Vision Tip #1: You May Close Your Eyes

“There’s a long, long nail a-grinding, into the sole of my shoe,

And it feels as if it’s in about a mile or two,

And when this hike is over, I’m gonna give one great shout,

And I’ll sit down by the roadside and pull that darn nail out!“

– Parody of the song “There’s A Long, Long Trail A-Winding” by Stoddard King & Zo Elliot that my grandpa use to sing to me

---

Can you remember a time when you went for a long arduous walk or hike?

And your legs got tired and your feet sore? What did you do? Did you keep on going? Did you push them until you collapsed?” Or, did you find the nearest chair, park bench or rock to sit on and give your legs and feet a well needed and deserved rest?

Long ago, I went to college in Colorado. While hiking in the Rocky Mountains on the weekends, I remember more than once, taking a break, sitting down on a rock, removing my heavy boots and sweaty socks, and soothing my tired and sore bare feet in a cool mountain stream.

Can you remember a time when you went for a long arduous drive?

I also remember long drives back and forth to college, between Pennsylvania and Colorado. It took over 30 hours (speed limit was 55 mph back then). My eyes got very, very tired. Yet, when I stopped for gas, to take a break and use the rest room, I didn’t rest my eyes. I didn’t close them, but kept on using them, mesmerized by the numbers clicking by on the gas pump and the bugs swarming around the street lights. And, when I visited the restroom, I stared blankly at the restroom wall . . . the lines made by the tile on the wall did not appear as straight as they most likely were, they were moving, just like the road had been moving for the past 5 hours. Even though my eyes were tired and sore, and swimming in visual distortion, I felt compelled to keep them open.

There was a voice inside me saying, “You must keep your eyes open at all cost! There is no other option!”

---

So, I kept them open, and they got even more tired, irritated and sore. I developed a headache, neck and shoulder pain, and became progressively exhausted.

I did not associate my eye discomfort, fatigue and visual issues with keeping my eyes open. Why? Habit. I didn’t know better. I didn’t even think of closing my eyes. I remember feeling compelled to keep them open. It even felt like I couldn’t close them. Like it would take more effort to close them than to leave them open. I also felt like I would miss something, and it would be unsafe to close them.

Sound familiar? Have you had similar experiences?

Unless we are sleeping, many of us never close our eyes. We keep them open, from the time we wake up in the morning, until we go to bed. Perhaps it feels unsafe to close them. Perhaps we think we’ll miss something. Or, maybe it just doesn’t feel “normal” and we think it’s not socially acceptable. Maybe we’re so stressed, and unable to relax, we are compelled to keep them open. Maybe it’s just a habit.

So, here’s vision tip #1:

You may close your eyes:

If it is safe to do so, I invite you to take off your glasses or remove your contacts, if you wear them. Then, look around you, taking note of how well you are seeing right now. You might also take note of how you feel right now. Are you relaxed or anxious? Is your body, face, neck and shoulders relaxed or tense? How comfortable are your eyes? Just notice.

After noting this, get in a comfortable position, close you eyes, and allow them to rest for a while as you remember pleasant things, such as a love one, a pet or favorite place or time. For example, I like to remember petting my cat, Bella, while she sits on my lap.

Now, close your eyes and rest them for a while thinking of something pleasant, like someone, something or some place, that makes you smile. Relax. Take your time, I’ll wait . . .

This is Bella

If you did this little closed eyes practice, when you opened your eyes, did you notice any changes? Was your breathing more calmer? Was muscle tension any less? Did your eyes feel more comfortable? Were things a little clearer? Perhaps more colorful?

“Yes, you hereby have my permission to close your eyes, any time you want to and for as long as you want to. Simply closing your eyes is a form of passive relaxation that can be incredibly effective, especially when you then think about things that make you smile!”

– From “Optimal Eyesight” by Esther Joy van der Werf

---

In his 1920 book, “The Cure Of Imperfect Sight By Treatment Without Glasses,” Dr. William H. Bates begins chapter 12 on palming with these words of wisdom:

“All the methods used in the cure of errors of refraction are simply different ways of obtaining relaxation, and most patients, though by no means all, find it easiest to relax with their eyes shut. This usually lessens the strain to see, and in such cases is followed by a temporary, or more lasting improvement in vision.”

In the November 1921 issue of Better Eyesight magazine, Dr. Bates wrote an article entitled, “The First Visit”:

“Rest Improves the Vision – The first fact to be demonstrated is that rest improves the vision. The patient is told to close his eyes and rest them, forget about them, let his mind drift, remember pleasant things. After half an hour, more or less, he is told to open his eyes and read the distant test card as well as he can. If he finds that his vision has improved, the next question is:

“What did you do that helped your sight?”

“Obvious as the answer to this question seems to those familiar with the treatment of defective vision by relaxation, some patients find extraordinary difficulty in replying to it, and one has to ask them a number of leading questions to get the proper answer, “Rest.”

“The amount of relief obtained from this procedure differs greatly in different cases. Some get none at all, and others very little. Others again may be cured at the first visit by this means alone. Why some people can close their eyes and rest them with so much benefit, while others fail, is not always evident, but one can often tell at the outset what the result will be. One case cured by this means rested comfortably for half an hour without any change whatever in his position. A case not benefited was very restless, moved around in his chair, got up, opened his eyes every few minutes, and was decidedly uncomfortable. For him there was no rest with this eyes closed, and his vision was not improved. Later, a cure was obtained by other methods, but with much trouble.”

Can you give yourself permission to close your eyes?

It’s simple. Try it today. See what you notice. Just close your eyes and think of something pleasant whenever you can, when you have the opportunity. Close them for as short or as long as feels good. Even for a few seconds is beneficial, as it encourages your eyes to see in a more relaxed and natural way.

“So close your eyes, you can close your eyes, it’s all right.“

– James Taylor

---

Resources

• “Optimal Eyesight: How to Restore and Retain Great Vision” by Esther Joy van der Werf
• “The Cure Of Imperfect Sight By Treatment Without Glasses,” by William H. Bates