April 23, 2021 - EyeClarity Podcast
In this episode, I give the listeners a glimpse into a private session I offered to a patient who has reduced her myopia and astigmatism by 50% and wants the advanced set of vision therapy exercises to be able to reduce her prescription completely. Yes, you can reduce your dependency on your contacts and glasses! Here is the transcript for the show. Enjoy!
Podcast 126
Fri, 4/23 4:08PM • 36:59
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, metronome, eyepatch, chart, practice, beats, left, arm, leg, letter, exercises, vision, limbs, clarity, micromanage, glasses, read, myopia, moving, walk
00:05
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my I clarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest I clarity episode. In today’s show, I am going to present a session that I did with a patient recently who is reducing her myopia and astigmatism. And I’m giving your more advanced exercises today that include the eye brain body, and they’re going to require her to be able to focus in a more expanded way. So I hope you enjoy this session. Take care when I enrolled in vision therapy, so I was in your shoes, I had a similar prescription as you did, was even stronger. And the doctor that I went to see made me commit for a year. And he gave me some practices, some vision practices that I had to do every day. And they were very much two things whole body. So how to use my whole body engage my whole body with my vision. And the second part is that the exercises were all done with an eyepatch. Okay. And his theory, his thesis was that by using an eyepatch, when the eyes were good when the eyes are so different. So mine were different to like yours, the eye patch disrupts the normal functioning of how the The eyes are different. And you kind of get flatlined when that happens. So the patches of this pattern interrupter, the other thing is you’re doing the practice, at the you’re doing the practice the same amount of time with each eye. Even though you might think one eye is stronger, like the right eye or the left eye is weaker whenever, what because you’re basing it on clarity, and blur. But each eye gets the same amount of time. And you’re then on a journey. When you do these practices, because they’re not mechanical at all. They’re very much Mind Body oriented, and there’s a mindfulness. So it’s an open ended practice, where you’re using the practice, to deepen your self awareness around your habits, patterns conditioning, as it relates to the mental, emotional, energetic and physical parts of your eyes. So it’s going to be very informative, if you take that attitude. And so just to finish with me, I went down this, this track with him. And it took me about six months. And one day I woke up, and I started driving, and I could see the road signs. And I remember right before that I had shared with him I was really frustrated. Because I wasn’t reaching my goal of getting rid of the need for my glasses. I was the reason why I went to him. And he told me that with that attitude, I would never get there. And he he said that the only way that I might have a chance would be to completely let go of the goal of getting rid of my glasses. And I couldn’t do that that was very hard for me because I was very goal oriented and most people that are near sighted have that goal oriented streak.
04:38
And so it was it became a real practice a real metaphor to be detached about the goal. Like I can have the goal and then let it go. Have a go Let it go up. I’m sure you’re well aware of that, that practice. So in this set of exercises that you’re going to be doing. The clarity and the balance between the two eyes is something that’s going to sneak up on you. It’s going to surprise you when they when you least expected. But in the in the meantime, while you’re you’re toiling away at the practices, you’re learning a lot about your balance, your movement, your posture, your emotions, and other things as well. So that it becomes an inquiry into, well, what am I feeding my eyes? mentally, you know, what am I feeding my eyes emotionally? And, you know, I thought I knew that answer. But as I kept doing the practices, more and more God peeled away, and I could really vulnerably see what I was doing to myself. So I want to preface these practices by saying they’re very potent. They’re very simple. And we’ll rotate them. So that I don’t want you to be doing one practice. For a long time, I’d like you to do it for two weeks, and then put it aside, and then start practice number two, do that for two weeks, put it aside. And I’m going to give you one practice to do each for each set of two weeks. So you can really end if you get done with it in 10 minutes. So so be it. If it takes you 15 or 20. That’s great, too. So with that being said, the first exercise requires a few props that you have to get one prop is a chart with some letters that I will send you, I’m going to send you actually a few charts, and these are called heart charts, h AR T, the guy’s name was Dr. Heart, and he came up with these letter number, combination letter number charts. And they’re pretty big size, you know, so they may, they may have like 30 letters on them. Okay, so you’re going to need that chart, you’re going to need wall space where you can hang the chart at eye level. And you’re going to need a two by four, something that you’re going to be walking on. And what you’re going to do is you’re going to need to get an eyepatch, you’re going to need to get a two by four, I’ll send you the heart charts. And on your phone, there’s an app that you can get that will give you a metronome. So I guess you kind of know where I’m going with this, you put the chart up at eye level, you cover your left eye, you get on the two by four, you turn the metronome on and the metronome meant the metronome should be at a slow speed, like 40 beats per minute. In what you’re attempting to do, starting, where you can just see the letters, so you’re not like squinting to the point of squint, you start walking forward on the two by four, reading the chart, you take a step, and you read a letter, one letter per beat of the metronome. And this is where you can one day, with the right eye, you can read the columns up and down. In the left eye, you’d
08:53
read the roads.
08:56
The next day, you might switch it, you might read the rows with the right eye and the columns with the left eye, you might start from on the row, right to left. Or with a column, you might start at the bottom and work your way up. And what you’re going to observe initially when you cover your left eye and you’re asked to read one letter, per beat per step to the metronome going forwards and backwards on that two by four, you’re going to be challenged with your balance, your focus your attention. So the goal with the attention is to have your mind and your eye on the same letter at the same time and doing all With peripheral awareness, you know, strategies that people will do is they’ll say, Well, I’m looking ahead to the next letter, because I see all the letters or I’m straining, or I’m losing my place, or I’m going faster than the metronome or it’s really blurry and fluctuates. Or I’m not even hearing the metronome. We don’t know what the right eye is going to do in its reading of the chart, but it’s going to do something. And you’re going to note that. And then when you do the left, I won’t because the left eye is blurrier to begin with, you’re probably not going to be able to walk as far back, you know, you’re going to be much closer to the to the chart as you move forward and backward. Same thing, maybe this is the angry eye, maybe this is the eye this the judgmental line. You know, I remember doing it in my right eye at first was super angry, I hate boring. And my doctor would say, Great your board go deeper, go deeper than the board. So you’re going to do this one every day. This is your spiritual practice where you’re going to walk the plank, read the letter with an eyepatch. And you are going to use that exercise as a big mirror. Which is going to show you how you react when you’ve got to do three things at once. When you don’t have your glasses on, and the chart is a little blurry when you’ve got to track some auditory processing, while your motor system and your visual system are in a focusing task. So you can turn the chart upside down. So the letters can be upside down. That’d be another way you could do it. So right to left down to up up to down variant and you’re doing a two weeks and you know, I would consider a little daily support. When I did my right eye today. This is what came up for me when I did my left eye today. This is what came up for me.
12:46
So this is the first Peter weeks. Okay, that’s the first two weeks. And each day, I kind of shifted up whether I’m going right to left or down or up
13:01
where okay.
13:07
Okay, after the two weeks, you’re gonna put it aside, you’re going to come back to it, put it aside and then you’re going to start fresh again. Okay. All right, this next exercise is called angels in the snow. So you’re going to need an eyepatch, you’re going to need a metronome. The metronome is going to be at 40 beats a minute, you’re patching your left eye, and you’re lying on your back on the ground. When you patch the left eye, and you’re lying on the ground, on your back, and your left eye is covered. The metronome is clicking, you’re going to take your right arm along the ground and you’re going to count and move that right arm and you can choose anywhere between four beats to eight beats. So four beats would be 1234. A beats would be 12345678. So the pie is cut into smaller pieces. And so your the speed that you’re moving the limb is lower, the higher than the number. So you do the right arm for whatever you choose. You can do any just choose something randomly. Maybe you could be curious The right arm could do four beats in the left arm could do six beats, you’re just doing one limited time, the right leg could be five beats. And you know, you don’t have to move the leg out that far, it’s not going to have the same mobility. So that means the pie is even smaller on the leg side. So, day one is doing both eyes separately, but you’re just moving one limb, four beats to eight beats you choose. And each day you’re adding a limb. So day two, now you’re doing two limbs.
15:42
Same same beats. So day one, I’m doing arms. And then day two, I’m doing adding
15:49
new day one, you’re doing all the wins, but one at a time. Doing right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, but individually. Okay, one, day two, you’re picking a pair.
16:04
Oh, I see. These are coming together. Yeah, we could do the arm and leg, you know, the,
16:10
like a nice one is the right arm and the left leg that’s very integrating. But you can also do the right arm and the right leg. So you want to do two limbs at the same time. Same timing, two limbs. Alright, day three, you add a third limb, day four for you add a fourth one. Okay, using the path, so you’re doing each. And then after that, this is where it gets interesting. You’re going to pick two limbs. And they have to move at different numbers. So let’s say the right arm is moving at four beats, while the left arm is moving at eight beats.
17:10
And for a person who’s myopic, this sometimes challenges their focus, because now they have to keep track of two things. And the strategy here is to say the directions are the moving my right arm for beats, my left arms, eight beats, and then let it go. And just do it and see if you can do it without trying to think about it. control it. force it. Or it’s, it’s a letting go. process.
17:57
I can already feel my body going. No, you have to think about it. Yes, yes.
18:02
And so what this is doing is this is precisely the Achilles heel that you’ve got around thinking about. That’s your myopia. Oh, I’ll think my way to the answer. And I’ll tell you a secret when I did this exercise. And I was able to let go of thinking my way to the answer my eyesight cleared up. Because I stopped trying to mentally control it.
18:41
Right.
18:43
Or juggle it. It was a very global macro. kind of focus. very inclusive. I didn’t care if I got it wrong. It was like curious. Wow.
19:00
See, I can already feel my body go. Well, I’d have to get it right. Answer and you get it right.
19:09
You don’t often.
19:09
Right, you’re gonna get yelled at
19:12
no more, I said that these exercises are going to challenge the mental makeup of what is feeding your eyeballs. Can you imagine if if, let’s say you had a child and your whole operation was?
19:33
Well, did
19:34
you get it right? Are you getting it right? Did you get it right? After a while. How would that child adapt?
19:44
I mean, that’s what I grew up with. So
19:46
So part of this is releasing the internalized energy that your eyes have been carrying. That’s the purpose. This whole program. Okay? All right. So guess what you’re doing this two weeks. Within that two weeks, I want you to play with two limbs, different speeds, three limbs, different speeds, and even forelimbs different speeds.
20:27
And the key phrase is letting go. stating it and letting it go. You know, it’d be kind of like this, this is what it would be like, let’s say before COVID, you decided I don’t want to travel anymore, I just want to do virtual classes. I don’t know how that’s gonna happen, I’ll even see it. Boom, COVID hits, we didn’t see this. It’s that kind of grace. It’s putting it out there energetically. And then the universe is going to mold itself into your, your intention. I want to see 2020 without my glasses, I want my right eye left eye to be balanced. I don’t know how I’m going to get there. But that’s, that’s the direction I’m going. So you’re kind of reprogramming yourself to go, I’m open to the possibility. I’m open to the possibility of being able to manage four different speeds with my body and let go in the process. So it just happens.
21:53
This is about letting it happen.
21:57
Let it happen. So after two weeks, you’re going to put that one aside. Okay. All right. Now you’re you’re at the set the third two week program, you’re going to continue to have the chart the eyepatch and the metronome. metronome at 40. But while you’re out shopping for the two by four, you’re gonna get yourself a kickball or a soft, bouncy ball, the size of a volleyball or basketball. But something squishy and something you can easily bouncing catch. Go to a sports store. Alright. This one is also the eyepatch. metronome at 40. You’re going to bounce and catch the ball and the ball is going to strike the ground. Simultaneously when you hear the metronome. Click, click, click, click. Every time you hear that click, the ball is striking the ground. And I want you to catch it with both hands. I want you to catch it just with the right hand. I want you to just catch it with your left hand. And then you’re going to throw the ball down on the right and catch it with the left. Throw the bat down ball down on the left, catch it with the right. It’s not a dribble. Because the dribble is going to be too fast. He’s 40 beats is Click, click, click click How well can you coordinate your auditory processing with your motor. Alright, the second part of this is using the chart putting it up on the wall and reading the chart while you’re bouncing and catching the ball. So you get close enough to the chart. No glasses get close enough to the chart that you can read the chart. And you’re using your peripheral vision to keep track of the ball and your center vision to read the chart. So let’s say with the right eye, left eye patched. Let’s say you decide you want to read the columns let’s say with the other eye You’re going to read the rows. This is called the meditation walk. And what it is, is that you’re going to patch your left eye. And you’re going to be saying the following phrase, right arm up, and you’re going to move your right arm up, right leg up, you’re going to raise your right leg off the ground. So you’re balancing now on the left foot, right arm down, put the arm down, right leg down, left arm up, left leg up, left arm down, left leg down. And I forgot to say when you put the leg down, the foot should be slightly forward of where it was to start with. So when you put your right foot down, and it’s slightly ahead, and then when you put your left foot down, that should be ahead of your right foot, you’re doing a slow walk. Right arm up, right leg up, right arm down, right leg down, left arm up, left leg up, left arm down, left leg down. However, you’re adding the metronome here. And of those three words, you’re going to either do three words, per beat, or one word per beat. So here, I’m going to demonstrate it on the here’s the metronome at 40 beats, right? arm up,
26:53
right leg, up, right, arm, down, right leg down. So that’s three. That’s one word per beat. So that’s one way I’d like you to do it. And you’re moving your arm coordinating that, so it’s a slow movement. The other way you’re going to do it is three words per one beat. Right arm up, right leg up, right arm down, right leg down, left arm up, left leg up, left arm down, left leg down, right arm up, right leg up, right arm down, right leg down, left arm up, left leg up, left leg, left, left arm down, left leg down. So you get to choose, if you want to do three words per beat, or one word per beat. You’re going to be going forwards. Hold on, am I gonna close that off, or one word per beat. And you’re now you take, I would take do four steps, right leg, left leg, right leg, left leg, then you’re going to repeat it going backwards. Oh my god. So now you’re going to do a different sequence. Left leg up, right arm up, left leg down, right arm down, right leg up, left arm up, right leg down, left arm down. You’re putting the foot slightly behind the other foot as you do it. And you’re walking four steps backwards. Okay, take the patch off, put it over the other I one word per beat, or three words for beat going forward. And you can do another sequence. Let’s do this one. Right leg up, right arm up, right leg down, right arm down. So I’m doing same side now. Left leg up, left arm up, left leg down, left arm down. So you’re gonna flub up. You’re going to you’re going to raise your arm and you might say your leg, you might raise your right and say your left. So you need to become aware of listening to yourself as you do it. The one word per beat is a lot slower than the three words per beat, right? But this one is going to change allenge, your visual, auditory motor vestibular processing.
30:11
In all of this,
30:13
there’s so many things going on. So many things going on, which is perfect for your, for your myopia, because it’s going to overwhelm that habit that you developed in crisis management. Yep. And that’s over. Crisis Management is over.
30:42
Right, because I get really overwhelmed when there’s too many things going on right
30:46
once, and you’re going to learn a macro, a macro way of processing. Let it happen, let it go. flow, I’m not going to problem solve it just by thinking it. All of those things are feeding into the internalized energy. That’s your myopia. Your myopia is nothing more than internalized stress, your inward Ising something that you couldn’t manage. So you you compartmentalised it, river, you put it in a compartment, visually, and you micromanage. And these four exercises, blow up your habit of micromanaging. Can’t do it, it’s not going to work. It’s going to confront your pattern around the micromanagement. It’s over. But the good news is, if you really work this, you may start getting flashes of clarity where you feel empowered, that you can actually drive without your glasses, that your stress level in your eyes is going to reduce so much that it’s going to be a distant memory. So when somebody tries to micromanage, a lot of times that micromanagement begins to affect the anatomy of the macula. Because you’re trying to do the whole vision through your maculatus. Thus, macular pucker, macular degeneration, macular hole. And then when you wear progressive lenses on top of that, you know, it’s it’s the guy that’s drinking three cups of coffee a day. And caffeinated himself. And then, you know, he’s got the cortisol, the stress and all that stuff.
33:26
So
33:28
once you’re done with this one, you go back to the first one. And you do it again, you let you layer it and you go, huh. Every time you layer it, you get to go deeper in the experience, it becomes less mechanical, and more experiential. So I’m having you layer it 334 times. I mean, I’d like you to do at least two cycles of this, maybe three cycles of it. And if you get bored, that’s the signal for you to try to discover something new about it about yourself. So the boredom is a signal. Oh, I need to develop something. Some other discovery. I would say the overall goal would be effortlessness grace, letting it happen. flow state, let it come to you. And if you start practicing those things, then not only is that going to happen in your vision, but it’s going to happen in your life because remember, You know, vision is a lot about projection. We we project on the world, our perceptions and how we see it. And if you start changing how you’re projecting or what you’re projecting, then you’re going to open yourself up to more possibilities. And you may even get to a point where there’s such a freshness in your eyes, that things are going to come to you, way beyond what you’re even aspiring to do. And you’ll know that you’ve gotten there, when you start really doing things that make you feel alive.
35:52
Right.
35:54
When you hit that a lightness, you’re there and all the things that don’t make you alive are going to fall away. Oh, you know, I don’t want to travel anymore. Or I don’t want to work with this person or Yeah.
36:18
Thank you for listening. I hope you learn something from the AI clarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. see you here next time.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More