Doug Marsh - Restoring Your Eyesight: A Taoist Approach

RESTORING

YOUR EYESIGHT

A TAOIST APPROACH

DOUG MARSH

FOREWORD BY

THOMAS R. QUACKENBUSH

Healing Arts Press

Rochester, Vermont

RESTORING

YOUR EYESIGHT

Doug Marshs obviously deep understanding of the Tao illuminates the most interesting aspects of Dr. Batess work. This is one of the best books on Natural Vision Improvement I have read, and I will recommend it to all my vision students!

Elizabeth Abraham, co-founder of
the Vision Educator Training Institute

Taoist readers will wonder how they missed applying these principles to their suboptimal eyesight. Its clear from this book that the Bates Method is not so terribly isolated and unique, but is in tune with an impressive variety of research, both historical and modern.

Dave Kiesling, director and founder of
www.iblindness.org, dedicated to the Bates Method

FOREWORD

In May 1999 I received a lengthy e-mail from Doug Marsh regarding his interest in Natural Vision Improvement (NVI). Over the last seven years we have had many communications on this topic.

Now Doug contributes Restoring Your Eyesight: A Taoist Approach to the relatively sparse and much needed library of NVI books in his motivation to reach out to others. I am surprised and pleased to discover Dougs book is on par (yes, a pun on his love of golf!) with books written by professional NVI teachers.

His theme of Taoism is appropriate, since both NVI and Taoism teach a way of life that is in balance and harmony with naturesomething many of us have not yet achieved, not by conscious choice, but because of the severe imbalances that modern culture presents to us. Taoist philosophy includes rhythm, softness, return, balance, and wholeness. There has hardly been a better description of the attributes associated with good eyesight. In my work, I use the right brain/left brain theme, which ultimately steers us toward the same goal of good eyesight. Both philosophies emphasize relaxation, movement, and centralization (which Doug has coined concentric focus). These principles are presented and described very well herein.

The damage caused by modern industrialization and technology is explored in part 1, Excess. Why are the majority of people living in civilized societies unable to function normallywithout crutches on their noses or in their eyes? Doug presents good answers.

The ancient wisdom of Taoism as related to NVI fundamentals are primarily offered in part 2, The Way. It is important to understand that NVI really is a way. Most students of NVI understand it to be a series of eye exercises done for twenty minutes per day. However, this is not entirely correct. NVI is a process of relearning how to see the correct waythe way most of us learn naturally, automatically, and subconsciously in the first year of our lives. Dr. Bates stated that these are habits and are meant to be used all day long. And as I like to remind my students, anyone can relearn something they used to do perfectly.

I should add that a specific spiritual teaching is not needed to improve ones eyesight, however, the philosophical concepts common to both are needed. On an amusing note, I once had a potential student tell me she did not want to attend my classes after attending a free introductory lecture, because she concluded I was teaching Presbyterian vision. Just for the record, I had only discussed presbyopic vision, no religion!

Have you ever seen your vision fluctuate? Perhaps while on vacation you have noticed that you often see better. Or, conversely, when under excessive stress, you may have noticed that your vision is not entirely clear, or even that it is crossed-eyed. Have you ever noticed that after wearing glasses for a few hours and then taking them off, your vision is more blurred than before you put them on? Then, after a few more hours of not wearing them, your vision gets better again? If so, then you have experienced NVI, and you have contradicted the theories of virtually all eye doctors who dogmatically proclaim that it is impossible for eyesight to improve naturally. The theory (a guess) that eyesight cannot improve is so ingrained in the orthodox professionals that, sometimes, when improvement is measured and verified, they will say their previous examinations were in error! That may not be a reassuring thought to many people!!

An optician once told one of my students that she (the optician) only needed her stronger glasses when she was under high stress. Since vision fluctuates for everyone, and most people know this, it is curious that eye professionals, in their professional practice, adhere so strongly to theories that contradict their own experience. As a holistic dentist once stated, They cant teach you what they dont know; and they cant lead you were they wont go. Go to authorities who have been taught that your eyesight cannot get better naturally and have no experience with peoples eyesight improving naturally, and most likely you will not improve. Go to authorities who have been taught eyesight can improve naturally and have lots of experience with peoples eyesight improving, and your chances are a lot better. Flaws and confusion within the optometric and ophthalmologic professions are covered in part 3, Harmony.

Dougs writings include his own struggles with glasses and contact lenses, as he wonders how, for instance, to rid himself of these torturous crutchesan all too common plight of people all over the world. The theories of myopia being hereditary, and presbyopia being due to old age, are shattered by simple facts. But to what can we attribute myopia and presbyopia? Dr. Bates showed us that they are due to stressnot just any stress, but specific strained, mental, emotional, and physical vision habits. In a wonderful way, Doug helps us to understand terms like force, stress, strain, pressure, and tension, and concentrationterms that are often misunderstood. By relearning natural vision habits and principles Doug has been rewarded with excellent improvement accumulated dramatically over the long runas have I. Thomas Chavez, a homeopath and one of my NVI students, in his book Body Electronics, defines health as freedom, which resonates with Dougs own NVI process as being a liberating journey.

Doug describes many supportive holistic therapies including massage, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, craniosacral therapy, and myofascial release. Any therapy that truly supports relaxation, movement (circulation), and centralization (relaxed visual concentration) will accelerate the improvement of ones eyesight.

Since there is a strong correlation between certain functional vision problems (nearsightedness, farsightedness, and presbyopia for example) and eye disease, many people are also seeking NVI for preventative reasons. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to eyesight.

Bottom line? Lower the power of your prescription glasses and/or contact lenses (safely and legally if for driving), use your own eyes more and more, and restore your eyesight by relearning natural vision habits and principles. Since 1983 I have watched thousands of my own students improve their vision. Many thousands more have improved under the tutelage of other NVI teachers. Educate yourself and reap the rewards!

I believe Dougs book will be a valuable aid for those seeking the truth about eyesight and how to take care of it in a natural way. In fact, I will now be using Dougs excellent information in my NVI classes. Motivation, patience, perseverance, and commitment are necessary, but the rewards aremost likelyfar beyond what one might currently expect.

As one reader of my book stated, this process could actually be called Relearning to Live