Yoga of Perfect Sight

Eye Education

Eye education has been proved to be effective in preventing and improving defective vision in school children.

A Snellen test card was used for more than a year by a teacher as a means of preventing and improving defective eyesight. This card was placed on the wall of the classroom. Every day, while sitting quietly in their seats, the children were encouraged to read the Snellen test card, with each eye separately, covering one eye in such a way as to avoid pressure on the eyeball. This required only a few minutes and did not interfere with the regular school work. The results obtained from this simple practice were very gratifying. Almost all the children were cured of their headaches and other discomforts and improved their sight to normal.

Palming. Many children suffer from headaches, eyestrain and fatigue. When the eyes are closed and covered with the palms of both hands, it is possible to obtain rest and relaxation of the nerves of the eyes and of the body generally, provided the palming is done properly. Most children are fond of pleasant memories and when they palm, they usually think of pleasant things such as games, flowers etc. which help them to palm successfully. When school children learn by experience that palming is a benefit to their sight, headaches, nervousness, or other disagreeable symptoms, they will practise palming very frequently without being encouraged to do so.

Swaying. Children should stand with their feet about one foot apart and sway the whole body from side to side. When this is practised, the stare, strain or effort to see is prevented and the vision always improves.

Fine Print. When school children are able to read fine print at the distance from their eyes at which they see it best, the eye strain is relieved as fine print cannot be read with an effort. The distance where fine print is seen best varies with people. All children should not be encouraged to read fine print at the same distance from their eyes. Reading fine print in candlelight proves extremely beneficial.

Blinking. The normal eye with normal sight blinks frequently, easily and rapidly, without effort or strain. If children do not blink frequently, but stare and try to see things with the eyes open continuously, the vision is always impaired. At first the child should be reminded to blink consciously but it soon becomes an unconscious habit and the vision is improved.

Swinging. When the eyes move slowly or rapidly from side to side, stationary objects which are not regarded appear to move in the opposite direction. The teacher can direct the children to stand beside their desks while swaying from side to side. The pupils can notice that the desks in front of them, the blackboard, and the Snellen test card are all moving in the direction opposite to the movement of their bodies. While walking children can notice that the floor appears to move towards them. If the children are conscious of the movement of the floor and other objects, the stare or strain is prevented and the vision is always improved; but if they do not notice the movement of objects when they themselves move, they are apt to strain and the vision is lowered.

When children imagine the Snellen test card to be moving from side to side, the imagination of black letters or of the white spaces is improved. If the head and eyes are moved an inch or less from side to side, the Snellen test card and the letters on it will also appear to move an inch or less. With the aid of such a short swing, the vision is greatly improved. But if the letters do not appear to move, an effort is soon manifest. The children then find that trying to see a letter stationary requires a strain and is difficult. It seems strange, although it is true, that to fail to have perfect sight requires an effort and hard work. In other words, perfect sight can only come easily and without effort; while imperfect sight is obtained with much discomfort and effort.