October 2026 Newsletter

Hello, and an outstanding October to you!
Welcome, or welcome back, to my newsletter. Today's issue is about making things harder than they have to be. Enjoy!

When I was growing up, those who worked hard, often with extreme physical exertion or long hours, were seen as heroes. Taking a break to rest put you in danger of being called lazy or accused of shirking your duty. Effort was considered noble, while "taking it easy" was self-indulgent, even suspect. Since I wanted to be a good daughter and please my parents, as much as they pushed me, I pushed myself even more.

Carrying this approach forward of holding unreasonably high standards, then pressuring myself to meet or exceed them, served me well in school, in my careers, and in athletics, though I wasn't usually enjoying myself or having much fun. I didn't know any other way to move ahead, since slowing down or doing less felt like not being fully committed to my goal of being excellent in everything I undertook. Talk about pressure!

As I embarked on this long strange journey to improve my -10 myopia, I threw myself into reading book after book about it, following the same pattern of pushing myself which I'd employed in other areas. When I kept encountering the idea that relaxation was central to bettering my eyesight, and "trying to see" was a totally wrong approach, I was confused at first. How could I develop any skill at this new venture if I didn't try? The idea of passively receiving clear vision, like a divine blessing falling on my head, seemed way too iffy and unreliable.

Dr. Bates used to teach his patients to forget about their eyes. In other words, don't focus on your eyeballs doing what you think is the right thing, just look at what is in front of you, easily and curiously. Blink softly, as slowly and gently as you want. Close your eyes for a few seconds if they're tired. (Who would ever think that closing your eyes to rest them could help you see better?) Glance at a letter on the eye chart, then notice that the harder you try to make it clear, the blurrier it gets. Simply understanding that straining to see, when you experience this dynamic for yourself, is fundamental to truly improving vision.

Well this sounds great, you may think, but what else can I do if I don't try? This is as much a mindset shift as a physical one, since the eyes are following the brain's direction. You can have the intention to see, but rather than forcing your eyesight to cooperate as if it's a misbehaving child, invite the clear image into your visual system. Keep your focus on allowing the magic of sight to happen, receiving this gift graciously, not grabbing for it. Clear healthy vision is not effort and struggle, it's ease and flow.

What you do in an intentional centered relaxed way feels a lot better than doing something with strain. Wouldn't it be wonderful if looking at something delightful, scanning easily over the details as the image became clearer, was how your visual system functioned most of the time? Noticing your eyes are straining is the first step, which should be followed immediately by some simple relaxation practice. Taking a break from screens, blinking more, looking at Nature rather than numbers and letters, will all help. Listen to your eyes: don't ignore that warning light of eyestrain. Give your eyes what they're asking for and your seeing experience will be much more pleasurable.

For an article on how being tied to the idea of struggle can be detrimental, click here.

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Please send me your questions and comments
Let me know what you've wondered about concerning energy medicine or vision or dreams. I'll be glad to write a short article addressing that topic. Thank you to those who have sent me questions, or see a question you asked me in a private session written about here. You're helping many other people! Enjoy the start of this over-the-top month of October. I'll write again in a few weeks. Take care!