NV What?
by Alan Winn
I know something about you.
Though we're separated by space and time, my
guess is that you're interested in your vision. Perhaps you wear glasses or contact lenses, and chances are that you've grown tired of using them as crutches to see clearly. Maybe you've heard from others or have even felt deep down inside that vision can be improved, naturally, without expensive (and sometimes detrimental) surgical procedures. If these guesses are correct, then welcome to the wonderful world of NVI. NVI stands for natural vision improvement. So what does this mean? The word "natural" comes from the Latin word natura, whose root word means to be born. Things that are natural are not man-made. Glasses and contacts are both man-made, and their extended use takes us away from our natural state of vision. The word "vision" comes from the Latin word visio, whose root word means to see. And "improvement" comes from the ancient Anglo-Norman word emprouwer, which means to turn to profit or to advance to a more desirable state. Hence, NVI means to advance our vision to a more desirable state, a state where glasses or contacts are not needed in order to see clearly, and to do this naturally. NVI means to use our eyes as nature intended us to use them, naturally, just as when we were born, and without the aid of unnatural, man-made devices. All of this may seem quite obvious, but there is more to NVI than first meets the eye. NVI is about making changes in your life. These changes might be big or small, but improvement can only come through change. We can't keep doing "the same old thing" and expect a new result. A new result can only come by a new approach, so improved vision comes only after we begin to use our eyes and mind differently. Alien beings from outer space do not fear change. For human beings like ourselves, however, change normally means fear -- fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of slipping backward, fear of new territory, and fear of leaving the old and familiar behind. NVI is about feeling and recognizing the fear and doing it anyway. It's about not being afraid of failure anymore because you never actually fail -- you only learn what doesn't work. NVI is about taking responsibility for our vision and not turning this duty over to our glasses or contacts anymore. It's about taking our eyeballs out of the welfare line and putting them back into the employment line. It's about transforming our eyes from couch potatoes into fitness buffs. And it's about working the remote slowly out of their hands and getting them back on the treadmill of life. NVI is about gaining greater awareness in our lives because our outer vision is closely connected to our inner vision. It's about living this moment to the fullest -- not looking too far into the future and not getting stuck in the past. It's about looking to this day and wringing every ounce of life out of it that we can. Yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is but a vision, but today, well lived, will make every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope -- look well, therefore, to this day. NVI is about unclogging the emotional drain within, and letting go of the things that have creating blockage in our lives. It's about gaining more by letting go. It's about cleaning out the clutter in our minds, forgiving others, and forgiving ourselves. It's about lightening our load by finally cutting the anchor. NVI is about patience and persistence. It's about setting goals and working toward their achievement. And if you don't have patience now, then you will certainly learn it along the way. A marvelous thing happened to me the other day as I was mowing my lawn. As I was making my way toward the front of the house, a pebble jumped into in my shoe for a ride. Yes, that's the marvelous thing -- a pebble in my shoe! Naturally, my first thought was to stop the mower and put an end to the discomfort by shaking it out of my shoe. As I thought about this, however, a different voice from deep within suggested that I keep mowing. "Practice discomfort" was the counsel. Knowing full well that the slight pain and discomfort would eventually soon end, I took the suggestion and kept mowing. Every time I stepped on that pebble, I was reminded about patience and persistence. Put up with the pain now for a better feeling later on. It's like Muhammad Ali once said, "I hated every minute of training, but I said, "Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."" NVI is about working through this pain for something better later on. NVI is NOT about getting rich quick. It is not about winning the lottery, and it's not about the alchemist's dream of turning lead into gold. It's about uncovering and then polishing the hidden gold that's already there. Remember, you're eyes are not "bad" and they aren't "broken". They've just become used to seeing with the aid of glasses and contacts, but this can change. So, welcome to the wonderful journey called natural vision improvement. Though the path is marked, it hasn't been paved yet. You'll be in the minority here because you'll be doing things "a natural." And though the road may be bumpy and bouncy along the way, you will likely not take a more exhilarating or inspiring trek in all your life. So, please buckle up. And don't forget to bring lots of film. Happy journey, Alan Winn
Featured Website
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The Bates Association
for Vision Improvement
webmaster Kevin Wooding has done an excellent job at
putting together this wonderful resource. You will
find a directory of Bates teachers, history of the Bates
method, a comprehensive list of links, and more.
The mind is a filter that
allows passage of only those
messages for which it
is prepared, unless reality is so
pressing as to
overwhelm it completely.
- J.A.C. Brown
In
their book Introducing Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Joseph
O’Conner and John Seymour sum up NLP this way. If
NLP were ever to be presented in a three minute seminar, it
would go something like this.
The presenter would walk on and say, “Ladies and
gentlemen, to be successful in life you need only remember three
things.
“Firstly, know what you want; have a clear idea of your
outcome in any situation.
“Secondly, be alert and keep your senses open so that
you notice what you are getting.
“Thirdly, have the flexibility to keep changing what
you do until you get what you want.” He would then write on the board: Outcome Acuity Flexibility and
leave.
End of seminar. To
apply NLP to our vision improvement goals we would start with
these basic steps, but I would recommend reading a book on NLP
to take advantage of all the information that has been learned
through NLP about the way we operate. Outcome,
the first of the three steps, is of course your goal.
The most popular books on goal setting all state that to
achieve a goal you first need to be very specific. Stating your
goal very clearly and in the positive will help you when you are
ready for the next step of checking to see what you are getting. That
is all Acuity means, just checking to see what you are getting.
In NLP you are given many useful tools in which to do
this. Learning
about sensory awareness and filters is a good example. Filters
govern the way we see the world around us.
Our beliefs, and perceptions color our filters.
With NLP you can fine-tune your filters to pick up the
information you want. NLP
will help you to understand how your senses and feelings work,
allowing you a heightened awareness. And finally Flexibility which, is, I think the most important step. You need to have the flexibility to keep changing what you are doing until you are getting what you want. If you get to this step and don't adjust your controls you may end up frustrated and give up because what you are doing is not working. Sometimes all that is needed is to do the same thing in a relaxed manner. There is huge storehouse of information in the system we call NLP. I have only touched on it briefly in the hopes of perking your interest. Below you will find a link to Amazon’s list of NLP books. Take a look in your local library first you may find one there. Click here to see Amazon's NLP Books
Feature Article
Gary Null is a Pacifica Network talk show host, consumer advocate, investigative reporter, environmentalist and nutrition educator who has written more than 60 books on health topics. He lives the active, healthful life that he advocates. He regularly competes in races and marathons and has trained thousands of people in his "Natural Living Walking and Running Club" to do the same. Cataractsby Gary Null A Model of
the Aging Process In the meantime, the practical aspects of aging continue to plague us, lowering the quality of life for many people in their later years. Rather than leave this discussion at a general and philosophical level, we want to look at how certain nutrients relate to one specific aspect of aging-the formation of cataracts. This type of vision impairment is an excellent model of the aging process; not only is it an extremely important issue among the aged population, but cataracts are a measurable and well-studied problem. Here, we summarize the work of Paul F. Jacques and Allen Taylor in "Micronutrients and Age-Related Cataracts," which explores the role various nutrients play in reducing the risk of cataracts and protecting against the oxidative processes that contribute to many aspects of the aging process. As Jacques and Taylor point out, senile cataracts are "the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world." Each year, some 400,000 people develop cataracts; in the United States alone, 20% of people between ages 65 and 75 and 45% of those over 75 suffer from cataracts and vision impairment. As we age, both structural and biochemical events contribute to the formation of cataracts. The epithelial cells of the lens (which transmits and focuses light rays on the retina of the eye) form fiber cells throughout life. These cells start at the lens equator and travel inward. Eventually, say the authors, the old fibers become more dehydrated and compressed in the center of the lens. The gelatin-like substance of the lens has a refraction index that prevents light from scattering. This substance consists of 65% water and 35% protein. According to Jacques and Taylor, changes in the lens will alter the refraction index, allowing more light to scatter and the lens to become clouded. This opacity is called a cataract. In studying cataracts, then, one must consider the elements that affect the protein in the lens, such as exposure to light, oxygen, the products of normal aging and environmental factors. These factors can cause protein aggregation and precipitation, both of which are linked to a greater level of water insoluble protein in old lenses or those with cataracts. When cataracts form, the process by which protein becomes insoluble seems to be accelerated, say the authors. A number of risk factors have been associated with senile cataracts, which make up the majority of lens opacities. Among those factors are ultraviolet, infrared, ionizing and microwave radiation. The risk of senile cataracts also has been correlated with demographic factors such as gender, blood pressure, blood sugar, education, occupation and vital capacity. Beyond those basic risk factors, there is much research data relating the development of cataracts to reduced levels of certain micronutrients, according to Jacques and Taylor. The lens, for example, needs certain enzymes to help protect it against the effects of oxidation, which has been strongly correlated with cataract formation. In the young lens, the antioxidant defense mechanisms will keep free radicals and photooxidation in check. As we age, however, this activity may fall off and lead to the oxidation of lens proteins. The lens depends on three enzymes for its protection against oxidation: the glutathione redox cycle (which includes tripeptide glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase), SOD and catalase. SOD, for example, protects the lens against the highly reactive superoxide radical, while catalase may protect the lens from the less reactive hydrogen peroxide. Glutathione peroxidase, for its part, eliminates hydroperoxide radicals. While glutathione is oxidized in the process, say the authors, it is restored with the help of glutathione reductase. Glutathione also can perform direct free radical-scavenging work and help to prevent the oxidation of proteins and the formation of disulfide bonds, which also contribute to cataracts. A number of familiar nutrients help to fuel the glutathione enzyme system. These include vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B2 and selenium. Due to the link between cataracts and the process of oxidation, much of the research in this area has centered on these nutrients because they have antioxidant properties. What follows is a brief summary of experimental and epidemiological evidence that correlates the level of these nutrients with the risk of cataracts: Vitamin C (ascorbate). This nutrient generates attention, say the authors, because the ascorbate concentration in the lens can be 30 times higher than that of plasma. Compared to normal lens, older lens and lens with cataracts have low ascorbate levels. In six animal studies conducted between 1978 and 1986, ascorbate was found to delay the formation of cataracts or protect the lens against various types of damage, including galactose-induced cataracts, glucocorticoid (which reduces glutathione levels), ultraviolet induced protein damage, photooxidative changes to the lens, and light-induced damage to the lens from photochemically produced superoxide. Beyond that, two epidemiological studies have found an increased risk of cataracts in people with low ascorbate levels. In one of these studies, for example, researcher J. Robertson compared the risk of senile cataracts among people who took regular ascorbate acid supplements (300 - 600 mg. per day) and those who did not. The cataract risk for supplement users was only 30% of that for non-supplement users. The authors note, however, that a large study in India reported mixed results on the ascorbate/cataract connection. With a given increase in the plasma ascorbate level, there was a 90% jump in the risk of posterior subcapsular and nuclear cataracts. But at the same time, lower levels of an antioxidant index that factored in plasma ascorbate increased the risk of these same cataracts. Vitamin E (tocopherol). This nutrient, which is the primary fat-soluble antioxidant, prevents photoperoxidation of the lens lipids. As with other parts of the body, the integrity of the cell membranes in the lens must be preserved. Tocopherol seems to stabilize and protect cell membranes. A number of studies also show that this nutrient will retard cataract-like changes to the lens by various cataractogenic agents, including glucose, galactose, sorbitol, ionizing radiation and steroids and other cataractogenic drugs. In Robertson's study on the relationship between vitamin C status and cataracts, it was also found that people who took an average of 400 IU of vitamin E each day had 40% of the risk of senile cataracts as those who did not take supplements. A study by Jacques, however, did not find any difference in the cataract risk for people with low, moderate or high levels of tocopherol in the plasma. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). As a cofactor for glutathione reductase, riboflavin may indirectly affect the antioxidant mechanisms in the lens. According to Jacques and Taylor, research indicates that people who took riboflavin supplements or thyroxine, had higher glutathione reductase activity in the lens epithelia than did people who did not take such supplements. While the clarity of the lens depends on riboflavin, however there is no firm link between this nutrient and senile cataracts. In a 1981 study of people with cataracts, researchers found that 34% of those over the age of 50 had a riboflavin deficiency, compared to none of the study's control subjects. In a later study of malnourished subjects, 81% of those with cataracts (and 12% of controls) were riboflavin deficient. According to the authors, these studies and others suggest a link between riboflavin deficiency and senile cataracts. "However, in populations where riboflavin status is adequate, there is no evidence to suggest that riboflavin supplementation can provide any additional protection against cataracts," they state. Selenium. As a cofactor in the glutathione redox cycle selenium may help to protect against injury from the oxidation process. The authors note, however, that an increased risk of experimental cataract has been linked to both a deficiency and an excess of selenium. Meanwhile, the only epidemiological data that links a low selenium level to cataract formation found that the correlation was only marginally significant. Based on their research, Jacques and Taylor conclude that senile cataracts are a common problem among the aged population, but not an inevitable one. The formation of cataracts appears to stem, in part, from damage to the lens proteins by the process of oxidation. And research shows that antioxidant nutrients can slow down various types of cataract-like injuries. As a result, they say, the existing data establishing a connection between the risk of senile cataract and micronutrient intake provides a foundation for future work in this area. For more about this subject and more of Gary Null's informative articles go to his website
This Month's
Recommended Book
by Lois June Wickstrom Shortly after I got my first computer 15 years ago, I got my first pair of glasses. Computers are hard work for the eyes. A few years ago, I was holding menus and business cards at arm's length and considering getting either longer arms or bifocals. Today, however, I wear no glasses. |
Bates had been taught that vision problems stem from malformed eyeballs, or lenses, or even from the muscles of the eyes themselves being too long or too short. But since no problems of the eye remained static, Bates developed exercises that can help people change their eyes for the better.
The basic exercises are palming, sunning, swinging, and vision shifting.
Palming
Rub your hands together to make them warm. (You can shake them or hold them in front of a heat vent if you prefer.) Then close your eyes. Cover your eyes with your warm hands. Make sure your hands do not touch your eyelids and that you do not rest your cheekbones on your hands.
If you want to place the weight of your head on your hands, put the weight on the forehead. I like to lie on my back with a couple of tennis balls under the achy part of my upper back, and cover my eyes with my hands in that position.
Then -- this is the exercise -- LOOK at the dark. My mom likes to pretend she's looking at black velvet. If you see spots or zaps of light, so be it. Wait. You will see the dark. Don't hurry. Do this at least twice a day for 5 to 15 minutes (Hey, that's what 15-minute breaks are for!).
Also, be sure to drink lots of water. This isn't in the Bates method -- it's part of what works for me.
Sunning
Try to do this once a day. It requires a sunny day, or a good desk lamp
with an incandescent bulb. The exercise is simple. Close your eyes. Look
directly at the sun through your closed eyes. While facing the sun, slowly
rotate your head from side to side as far as you can.
This gets the sunlight on the peripheral vision, and it helps bring more blood circulation to your neck. Do this for 3 to 5 minutes. It's amazing, even on a cold day, how warm the sun feels on your eyes.
Swinging
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging loosely at your sides. Look out a window, or do this outside if possible. Shift your weight to your right foot, and swing your upper body to the right, letting the heel of your left foot come up off the floor.
Watch your surroundings as you swing. If you can see a tree out the window or in the distance, notice how it seems to move opposite to the direction you are swinging. This exercise is good for your eyes and your back.
Vision shifting
It's as simple as it sounds. Whenever it occurs to you that you've been
spending too much time staring at that monitor right in front of your
face, purposely shift your vision to look at the weave of the fabric on
your sleeve, or the poster on the wall, or the tree across the street.