Natural Vision Improvement

In Part 1 of this article we discussed how breathing affects your body, nervous system and interacts with your brain and emotions. We also learned two breathing activities, the Ujjayi Breath and the Alternate Nostril Breath. In Part 2 we will discuss the connections between your lungs and emotions, smoking, addictions, how to use sound for physical and emotional benefit, and learn the Three Part Breath.

What about the lungs?  Here we have the organ that connects our breath to every cell in our body through the conversion of gases, making oxygen available to the bloodstream and exchanging carbon dioxide.  But our organs relate to more than just their obvious physical function. Read the rest of this entry »

Breathing is one of the first topics I discuss when starting students on their eyesight improvement programme. Why?

Your breath does much more than bring oxygen into the body and expel carbon dioxide.  Although even in this vital function our lack of awareness often allows us to miss out on the full benefits of this exchange of gases.  Shallow breathing that goes only to the chest (rather than all the way to the diaphragm and abdomen) is a common feature in those with anxiety and/or visual blur, and can contribute to a lack of total wellbeing and poor digestion.  It also plays a major role in the state of tension that is a part of the ‘staring habit’ of those in glasses.

On the other hand, ‘good’ breathing can be an important doorway to self-nurturing and provides free, easy and very useful tools for management of physical health and emotional hygiene.  Later in this article I will give you some effective breathing activities, that are simple and enjoyable and offer numerous benefits.  First lets discuss further the importance of how you breathe and why. Let’s explore how our breathing habits affect not just the physical, but in many ways are also intimately connected with our emotional selves, as both of these areas are important for eyesight improvement. Read the rest of this entry »

As many millions of people around the world spend eight or more hours a day in offices, it is no surprise that ‘office stress’ is a common cause of many chronic well-being and vision problems. However it is reassuring to know we can greatly reduce the stress we find there.

One of the key factors involves awareness of what particular daily and hourly occurrences are causing strain on the body, eyes and mind. You can take note of what environmental factors around you most influence your ability to think clearly and stay relaxed. Then make any changes you can towards reducing this effect. By increasing your comfort and reducing stress, you will find that you and your body are happier, and your work performance will improve!

Posture awareness is very important. Make sure your seating is good and supports your lower back. Adjust the height of your chair relative to your writing or typing surface to achieve the most comfort. Feet should reach the floor or be otherwise supported. Are you sitting straight? Use a special Read the rest of this entry »

What are transition glasses?
Transition glasses (T-Glasses) are a weaker version of the regular glasses usually prescribed by your optician. Usually transition glasses will be between 50% and 80% of full strength glasses. Transition glasses are very important in natural vision improvement as they allow your eyes room for improvement.

General Philosophy:
That the students go without glasses as much as possible applying the relaxation and better vision activities. The transition or T-glasses are worn when necessary, for driving, work or when the student feels the need for correction. Even when the T-glasses are being used we encourage the student to continue their vision ‘games’. Read the rest of this entry »

White Sugar Blues
By Carina Goodrich

Why Change to other sweeteners for good eyesight?

I just finished reading ‘Beekeeping for Dummies’, like obviously many other (crazy?) folk, I am excited by the idea of ‘growing’ and harvesting my own honey.  For all of my life, ‘alternative’ sweeteners have been the norm, due to my mother’s interest in nutritional health and good eyesight.  Honey is the main sweetener we use, being able to find local fresh and raw honey out here in the countryside.  With four sweet tooths (or is it teeth?) in the house, we definitely get through the honey. 

Aside from the fascinating world that honey opens your eyes to, and the amazing properties of other natural sugar substitutes, why avoid white sugar? There are several reasons. The most prominent in relation to refractive error has to do with a trace mineral called chromium. White sugar in the body sneaks into the mineral reserves and steals away chromium. A lack of chromium has been demonstrated to be a significant factor in the development of myopia.  

Chromium is essential for Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping Your Child in Clear Eyesight
By Carina Goodrich
Article Printed in Daisy Chain Magazine
Volume 15, Winter 2004

Whether your child is in glasses now, may need them in the future or is exhibiting unexplained difficulties with school work, knowing how the visual system works and how lifestyle and mental and emotional stress as well as physical factors affect it are invaluable tools to preventing and reversing vision problems.

When educators in the past began to tell us that ‘the eye is like a camera’, they contributed to our misunderstanding about the causes of visual blur. By likening the eyes to a mechanical object, separate and unaffected by the body, the brain that processes the input and the mind that reacts to the end result, they kept us from a total understanding of how the eyes work. It is important to know how vision can change, and the crucial factors in our life that affect eyesight on a daily basis. Read the rest of this entry »

WHY USE THE PINHOLE SPECS AS TRANSITION GLASSES?

THE ADVANTAGES:

1. Pinhole spectacles encourage rapid saccadic eye movements, as opposed to staring through prescription glasses.
2. Pinhole spectacles allow infinite room for improvement in sight, whereas eyes will always try to adjust to prescription glasses, even when the lenses are too strong.
3. There is no need to keep stepping down the prescription.
4. They are less costly than optically prescribed glasses.
5. Pinholes can be used as healthy sunglasses as they let through some essential natural light while cutting down the glare.
6. Anyone of any age can use them to compensate for blur at a distance or up close.
7. After regular use your brain will adjust to the honeycomb effect and will no longer register it.

POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGES:

1. Pinholes function best in good light.
2. It takes some time to get used to them, usually a few days.
3. You may need to get permission to use them in the some places (like in the classroom, for students).
4. Everyone else will want your pair!

HOW DO THEY WORK?
Read the rest of this entry »

Article for “IN TOUCH” Magazine April 2004
‘(Journal of the Australian Kinesiologists Association)’
By Carina Goodrich

I would always chuckle to myself when my Mother called for volunteers to help her demonstrate muscle testing, and the biggest, burliest guy in the seminar would stand up.  It was both amusing and educational to see this tiny five foot tall woman reach up and bring down an arm like a tree trunk with a swish of her hand down the central meridian and two fingers pressure on his forearm.  It would give the audience a stir and bring quite an abashed look to the big man’s face.  (Of course he was always greatly reassured when she ran her hand up the meridian and he could hold his arm up again!)

Growing up the daughter of Dr. Janet Goodrich (1942 – 1999), watching her teach people how to improve their eyesight and see clearly without glasses or surgery, has been a thread of inspiration in my life and is now my career as well. Kinesiology has been an important part of Janet’s eyesight improvement method since the 1970’s. Janet was an acquaintance of Dr. John Thie in Pasadena, California when he first wrote ‘Touch For Health’.  During that same period, Janet had expanded her studies of the Bates Method of eyesight exercises into a whole person approach to refractive error. She found muscle testing and Touch for Health to be invaluable tools in her practice. Read the rest of this entry »