How Does the Bates Method Work?

Dr. William Horatio Bates proposed a natural vision therapy called the Bates Method. The Bates Method is the cure of imperfect sight by treatment without glasses. That is, there are key principles, healthy habits, and natural methods to improve your vision without glasses or contact lenses.

The Bates Method for Natural Eyesight Improvement

3 Key Natural Principles

Dr. Bates identified at least three key natural principles underlying ‘good’ vision. These are movement, centralization, and relaxation.

1. Movement | The Bates Method Natural Principle

The Bates Method views staring as harmful to eye vision. In order to maintain good vision, you have to continuously move your eyes. But, the proper movement should comprise of the entire head and not just the eyes. This helps your eyes cover more objects and your sight to be more free and fluid.

2. Centralization | The Bates Method Natural Principle

Centralization or Central Fixation is a principle providing the center of the visual field is where we see most clearly. This idea is based on the eye’s anatomy, specifically the fovea centralis. It is the central pit where all the cones are located and where the light should be focusing at as it enters the eye.

The Bates Method also points out that trying to see the whole picture at once, instead of focusing at the center, strains the eye and results in a blurred vision. What we should be doing to protect the eyes from harm is to go back to the center and let peripheral vision remain as such.

3. Relaxation | The Bates Method Natural Principle

Relaxation is all about letting the eye naturally respond to light. It sees the world in depth and detail without strain or having to exceed any effort. People with normal eyesight experience this naturally. However, people with vision impairment tend to be more tense, which is counter-productive. Stay calm and relaxed and simply let your eyes do their job.

3 Natural Vision Habits

Dr. Bates also identified a number of natural vision habits that help improve eyesight. Three of these habits are shifting, breathing, and blinking.

1. Shifting | The Bates Method Natural Vision Habit

Today’s technological developments have made us too dependent on computers and smartphones. So much so that it’s not a stretch to assume many would make it a day without being glued to these devices. Little do we know this habit has been slowly damaging our vision. This is why we need to make shifting equally a habit. We just have to simply look at one side of the room to the other or regularly look away from our gadgets. This way, we can alternately rest our eyes. Think of shifting as either movement or centralization.

2. Breathing | The Bates Method Natural Vision Habit

Breathing is a habit of relaxation. Resting the eyes is not enough when the rest of the body is tensed. The Bates Method recommends abdominal breathing to relax both the mind and body, which will affect eye vision positively, as well as your well-being.

3. Blinking | The Bates Method Natural Vision Habit

Blinking helps eliminate the first problem the Bates Method identified: staring. By blinking frequently, every two to three seconds, we get to rest our eyes and there is an instant improvement once you open them back gain. People who are nearsighted can benefit a lot from blinking as they are the ones who tend to stare at objects in front of them.

Julia Galvin explains the difference between two concepts introduced by the Bates Method:

Many Bates Method success stories prove people at any age can improve their vision and this doesn’t always mean you have to wear prescription glasses or go through surgery. There are, in fact, natural remedies to help you enhance your eyesight.

Listen in to learn Dr. Kondrot’s take on Using the Bates Method to Heal Your Eyes in this podcast!

Do you think these simple habits can help you improve your vision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

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