Does visual acuity always decrease with age? The experience of Eastern practices proves that eye health can be maintained until old age. How do bodily practices help us see better? And are there special techniques that can stop the development of farsightedness?
We know that Taoist practices help improve posture, develop flexibility and joint mobility. But how do they affect vision? Those who have been practicing qigong for a long time not only maintain a healthy spine, but often do without glasses. What gives them the opportunity to maintain eye health even in old age?
Deal with stress
What determines how well we see? First of all, it depends on whether our visual system is well supplied with blood and on the condition of the optic nerves. If the arteries are not clogged, the blood freely feeds the cells, and nerve impulses flow from the eye to the brain and vice versa, all parts of the visual system remain young and healthy, and vision remains sharp. What if there are problems with blood flow or nerves?
The normal access of blood to the ophthalmic arteries is hindered by tension that accumulates in the body, in particular in the neck. If the neck is constantly clamped, the head is pulled into the shoulders, then the access of blood to the head, and therefore to the eyes, will be difficult. This can cause regular headaches and eye problems. The fact is that the main outflow of blood occurs through the veins located in the region of the first cervical vertebra. If there is tension there, the blood begins to leave through the vessels located behind the eyeballs. The load on these vessels increases, which causes pain and vision problems. If tension persists for a long time, vision deteriorates faster than we would like.
How to relax the area of the first cervical vertebra and normalize the outflow of blood from the head? This is not an easy task, because sometimes it is difficult to find the right vertebra, to understand exactly where the tension has accumulated if the brain perceives it as the norm. In addition, tension is often caused by emotions that arise against our will.
Good posture – sharp vision
Oriental practices help normalize blood flow and restore the conduction of the optic nerves, which means improving vision. And it is better to start with work on the health of the spine.
We cannot constantly monitor whether our neck is tense. Therefore, in the qigong for the spine Sing Shen Juang there are exercises aimed at relaxing all the muscles of the neck, even the smallest ones, those that connect the vertebra to the vertebra. By doing these exercises several times, you normalize the blood supply to the head, and consequently, the visual system. Then you can forget about the neck, about tension and relaxation, and remember about it only the next day, when it’s time to complete the set of exercises.
During the day, of course, tension will build up again. But if you work regularly, even for 15 minutes a day, then the blood supply and innervation of the visual system will improve.
Let your eyes relax
In the range of oriental practices there are exercises that are designed specifically for the eyes. It is important to make a reservation right away: first you need to establish blood supply to the head and neck, relax your shoulders and make the entire shoulder girdle free and mobile. And only after that proceed to exercises for eye health. By themselves, they will not have the desired effect.
Until you have mastered qigong for the spine, I suggest trying an exercise that will clearly show how effective relaxation is as a tool for working with vision.
So, imagine that the eye is a bud, located with the stem outward, that is, it will open, as it were, inside the head. Sit up straight, close your eyes, imagine a bud. Now open your mouth and let your lower jaw hang, relaxing the joint that moves it. Move your attention to the area of the eyes and ask yourself the question: “What else can I relax so that an imaginary bud opens, turns into a flower?”
Spend 10-15 seconds like this, open your eyes, blink and repeat the exercise. Note how the sensations in the eyes have changed after deep relaxation, whether it has become easier to focus on nearby objects. I am sure that the eyes will feel a little better, even if you spend only a minute practicing. And if you first master qigong for the spine, you can maintain and even improve vision.