If your main problem is myopia - which means that you see things better close up and worse far away - you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that your first improvements in visual clarity will almost certainly be in the realm of distance vision. The reason for this is simple: since you do not see clearly in the far distance, you probably seldom look at things in the far distance, and consequently you do not have so many ingrained, hard-to-change visual habits associated with looking at things in the far distance. Looking into the distance will be a new world to you, so your approach will be more flexible, and your progress will consequently be that much faster.

Exercise:

Find a place that provides you with a genuine vista, preferably one which extends for miles. Look out as far as you can. The ‘horizon’ is different for everyone. It is basically the farthest distance where your eyes can distinguish anything at all, even if it is only a slight variation in color or shape. Find your own horizon and let your eyes move from point to point along it. Take in every detail, as though you were waiting for something to appear or searching for something you lost. Don’t necessarily look for anything specific, just look for anything at all. Anything that can be seen is of interest to you.

Now move your horizon a little closer and again move from point to point, detail to detail. Inevitably, you will be able to see more, to distinguish more. Each time you bring your horizon a little closer let your eyes dance from point to point and your mind take in all available details. By the time you have brought your point of focus as close as possible you will be almost overwhelmed by the variety and clarity of the details you can see. Remember to always blink constantly and to breathe deeply. If your eyes become tired, move your fingers all around your peripheral field and wiggle them rapidly, or stop and palm for a minute.

Then do this exercise in reverse: begin by shifting from point to point on the closest possible object and gradually move your plane of focus farther and farther away. At each stage stop for a minute to close your eyes and visualize what you have just seen, calling to mind as many details as you can remember. In this way you will keep a sense of clarity in your vision as you move farther into the distance. Repeat the exercise slowly, softly looking from near to far and far to near. Then stop, and look at the far distance for 7 minutes, remembering to blink and look from point to point, noticing details- colors, contrasts differences.

If you drive, when you are at a red light, take the few seconds to look as far as you can in the distance, rather than the car in front of you or your CD player!

Try this exercise at the ocean or lake, if you can. The eyes will love it!

Here is a link to an article on eyesight by Meir Schneider: Bodymind Work for the Eyes

Testimonial:

“As an engineer I value knowledge that can be applied and is useful. Meir gave me just that kind of knowledge during his six day course on naturally improving the eyesight. My prescription at the start of the course was at -7.00 with a 0.75 adjustment for a slight case of astigmatism. By using this new found knowledge my prescription is now -3.50 and the astigmatism is gone, which took me 8 months to achieve. My plan is to be done with glasses completely in a year; if not sooner! Meir, thank you for helping me reclaim the gift of sight….for life!”
Manny Muro, Oregon

The very first remedy you need is gentle massage around the painful area. Have a member of your support group or a massage therapist help you and lightly massage your lower back by yourself. It is important to breathe deeply and to relax as fully as possible.

Avoid movements which will increase your pain. Trying to flex or extend your back beyond its present limited capacity will hurt it even more. It is very important, however, to promote movement in painful areas and areas near them. Gentle, non-vigorous movement increases circulation, muscle-fiber flexibility and strength, and is essential for healing. We suggest the following exercises:

Exercise A:

Your lower back may be inflamed. One suggestion is sitting in a hot tub with ice against your lower back (the ice will be immersed). This may sound funny, but in fact it combines relaxation of the muscles with reducing the local inflammation. Or fill your tub with cold water, hold a nice steaming cup of tea in your hands and immerse yourself in the cold water for four minutes. Yes, it is cold! The cold water will reduce the inflammation faster than ice. You can warm yourself in another tub with hot water for a few minutes and then return to the cold bath for another few minutes (or stand up and quickly warm up through the shower and then get back in the cold water) If your situation is acute, try a cold bath twice a day for a few days and then once day and then as needed.

Exercise B:

Lie on your back, bend your knees (keeping your feet on the floor), and move the knees together from side to side, while rolling your head to the opposite direction. Put a hot towel under your back to increase the circulation to that area immediately. That will help you stretch the back muscles as you mobilize the rest of your body. Breathe deeply.

Here is a link to an article written by Meir Schneider that may be of further assistance: Moving Out of Back Problems

Testimonial:

“Meir taught me how to heal myself, whereas other methods only gave me temporary fixes that did not last. He taught me to listen deeply to my body and respond with gentle movement, and gave me tools to get well. It took me 1½ years to heal my C5S1 bulging discs. I went from unable to walk at all to hiking the Himalayas.” Dorthea Dorenz, Berkeley, CA

If you suffer severe low-back pain be sure to consult your physician about your situation.

with Meir Schneider, PhD, LMT

Exercises on the beach.

February 18th-23rd!!!!!!

Alleviate computer eyestrain.

Rest your eyes during the workday.

Learn healthy eye habits and integrate them into your daily life.

Protect the priceless gift of sight!

Vision problems are all too common in our lifestyle and society. Unbalanced, poor visual habits and movement patterns, and accumulated eyestrain compromise the health and function of the eyes. Relaxation of the eyes and proper use will improve eyesight.

With practice, you can improve your vision permanently, put an end to eyestrain and discover a more relaxed, alive way of seeing.

Working on your vision in a group setting is fun, effective and empowering, as people around you experience improvements in their own visual needs. Join Meir and the staff of the School for Self-Healing for a special six day vision program to teach you healthy eye habits.

Bring your contact case and expect to have fun.

Day One: 9am - 2pm

Playing ball and doing vision exercises on Ocean Beach, located half a block from the school

The general concepts and principles of natural vision improvement.

Understand how lifestyle and posture affects vision and the interrelation of the body and eyes. Discover how your daily routine affects your vision, how you are using your eyes improperly and the importance of integrating healthy eye habits into your daily life.

Time will be given to measure your own vision and learn how to monitor progress. Experience profound relaxation of the eyes and start with the basic eye exercises. The afternoon is open for you to practice on your own what you have learned today to have a private session.

Book your sessions early-availability is limited!

Day Two: 9am - 1pm

A deepening of the basic exercises critical for every condition.

We will also address near and far-sighted- ness, presbyopia (middle age onset of far-sightedness), resting the central vision and stimulating peripheral vision (important for night vision, and useful with all conditions).

The afternoon is open for you to practice on your own what you have learned today or to have a private session. Book your sessions early-availability is limited!

Day Three: 9am - 1pm

In the downstairs classroom.

Learn how to balance the use of the eyes and prevent domination of one eye over the other.

Most people have one eye that is dominant and the brain ignores the messages from the other. This puts tremendous strain on the dominant eye, which will eventually deteriorate from overuse, while the weaker eye will become weaker from lack of use. You will learn eye teaming exercises that create relaxation and fusion. And we will cover specific exercises for strabismus, amblyopia and diplopia, which are also useful for everybody.

The afternoon is open for you to practice on your own what you have learned today or to have a private session. Book your sessions early-availability is limited!

Day Four: 9am - 1pm

Explore the body-eye connection and how to overcome and prevent pathologies like glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, etc.

Macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and retinal problems (diabetes, beginning retinitis pigmentosa, retinal tears and detachments) are becoming all too common. Don’t become one of those rising statistics! Time for individual needs to be discussed.
The afternoon is open for you to practice on your own what you have learned today or to have a private session. Book your sessions early-availability is limited!

Day Five: 3pm - 9pm, Including Dinner and a Night Walk!

Further explore the body-eye connections and how to overcome and prevent degenerative conditions of the eyes. Be proactive in working on your vision. You may be able to avoid invasive drastic treatment doctors deem necessary that could have detrimental side effects.
The morning is open for you to continue practicing what you are learning or to have a private session. Book your sessions early-availability is limited!

Day Six: 9am - 1pm

Learn how to integrate the techniques and principles you have learned into daily routines that work for you. This is an extraordinary opportunity to work on your own vision as well as to learn how to help others.

26 CE hours available for massage therapist and California nurses.

$125 for one day

$225 for two days

$330 for three days

$435 for four days

$545 for five days

$650 for six days

Please call (415) 665-9574 or email officemanager@self-healing.org to register.

Students walking backwards and sideways near Ocean Beach.

• Sit and move out of a feeling of expansiveness.  Breathe deeply, and visualize that every part of your body is lengthening, expanding, and loosening.  Tell your head to go up to the ceiling and your shoulders to the walls.

• As you breathe, visualize that every area is separating and expanding still further – your rib cage and sides are moving outward.

• Rotate your head, in both directions, as you work.

• Throughout the day, picture that every movement you make is performed by the most peripheral areas involved – fingertips, toes, etc.  As you walk, visualize that your feet are lifting your legs, leading the motion.  As you keyboard or write, visualize that your fingertips are doing all the work and the rest of your hands, wrists, etc., are just coming along for the ride

• Slip out of your shoes, and roll a tennis ball under a foot while you work

• Rotate one shoulder as you work.  Wiggle it; try to sense how it “wants” to move, and do that.  Then do the same for the other shoulder.

• Make circles with your head in both directions.

• Make horizontal circles with your navel while seated at your workstation.  Then make circles up and down with it.

• Open and close your jaw (without chewing gum) as smoothly and effortlessly as possible.

• As you work at the computer, don’t let the periphery disappear.  Every ten minutes or so, as you happen to think of it, wave your hands to the sides of your face and pay attention to the fact that, beyond your computer screen, the rest of the room exists.  This will reduce the strain in your eyes.

• Move your eyes in big circles.  If your eyes resist some parts of the circle, go back to those points.

• Put one hand between your eyes and walk around for a moment enjoying your peripheral vision, noticing the two different worlds each eye sees.

• If you can look out a window while sitting at your workstation, look away from your work long enough to appreciate one small, interesting detail in the distance.

• Hang mobiles beside and above your workstation, to stimulate peripheral vision.

• Breathe deeply and slowly, in and out through the nose.  Feel as though first the stomach and then the chest fill with air.  Take longer to exhale and to inhale.  Enjoy your breathing.

• Blink softly and frequently while you work.

• Visualize, as you type that the keyboard is like a trampoline, and is bouncing your fingers back up, so they are typing effortlessly.

• Visualize that your head goes all the way up to the ceiling and your neck is stretching.

Bea teaching on the trampoline.

“I have muscular dystrophy.  I came to San Francisco to study with Meir Schneider at a point when my body was really deteriorating.

The only thing physicians could tell me was that I was looking at a downward spiral, and nothing could be done.

But I improved, and the tools I’ve learned make it possible to manage my health.

When I work intensively on myself, I gain real increases in muscle strength.

I have much better mobility and function than I could ever have had without this method.”
Beatriz Nascimento, MA, OTR, Self-Healing practitioner/ teacher in Sao Paulo, Brazil, San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Rosa, CA

“Meir Schneider has miraculously found his vision, and he can help you to find yours. His approach is transformative.”
Jacob Liberman, O.D., Ph.D., author of Light: Medicine of the Future & Take off your Glasses and See

Natural Vision Improvement Kit

“This Kit is a must have for any one with eyesight problems. Meir Schneider has taken The Bates Method into the new millennium with an integration of eye exercises, yoga principles and relaxation techniques!”-Marc Grossman O.D. L.Ac. author of Magic Eye: Beyond 3D Improve Your Vision, Natural Eye Care: An Encyclopedia, and Greater Vision: A Comprehensive Program for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Clarity

Check the calendar for this week’s topic.

For more information, call (415) 665-9574 or email events@self-healing.org

“My daughter Diana has cerebral palsy. Despite three major surgeries, her right leg was continuing to atrophy. After working with Meir and the students at the School, Diana says ‘This has changed my life. I am now able for the first time to balance, stand on my right leg, walk safely without my cane, run and crawl!”
Jo Hughes, North Carolina

“Both the massage therapy and exercises given to me by Meir Schneider have helped my respiratory problem, cystic fibrosis. My breathing has deepened, my posture has improved, and the muscles of my shoulders and upper back are a lot stronger.”
Tracy Miley, Delaware, OH