Try This Right Now:
Relax Your Vision in 5 Minutes

The heart of the Bates Method is getting your frozen vision to move again, to replace staring with relaxed easy shifting of your attention. Your perfect-sighted friend does this naturally. Get a taste of how profound this difference can be:

1. Look at your computer monitor or another object you view often during the day. Notice if you are staring or “spacing out”.
2. Gently, easily let your visual attention shift every second. Look at very distinct spots. Try very tiny shifts and larger shifts; find what mix your eyes enjoy.
3. Go back to staring. Notice your mood and the feeling in your neck and shoulders. Are you holding your breath?
4. Now, repeat step 2, with a sense of ease. Notice: Is your mood uplifted? Are your shoulders, neck, and breathing more relaxed?
5. Get a timer. See if you can sustain step 2 for one or two minutes, in a relaxed fashion. You may notice your stress is gone, or that your sight is clearer. At the very least, your brain may be feeling very different than usual.

This constant movement may sound like a lot of work, but it's not! Dr. Bates points out that the brain needs constant shifting to easily know where it is in space. Staring intently at one spot or "spacing out" with no movement is a big strain on the mind and according to the Bates Model is the key cause of poor vision.