Yoga of Perfect Sight

Questions and Answers

My daughter is four years old, she has developed a squint and her right eye turns towards the nose.

Young children can usually be cured of squint by the use of atropine. A one percent solution is dropped into the better eye or both eyes daily for about one year. The atropine makes it more difficult for the child to see, and makes the sunlight disagreeable. In order to overcome this difficulty the child has to relax the eye muscles, and the relaxation cures the squint. Swaying the child in a circle is also very useful.

I use glasses for reading and am fifty years old. Without glasses I cannot work. Now these glasses do not give clear vision. What to do?

Concentrate on a candle flame while counting one hundred respirations. Read small print with glasses in good light and in candlelight.

I discarded glasses and I ride frequently on a cycle; I often go on a trip in the car and after every trip I find my eyes stronger. This, I think, is due to the rapid changing of focus in viewing scenery going by so fast.

The rapid motion compels rapid shifting and helps in relieving the strain.

Every year I get inflammation in my eyes, the glare troubles me and I use dark glasses. Can my eyes be benefited?

Take sun treatment for a few minutes daily. At night practise concentration on a candle flame and read fine print.

When I travel in a bus, my eyes are greatly strained.

Imagine side objects moving backwards, do not stare at any object. Better look at the movements of the conductor or read something so as to avoid the habit of staring.

What is most helpful when one is highly myopic and finds it almost impossible to see without glasses?

Practise palming frequently and read fine print with gentle blinking in dim light.

Why is fine print beneficial?

Fine print is beneficial because it cannot be read by a strain or effort, the eyes must be relaxed.

How can I correct the vision of my three-year-old son, who won't palm and does not understand it? He is farsighted.

Make a test card with black letters on white paper. The letters are to be composed of Es pointing in various directions. These Es are to be graduated in size, from about 3½ inches to a quarter of an inch. Let the child read them from 10 to 20 feet away. Have him blink constantly while telling in which direction the Es are pointing.

I have improved my sight by palming, but when I read for any length of time, the pain returns.

When you read and your eyes pain you, it means that you are straining your eyes. More frequent palming and reading fine print with gentle blinking will help you.

Is it all right to palm while lying down? Is it better to sit or stand while doing so? If the arms get tired is it all right to rest the elbows on a desk or something like that while palming? Or is it best to hold the elbows up free from all support?

It is all right to palm while lying down. Palming should not be done while one is standing. The elbows should rest on a desk or on a cushion placed in the lap. One should be in as comfortable a position as possible while palming, in order to obtain the most benefit.

If type can be seen more distinctly with the eyes partly closed, is it advisable to read that way?

No, it is not advisable to read that way because it is a strain, and alters the shape of the eye-ball.