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by Studio Bates
Here are a few thoughts on the advantages and
disadvantages of taking Bates lessons via email. Have a
read through it so that you can get the best out of this
way of improving your eyesight.
1. When people learn about the Bates Method, or Vision
Education, from a book, there is great potential for
misunderstanding. People tend to interpret new
information in such a way that it will fit their current
perceptions and beliefs about the world. This is quite
normal, and is a characteristic of evolutionary survival
- we continue to do the things that have worked so far,
because we have survived to this point - but it is worth
considering how this may hamper us in working for change.
There is a useful parallel concept from the another
mind/body discipline: the Alexander Technique - when
someone changes their habitual way of doing something, it
will "feel wrong", regardless of whether it is
a better or worse way of doing it. Our habit is to do the
thing that "feels right", that is, to do our
habit, even if our habit is constantly wearing us down.
This translates into the Bates Method as "we tend to
see things the way we see things", even if we tend
to see things in a way that makes our sight worse.
By way of example; the following account portrays an
experience that is quite common for people who read Dr
Bates' book:
'I read Dr Bates' book "Better Eyesight Without
Glasses" before I had lessons. I tried a few things
out, but nothing seemed to "work". Almost by
accident, and some time later, I ended up taking lessons
from a teacher. After about six lessons I suddenly
thought: "Hey! This is nothing at all like the
book!"
'I then went back and re-read the book and what do you
think? It was all in there (and more, I was later to
discover), it was just that I had quite simply been
unable to "see" it.'
2. Books are "fixed". When you read a book the
words are unchangeable, unmoving, immutable. If you
misunderstand something, you won't know it, and there is
little chance of changing your understanding unless you
spend a large amount of time thinking and experimenting.
This is a possibility, but bear in mind; judging from
Bates' and Alexander's experiences, it is likely to take
several years.
3. The thing that is missing from books, and will
shortcut a long experimentation process, is outside
feedback.
4. The best way of receiving instant feedback is through
one to one lessons with a teacher who has been through
the process her/himself. As questions and feelings come
up in your thoughts, you can instantly ask them and
receive a response which is likely to shift your
perceptions toward seeing more easily.
EMAIL
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5. We now come to email. The potential for feedback is
certainly there, the only problem is that it is no longer
'instant'. This is only a problem in that it requires you
to be perhaps a little more thoughtful when practising a
technique, particularly for the first time.
6. Any thoughts and feelings you have, need to be noted
down and reported back to your teacher. S/he can then
reply and hopefully clarify a point of practice, or
thought process.
7. This may not be ideal, but there is one particular
advantage that this method has over the one to one
lesson: you will be able to refer to your questions and
the teacher's answers as many times as you need. You may
then start to recognise patterns to your questions and
feelings, which are consistently answered by your
teacher. This can be very useful.
8. There is also the possibility of misunderstanding a
technique/perception, and not knowing enough to even ask
about it. In a one to one lesson your teacher would see
what was going on, and be able to gently intervene and
suggest a different way of looking/thinking.
9. With this in mind, here are a few
guidelines/suggestions on how to approach learning any
new technique from the Method via email.
a) Read all the way through the new technique, several
times
if necessary, until you think you have some understanding
of the procedure.
b) Ask a friend to read it out to you while you rest with
your eyes
closed, or while palming.
c) Tape yourself reading it out, and again listen to this
while
resting with your eyes closed, or while palming.
10. The main stumbling block for most people is the
amount of time and space required for learning a
technique. For this reason the best way to actually start
practising a technique is to ask a friend to read it out
as you do it - *only asking your friend to continue when
you feel truly comfortable withthat you understand what
is being asked of you*.
There is no need to rush.
11. It is also a possibility that for some people email
lessons just will not work - after all, for a very few
people, one to one Bates Lessons don't work. An example
of this is the man who came to see me a few weeks ago. He
was so impatient to see that he didn't really want to
learn anything; and, from a Bates point of view, his
impatience was one of the underlying causes of his
current condition (presbyopia - so called "old age
sight" - preventable and reversible, by the way).
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Copyright ©
Studio Bates 1997.
This material is not to be copied or
retransmitted in any form without
permission.
For permission to use this material in
any form
please contact Kevin Wooding at
Studio Bates.
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