LET THE EYES BE FREE!

Let’s begin this section with an exploration of the impact of staring (intense trying to see) on the quality of our seeing. Look at this letter C (right here on your screen). Choose a part of the letter to look at, the top, the middle, or the bottom, then hold your gaze there. Focus on that spot, do not change your focus. What happened? Did you see the C more and more clearly or more and more blurry? If you have not moved your focus, then you saw the C progressively more blurry. Why is that, you ask, when you were focusing so well on just one spot?

The way a healthy eye sees is through constant movement. We have already addressed the fact that only a very small point can be seen through the fovea centralis and that in order to see the world clearly, the eyes must move to provide additional clear points to the brain. Blocking the eye’s ability to move freely (by staring or over focusing) prevents the visual system from working as designed. Instead of clearer images, we get images that are out of focus or flatout blurry. 

So what are the two main types of eye movement that guarantee a proper position of the fovea centralis on the object of interest / focus, and that therefore provide clearer seeing?

1) SACCADES

Saccades are rapid, jerky movements of the eyes as they shift their gaze from one point to another. They are essential for redirecting the fovea to interesting or important objects in the visual field. In general, saccades are of a ballistic nature, meaning they are automatic, as they follow either our conscious decision to look at something (i.e. while we read), or an automatic decision of the brain to look in a specific direction (i.e. when we hear an alarming sound). In addition to reading, saccades are essential for scanning a scene or exploring the visual environment.

In a healthy eye saccades happen several times per second. Because clear seeing is limited while the saccadic movement is happening (the foveal area is being moved in order to focus on a new little spot), it is desirable that the saccades are as frequent as possible and as fast as possible. The faster the better. Additionally, the more rhythmical the better. 

2) SMOOTH PURSUIT

Smooth pursuit is a type of eye movement where the eyes move smoothly to track a moving object. The purpose of smooth pursuit is to keep the fovea on a moving target, ensuring a clear and continuous view of the object as it travels across the visual field.

Unlike saccades, smooth pursuit movements are slower and more controlled. They involve a predictive mechanism that attempts to anticipate the target's future position to maintain accurate tracking. 

The two types of movement work together to provide you with uninterrupted vision under different conditions.

Smooth pursuit training requires the presence of good visual acuity at various distances, as well as a high proficiency of binocular and 3D vision. Therefore, its development falls into the curriculum of advanced level programs. 

What we will focus on instead is the development of the saccadic movement, which will help your ability to read and see in the most common moments of your everyday life.

 

LET’S PRACTICE

 

SHIFTING WITH A STRIPED SHIFTER

Any new skill should begin its development in a way that is as easy as it can be. The Striped Shifter is a tool that provides high contrast (it is easy for the eyes to follow), and a regular pattern which is easy for the eyes to see and follow in a rhythmical manner.

Practice with each eye separately, leveraging your mono shields.

  • With one eye covered, hold the Shifter in front of you, ideally at a distance from which it can be seen clearly, but clarity is not a must

  • Move your gaze from one stripe to the next (reverse the direction when you get to the end of the chart), always pausing just long enough for focus to take place. Refrain from scanning over the page.

  • Use a pointer if it helps you keep track of the stripes

  • Notice your eyes moving constantly

Let your head follow your eyes! Do not hold your head still while you shift your gaze.

Remember to breathe and blink. Moment of focus is often a moment when we hold our breath. Breathe regularly and slowly to provide oxygen to your eyes. Blink often.

Practice Lenses: L and R

Tips & Watchouts:

  • Practice with your dominant eye first, then with your other eye, then with both eyes together

  • Feel free to adjust the speed in which you are looking. Going fast will improve your saccadic movement fluency

  • Look at the black stripes only at first. Later, you may alternate looking at the black stripes and the white stripes.

  • Change the direction at which you shift by placing the Shifter vertically or diagonally in front of your eyes.

  • To track your progress, you may count how many times you shift your gaze in 1 minute. You must do so in a relaxed manner though, not as a competition.

  • You may also record your eyes (on your phone or computer) as you go through this practice. Notice how your eye movement changes over time.

Downloadable Resources:

 

SHIFTING FROM AFAR

The second way to practice Shifting is to study an object from a distance.

  • Find an object of interest. It can be a wired fence, a picket fence, a brick wall with grout, leaves on a tree outside your window, or anything else with some sort of a pattern. Wear a mono shield.

  • Look at the chosen object and move your gaze from one detail to the next. Look from one wire cross to the next, from plank to plank. Count the grout lines, or the leaves.

  • Use a pointer if it helps you keep your gaze in the right place

  • If you see them clearly, well that is great. If you do not, it is great as well. Relax. Enjoy whatever it is that you do see. Let the object have an impact on your eyes (one first, then the other).

  • Adjust the distance from which you are practicing. 1 feet away or 10 and more feet away. Find the distance at which the details are clear, then slightly blurry.

  • You can shift horizontally, vertically, diagonally, you can follow a circle, a figure eight or a spiral.

Keep your eyes relaxed. Remember to breathe. Moment of focus is often a moment when we hold our breath. Breathe regularly and slowly to provide oxygen to your eyes.

Practice Lenses: L and R

Tips & Watchouts:

  • Practice with your dominant eye first

  • Engage with the object. Look with interest. Study in a relaxed way. Blink often.

  • Be in peace with what you see.

  • If you do not see much of anything, notice the shapes instead.

  • Remember to let your head follow your eyes.