Acupressure to strengthen the eyes and improve vision

What we commonly call normal vision or 20/20 is the term used by an optometrist when he or she asks you to cover one eye and use the other to read letters on a board. 20/20 vision is considered ideal because you can read the letters on the 20th line at a distance of 20 feet.

Those numbers increase the closer you get to the poster to see the letters. A person is legally blind when his or her vision is 20/200. However, doctors stress that 20/20 vision does not mean perfect vision, since side vision, night vision and color vision can be affected.

What are human eyes prone to?

One of the causes that can affect normal vision in healthy people is the shape. Let's say that if your eyeball is too short, it will alter distance vision because the focus of the light rays that enter your eye will go beyond the retina. On the other hand, if your eyeball is too long, it means that the focus point of the light rays does not reach the retina.

Another reason for imperfect vision is genetics. If one of the parents suffers from myopia or astigmatism, it is quite likely that at least one of the children will inherit it.

But for most people, vision decline is just a matter of time. Around age 40, you may start to notice that your vision is getting a little blurry. This vision problem has a name: presbyopia. The lens of the eye is the organ responsible for focusing images at different distances.

To focus, the lens uses muscles and ligaments that surround it, which, over time, lose elasticity and their ability to accommodate. As a result, nearby objects cannot be seen clearly.

Although this problem usually occurs around age 40, it varies from person to person. You may be 50 or older and still have good vision.

Eye conditions from an emotional perspective 

In Jacques Martel's dictionary of ailments and diseases, these ocular conditions are defined from a perspective related to thoughts, feelings and emotions:

Myopia. Difficulty with my distance vision. My insecurity about the future makes me see events as bigger and more disturbing than they really are. It is as if I am not ready to face them. I can see what is close to me but my distance vision is blurred because of my contracted and tense eye muscles. In short, I can deal with my immediate reality and my “daily” life with ease. But I have a hard time creating my own vision of the future and seeing the possibilities in front of me because I must overcome my fear of what is to come. If I am nearsighted, I may tend to be angry or withdrawn, which can result from experiences in my childhood that I experienced as frightening or abusive (for example, the hostile or angry look of a parent). If a teacher or uncle hit me, I became nearsighted because I was afraid of him and did not want to see him.

Unless I have experienced another conflict, my near vision will be better than the average because I know, even unconsciously, that it is important to see well what is happening around me in order to defend myself, or to make good gestures when the threat is near and does not hurt me.

Myopia generally indicates excessive subjectivity. The expression “not seeing beyond your nose” describes its way of being well.

Hyperopia and Presbyopia . Presbyopia is a condition that prevents me from seeing objects close up. It reveals a fear of the present. What is the thing in my life, close to me, that I refuse to see? It may be my inability to “get things right” and to see clearly what is accessible and close to me. I pay more attention to others, to my personal relationships and to external events instead of looking inside myself and developing my inner self more and more. This condition may have been caused by an impact or trauma that made me believe that the present was not for me. By becoming extroverted and looking far away, I choose to ignore what is happening near me, my dreams are constantly on the lookout for what is happening far away. I live in anxiety because what worries me now worries me: I am getting older, the children are leaving home, I am becoming sadder. Thus, my vision is transformed according to what I want and what I do not want to see.

In case one of both eyes is affected, it is important to consider the situations linked to the affected side of the body (left: intuitive; right: rational).

Astigmatism . This is a defect in the sphericity of the cornea or lens. The vertical curvature of the cornea is more important than the horizontal curvature or the opposite. This malformation usually denotes a fear of looking at myself head on, as I am. Poor eye coordination can mean that my way of acting and my thoughts are at odds with my environment, thus causing inner conflicts. I may want to create a different reality for myself and try to free myself from the influence of my parents or anyone else I find abusive.

Frequently confronted with rage, anger or fear during my youth, my eyes have retained this expression of fear and the muscles surrounding them have remained in a state of constant shock.

My eyes may be irritated if what I see outside or inside irritates me.

Astigmatism could also be the result of great curiosity. My insatiable need to see everything “wears out” my eyes. In this way, my body tells me to take the time necessary to appreciate things.

Also, this may mean that I have an interest in recognizing my own beauty, the magnificent being that I am.

Dark circles . Dark circles under the eyes are usually a sign of fatigue, often caused by an allergy, which is the result of a dependency on a product. My body tells me that I must be more independent and that my happiness must depend on me alone. The approval of others then becomes a plus instead of a condition for my well-being. ( 1 )

Is it possible to avoid or at least delay the need for glasses or contact lenses?

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the eyes are related to the liver meridian, that is, the health status of the liver is manifested through them.

The liver belongs to the Zang-fu group of organs, (Zang: heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen; Fu: bladder, both intestines, spleen, gallbladder, urinary bladder and the San jiao system.

When damage or imbalance occurs in the functions of these organs, whether due to excess or deficiency that alters the energy flow of the liver, this can produce ophthalmological symptoms such as myopia, glaucoma, decreased visual acuity, among others.

According to the Chinese Acupuncture Magazine, in glaucoma (a disease caused mainly by increased intraocular pressure that causes defects in the visual field), the onset of this disease is related to the liver meridian, which, when altered, produces fire and wind in abundance that rises and attacks the eyes. ( 2 )

In myopia, the weakness in the energetic flow of the heart, a deficiency of yang and an abundance of yin, causes an error in refraction so that parallel rays are focused in front of the retina.

Or as we mentioned above, due to elongation of the eyeball, congenital factors or bad reading habits or working with inadequate lighting.

Exercises to improve vision

According to a 2003 Harvard University publication, if the following exercises are practiced judiciously , the need for glasses or contact lenses can be postponed or delayed in some people, except for people with Glaucoma or Macular Degeneration. ( 3 )

Heating:

• Move your eyes left and right 10 times.
• Move your eyes up and down, repeat 10 times.
• Move your eyes in a diagonal direction from bottom, left side to top, right side, repeat 10 times.
• Move your eyes in a diagonal direction from bottom, right side to top, left side, repeat 10 times.
• Make circular movements clockwise and then counterclockwise, repeating 10 times.
• Rubbing your eyelids. This is to improve circulation.
• Finally, place the palms of your hands over your eyes for a couple of minutes to rest.

After warming up, you are ready for the exercises as such.

• Place your middle (center) fingers on the hollowest part of your temples (this is the Tai Yang acupressure point on either side of your eyes). Start massaging in circular motions either clockwise or counter-clockwise. Alternate the direction and massage for about two minutes.
• Massage around the eye sockets in a circular motion for two minutes. Since the skin on the eyes is very thin, use your ring fingers to apply as little pressure as possible. Gently massage both the top and bottom of the sockets. Then, massage the bridge of the nose with your middle fingers.
• Using both hands, draw a line from your eyes to the back of your head and gently massage your skull where it meets your neck. If you want, practice this exercise with your eyes closed as it is a very good relaxation technique.
• Smile. While smiling, draw a straight line up from the corners of your mouth to the widest part of your nostrils. This is called the “Shibai” acupressure point. Press gently with your index fingers on your cheeks and hold for 30 seconds. This area can be quite sensitive, so some people may experience sinus clearing.
• Locate the notch between your eye lobes and your eyebrows. Place your thumbs there. Then place the rest of your fingers on your forehead along the hairline. Now gently press with your thumbs in an upward direction without hurting yourself and massage your forehead in a downward direction. Do this for two minutes.

Some considerations when practicing these exercises.

• It is best to keep your nails short when massaging your face in the eye area.
• All of these exercises are bilateral, meaning both sides are done at the same time.
• Avoid doing these exercises if you suffer from any illness.
• These exercises should be done daily for a long time before results begin to be seen .

Remember to check out my article on nutrients that help maintain good eye healthhere

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