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Personal vision history
My eyesight was perfect when I was a child; I remember that the first
problems started at the age of 17 when I was in business college in The Netherlands,
where I grew up. When my parents noticed my excessive squinting I had
my eyes tested by an optometrist and was given a pair of glasses for
nearsightedness. I hoped these glasses would make me look more intelligent....
No such luck...
I didn't particularly like wearing the glasses. They made me feel
like I was no longer part of the whole picture, instead they gave me
the impression of being a mere observer of the world around me. The
glasses really seemed more of an obstacle than a help to me. So I cunningly 'lost'
them, to the dismay of my parents.
In my mid-twenties I tried eye-exercises from a book about the Bates
Method. Alas, I did not have enough discipline
to stick with the exercises for very long, and I did not notice any improvement.
So I got used to the blur and made do with this slightly deteriorated
visual acuity for sixteen years.
Learning about health
My first introduction to holistic health came in 1991 when I read the
book Fit for Life written by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. That
led me to learn more about the science of health, especially the effect of diet
on health. Studying health was a proverbial 'eye-opening'
experience for me, and it caused a major change of direction in my
life. In 1998 I decided to leave my well-paid NATO job in Germany
and I began traveling, in search for something more healthful to
do.
In 1999 I attended a health expo in San Francisco, where
I met Tom
Quackenbush, author of Relearning to See. I
was very skeptical about natural vision improvement due to my previous
failed attempt with eye exercises, but Tom told me the Bates Method was
not about eye exercises at all. His book intrigued
me, and I wondered if by reading it I could perhaps keep my eyesight from
getting worse. If I could remain at my slightly blurry level of vision,
I reasoned, then I could avoid needing glasses for the rest of my life.
So, I invested in Tom's book, and threw it in the back of my van where
it stayed with the rest of my belongings which accompanied me on my
nomadic journey.
Improving my eyesight
It was several months later, during a 14 day water-only fast, when I finally
took time to read Tom's book. I was living in Costa Rica at that time,
a country well known for its natural beauty. To my amazement and delight
this natural beauty increased as my eyesight improved by following the
suggestions outlined in Relearning to See. The abundant flowers
became even more colorful than before, and my clarity and depth perception
improved too. All this happened within just a few weeks. This method seemed
to work! And it really didn't involve any eye-exercises. Wow.
Not only could
I maintain my visual acuity, but I was actually able to improve it! I
was thrilled with my renewed 20/20 vision.
My first student
These quick results caused me to ask my friend Ted to join me in an
eyesight experiment. Ted was much more nearsighted than I was; he used
glasses a lot for seeing in the distance. I challenged him to go without
his glasses for a trial period of one week. He hesitantly agreed, and I hid his
glasses to make sure he wouldn't cheat.
We checked his current visual acuity with an eye-chart. I was
astonished that he could not even read the large top letter from 20 feet away. So his vision was worse
than 20/200 (or worse than 6/60 in European numbers). Not
letting that discourage us, we went
through the book together, discussed its contents, and began to apply the newly
learned natural vision habits on a daily basis. We were both
amazed with the improvements he made. Four weeks after handing me his glasses,
he was still not using them, not even missing them, he could read the
top 4 lines of the eye-chart, and began to be able to read the 5th line
(20/50 acuity). In my enthusiasm I sent a "Thank you!" e-mail
to Tom Quackenbush, at the same time expressing my interest in learning
more about natural vision improvement. A few months later I was enrolled
in Tom's Teacher Training Program.
Further personal progress
During the Teacher Training Program (Summer of 2000) I discovered that
my left eye was amblyopic, meaning that I favored my right eye for seeing.
My brain basically ignored the picture coming in through the left eye.
So I had some 'unlearning' to do, and the muscles around my eyes were
at times sore as they slowly gave up the tension that I had held there
for so long.
By the end of Tom's class my visual acuity had progressed
to 20/15, better than average, and colors became brighter, depth perception
improved, and my mental approach to vision became much more relaxed. While
teaching an eyesight class in October 2005 I checked my own distance acuity
and was very happy to read the 20/10 line. Another check in January 2006
confirmed it is holding steady at 20/10. I am delighted with my current
eyesight, and look forward to improving even further.
Found my mission
As part of the teacher training I found some more friends who willingly
let me practice my teaching skills on them. Their improvements added to
my enthusiasm for this work and I realized I had found my purpose in life.
I have been teaching natural eyesight improvement ever since my certification,
and derive great pleasure from my new life's mission.
In 2003 and 2004 I undertook further training in natural eyesight improvement
with Dr
Marc Grossman, OD, a behavioral optometrist in New Paltz, NY.
In the spring of 2007 I had the privilege of working two weeks with Dr
Neal Apple, MD, an ophthalmologist in Silver City, New Mexico.
Following Dr Apple around in his daily work with patients gave me deeper
insights into the eye, which I have really appreciated.
Although
I don't yet know everything there is to know about natural vision, I do
strongly believe that what I do know needs to be shared with the world.
The message that eyesight can be improved in a natural way should reach
all those many people who are fed up with their glasses and wish they
could see better without them, but do not yet know that this risk-free
possibility exists.
I have taught in The Netherlands and in many places in the USA, from individual
private sessions to groups of 50 people. Many people experience clearer vision in the first hour of practicing
better eyesight habits with me. (Please read the testimonials)
Breathing added to the vision
Our eyes
need oxygen to function best, and learning relaxed
deep breathing is a great asset to vision as well as life in general.
In 2004 I experienced major improvements in my breathing after working
with Mike White. Since my training
with this amazing breathing coach, I have expanded my classes by adding
his very effective Optimal Breathing Development© techniques.
In 2006 I trained with Dennis
Lewis, author of Free Your Breath, Free Your Life, and The
Tao of Natural Breathing, and I am certified to teach his Authentic
Breathing™ techniques.
Visions of Joy
It still amazes me how few people are aware of the option of natural eyesight
improvement. All that most of us know is that when our eyesight deteriorates,
we can choose between either (stronger) glasses, or becoming a guinea
pig for the currently popular laser surgery industry. It is my mission
to increase public awareness of our natural option. This is why 'Visions
of Joy' came about. I encourage you to use this website as a resource,
and please check out the other
educators sites too. The vision educators listed there all have a
similar goal of teaching people about natural eyesight improvement, however,
many of us have developed slightly varying ways to achieve that goal.
Feel free to try out the various approaches and find what suits your needs.
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Evaluate everything, and keep the good.
Enjoy your path to clarity.
with love,
Esther Joy van der Werf
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