Leverage a Cloudy Day For Easy Seeing in Bright Light
By Irena Castle
You may have noticed that on days that are gloomy and dark, when the sunshine is nowhere to be found, your own mood changes. You may feel more tired, yawn a lot, you may be less productive. All you can think of is to take a nap. You may have also noticed your vision to get lazy, and perhaps worsen. Same as the weather and our mood, eyesight is variable. It changes with the conditions around us.
Before you go and hide in a comfy chair all day, know that cloudy days bring some good with them too. They force our bodies to slow down and rest. They also allow our eyes to experience lots of light without the overwhelm of strong sunshine. That is, if you let them, if you take off your sunglasses.
TAKE OFF YOUR SUNGLASSES
You may ask: “What’s wrong with sunglasses?”. Well, just about everything. Sunglasses block the light the sun provides. They limit the stimulation of visual cones that are needed for seeing clearly, and the stimulation of the optic nerve and other parts of the visual system. They prevent the pupils from contracting, and therefore cause more than the ideal amount of light to penetrate the eyes. Unlike what you hear from the conventional sources, it is not the sunlight, but the lack of light exposure that presents danger to our visual system and our eyesight. It also contributes to eye strain and eye diseases.
Think about it. Do you really believe that our eyes cannot handle the natural conditions in which they evolved? Scientific studies show that we, as species who are awake during the day, and who sleep at night, need the exposure to the full spectrum of the natural light in order to thrive and stay healthy. In moderation, of course.
LIGHT LOWERS LIGHT SENSITIVITY
If you want to swim, you must get in the water. If you want to play the piano, you need to touch the keys. If you want to see while in bright light, you must stop protecting your eyes from the light. Exposing your eyes to light, and sunlight specifically, will not only lower your light sensitivity, it will also significantly relax your whole visual system, and contribute to better seeing. Now, I am not suggesting that you stare at the sun (I do not suggest staring at anything, under any condition, should you like to keep your vision in check). Instead, let the light into your eyes gently, and in a pleasant way. Close your eyes, then face the sun and slowly turn your head from left to right, from shoulder to shoulder, from full sun to part shade and back. Let the light warm your eyes, your face, let the warmth embrace you.
“IT IS TOO BRIGHT!”, YOU EXCLAIM
That brings me back to the cloudy day. If your eyes have become so light sensitive that practicing the above technique is uncomfortable, wait for a gloomy day. No matter what your belief is about the impact of the sun on your vision, you will probably agree that the clouds are safe. Therefore, instead of facing the sun, face the cloudy sky instead. Again, with your eyes closed, tilt your head up slightly and enjoy the light. To make it even easier, cover one eye with your hand and expose only the uncovered eye to the light. After a few minutes, switch hands. Progressively go from exposing one eye at a time (closed) to exposing both eyes (closed), then one-eye at the time (open), and finally both eyes open. Remember, on a cloudy day, go full in if you can. Once your eyes start loving the cloudy sky, once you can walk outside with no sunglasses when the sunlight is dimmed, you will be ready to face the sun as described earlier. That is, if you dare. Take your time, go slow. It has taken you months, if not years to develop light sensitivity. So allow your eyes a few tries to reverse the course.
YOUR EYES, YOUR CHOICE
As with anything out there, you have to make your own judgment and choice. If you wear sunglasses, and if your eyes are getting increasingly more light sensitive, consider the possibility that a different action may be needed. A cloudy day is the best time to give it a shot.
I wish your eyes to see well.
IC
P.S. For the brightest days out there, buy a hat.
To enjoy the techniques described above for extended time periods, consider using selective vision obstruction mono shields, like the ones provided by the Clarity Eyesight Trainer. The tool will free your hands from covering your eyes.
About the author:
Irena Castle is a vision coach and innovator in the field of eyesight development, and the founder of Overbound.
She specializes in delivering better eyesight to athletes and individuals who express a burning desire to overcome boundaries of their visual limitations, and to maximize their potential in sports, career or life. In her practice Irena combines vision teachings of Bates with principles of neuro-psychology, and with specialized sports vision techniques.
In addition to her positive impact on her clients' vision improvement journey, Irena's most valuable contribution to the world of natural vision improvement is the invention and introduction of the Overbound Clarity Eyesight Trainer, a vision obstruction system that simplifies the practice of many natural vision improvement techniques, and increases the effectiveness. The device is currently being used by vision students in nearly 30 countries around the world.
Irena can be contacted via overboundeyesight.com (for natural vision improvement), overboundathletics.com (for sports vision development).
