Dr. William Bates was an eye doctor who literally spent decades educating himself on what can cause common vision problems. He was a graduate from Cornell University and became a professor of ophthalmology and researcher in the field around the New York area. Bates was successful in creating many vision cures, and he concluded that everyone can see without the aid of artificial, corrective lenses. His techniques were created in order to train the eyes in improving and healing themselves naturally.

The Bates Method, as it is commonly referred to, was created to primarily aid children in taking in more knowledge, without causing unnecessary, harmful eye strain. Dr. Bates concluded that the majority of bad habits and vision complications begin in school children. Children undoubtedly have a tendency to be curious, and always want to learn new things. However, when things are consistently and overwhelmingly thrown at them, they are asked to store tons of uninteresting information in their little minds that the brain fatigues and their eyes take on stress.

By the same token, new and unfamiliar things cause the eyes to stress so that we can store them in our memory. With each passing day, children take in new objects to focus on – they may be interested in them, they may not be. Children are not given the option to let their eyes rest. This is exactly where Bates’ Method comes in to play.

Bates’ Method is very practical and easy. Bates made a big chart which consisted of the most common shapes and letters. He placed this chart on a wall in the front of a classroom. He then instructed the children to look at the chart whenever they felt they were taking in too much or felt stressed. Bates eventually found that by just looking at this chart for only three minutes per day, eye strain became absent from the eyes.

The Bates Method was put to use in several New York area schools. Teachers began to notice a marked improvement in regards to the children’s concentration level and academic progress. This is because looking at the chart caused their eyes to be at rest, causing all eye strain to go away. The New York School System regrettably determined that Bates’ techniques were distracting and the method was eradicated from the school system. However, China is the only country that educates their students in vision correction training.

The Bates Method is not just for children; it can be used by anyone at any age. If you would like, you can make your own eye chart like Bates’, and hang it in your office. Look directly at the card a couple of times each day, simply to make sure your eyes are at rest, reducing your levels of eye strain. Learning how to train your eyes to relax inevitably will aid you in improving your vision naturally – starting now, and for the remainder of your future.

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