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The Meir Schneider Eye Exercises

Meir Schneider, PhD, is a therapist and educator based in San Francisco, California. He was born with serious eye problems, including cataracts, and after numerous surgeries, doctors proclaimed him permanently blind. Then, at the age of 17, Meir began to study the Bates Method of eye exercises. After practicing diligently for six months, he began to see shapes, and within 18 months he was reading printed words. Today, Dr. Schneider teaches these methods to students from around the world.

  1. Peripheral Vision Exercise

    • For this exercise, you will need the help of a friend. Sit in a chair and look straight ahead. Have your friend stand behind you. Ask your friend to wiggle his fingers at your sides, above, and below you, starting wide and moving inward until you can see them. When the fingers move into your line of vision, grab them. This exercise is especially helpful for people who spend lots of time looking at a computer screen, as peripheral vision deteriorates due to focusing straight ahead for hours on end.

    Massage

    • Meir Schneider teaches that massage around the eye area helps reduce strain to improve vision. The key to successful massage for the eye muscles is to be very gentle. Start with massaging your eyebrows. Use long strokes starting at the bridge of your nose and working outward to stop just before the temples. Next, massage your temples by moving the skin and muscle in small, slow circles to relax the muscles. Finally, gently massage the area around the eye, also in small, circular movements. Do each of these exercises for a few minutes.

    Blinking

    • According to Meir Schneider, blinking is an "important exercise [that] bathes and massages the eye, rests it from the work of focusing for near vision, relieves tension around the eyes, and breaks up the habit of staring, which is harmful to the eyes." Start by relaxing your face and blinking so that your eyelids feel feather light. Cover your right eye with your hand. Your fingers should be resting just below the eyebrow line. With your left eye, focus on blinking slowly and gently, picturing your eyelashes softly lifting and releasing the eyelid. Gently massage your forehead with your other hand, starting with the fingers and thumb touching and then moving them both outward. The less movement you can feel in your right eye, the more relaxed your left eye is. Repeat on the other side.

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