a deeper awareness and understanding of your eyesight into your life. Vision education provides the tools to make this happen.

Blurred Vision

Our eyes and our eyesight often only come to our attention when there is discomfort or disturbance. Reading something that has always been easy is no longer so, it might be hard to focus. Some of the common causes are tired eyes, eye strain, dry eyes, seeing with blur, distortion, even double vision or shadows or gaps in the field of vision. or there is pain or blur. The degree to which our eyes communicate discomfort can range from mildly irritating to deeply distressing.

The usual response to blurry vision is to assume that this is a permanent change and that glasses will be required for the rest of life. In our work as vision educators, we don’t find this to be true. We are experienced in understanding how variable eyesight can be and how simple practices will encourage you to experience changes in your eyesight. Eyesight is not a fixed thing and can become better as well as worse.

When there is a traumatic incident (e.g. a retinal detachment) or serious disease then medical attention can be an urgent requirement. How recovery and rehabilitation are approached, however, can change the eventual outcome and vision education can provide tools for promoting healing and recovery even when a problem is long-standing. It is also useful in situations of low vision or partial sight to facilitate the best use of the eyesight you have.

Vision Education in the Bates tradition is not eye exercises designed to strengthen the eye muscles. It is an invitation to gently explore the capacities of your own eyesight. It is a process of learning to use the eye, body and mind in a relaxed and natural way in everyday life. Vision Education is a way of getting the best you can from your eyesight and from yourself.

Learn to help your eyesight get better

“Relaxation, which is the secret of vision, should be the basis of seeing well.” William H. Bates

For good vision we need light, we need good quality rest and we need movement. These are the fundamental principles of the work and all the methods and activities that we work with will incorporate these elements. The aim is to naturally support your vision. It can be a learning process in its own right or can very usefully complement other creative and therapeutic practices e.g yoga, psychotherapy or the expressive arts. Everyone can benefit from vision education. Eyesight is a precious resource. Let us teach you how to look after yours.

Ground floor. Bertrand Russell Room. Fully accessible.