Today I take you on a little journey on just one spot very near my own house and I will show you examples of what eye-games you can do.
I have chosen this as my project because every day I am so thrilled to see (pun intended 👊) what techniques I can do to relax my eyes and mind and see better.
I am also a little bit amazed at how much details my clients are asking me. They want to know e-ve-ry-thing. How fast, how high, how big, how much and so on and so on. While it isn’t about that. It is about feeling what your eyes like. When they respond in a positive way.
And yes, I will show you 15 games you can play. And no, these video’s aren’t extended lessons. They are an inspiration of what you can do. And my heart starts to glow when I see people play and discover for themselves.
They then ask me in an insecure way ‘may I do this of that a little bit different?’ And I smile and say ‘by al means, please do. It is your journey, you are you.’ And it is also at that moment when I see them really make progress. So enjoy my video’s, start with this and use it as inspiration to make your own variations of the techniques.
And please note my last video. Because you can do all the eye-games you want and you can know hundreds of techniques. There is only one thing that is important and I will tell you what it is in the last video.
Let us start with 2 techniques you should always start your eye-games with.
Game 1: Sunning
You always want to start with some kind of relaxation, and sunning is excellent for that. If there is sun, use the sun. And a lamp inside the house is second best, but always better than not sunning at all.
Game 2: Palming
After sunning we do a little bit of palming. Preferably you at least palm twice the time you have been sunning.
Extra instructions for games below:
The games below you can do 4 times in a row. In the video I explain which 4 things you can do.
Game 3: Colorday
Colorday of ‘laser on your nose’ is one of my favorite eye-games. It is really easy and relaxing.
Game 4: Opposite movement
This one can be a challenge, but if you see what is possible, your eyes will relax and enjoy the movement.
Game 5: Use your ears and count
Alle senses are important and it can be really fun to combine hearing and seeing. Enjoy!
Game 6: The long swing
Let me tell you about a basic technique, the swing. One of the ‘exercises’ dokter Bates recommended.
Game 7: Swinging with a barbecue-stick
Let’s make the swing a little bit more challenging. And it may surprise you, maybe using a stick makes the technique easier.
Game 8: Universal swing
Let’s take the swing to the max!
Game 9: Swaying
You can also make the swing less challenging for your body and mind. And make it a lot smaller. Maybe you will notice that it is more difficult to see the movement, but give it a chance. Try to relax in it and enjoy.
Game 10: Reading at a distance
You’ll find a lot of possibilities to check your reading capacity. This is one way to play with it.
Game 11: Memory and imagination
Memory and imagination are two of the basics from the original Bates method and it will help you when you can do this. If you can really remember something you saw perfectly with your eyes closed, it is a indication of how relaxed your mind is.
Game 12: Counting the dock
In this technique you use the sway in combination with counting the poles in the water. Jump from one pole to the other and relax your eyes.
Game 13: Central fixation
Central fixation is also an important technique in the original Bates-method. Are you really looking at the point where your eyes are looking at? Or do you see things better that you are not looking at directly? You want to see best what your eyes are looking at and the things you are not looking at you should see less clear.
Game 14: Mooning
The word mooning has a whole other connotation, but just like sunning is with the sun, mooning is seeing a light with the moon.
We’re now at the end of the games and it is time to absorb what the eyes have learnt. Together and separately. You can do this by a short palming session or you can do an adjusted palming-game: the Prayer palm.
Game 15: Prayer palm
The Prayer palm is not really palming, because you do not cover your eyes with your hands. But you do close your eyes and I know that this also feels very relaxing for my eyes.
You can adjust this technique by indeed covering your eyes with your hands and not focus on your hands, but on you feet (or knees or whatever you like).
Another option: use an eye-mask and cover your eyes and then you can use your hands again as you anchor.
Conclusion
In the beginning I promised you that this last video will be the most important peace of this project. And it is. Because yes, at first it is important to learn techniques en do them as well as you can. But what is far more important is that you come to a point that you play with the techniques. Adjust them to what your eyes need and feel.
This could be that you do NOTHING for a few days. Why? Because you FEEL that’s what your eyes need.
And for me next level is that the techniques are no separate things you do, but that the techniques integrate in your day. That you do it automatically. Sway when you walk, see opposite movement when you walk. Look for colors. And so on and so on.
Where ever you are, you can let your eyes wander about. Let them play, let them receive, and keep noticing what feels good for your eyes.
Then your seeing with ease can grow a little more every day. If I can help my clients to reach this goal, then I will be a perfectly happy Bates-teacher.