E.WagnerHolisticHealth

                                    Blog#38: Qi Gong to Help Correct Near-sightedness

                            Below is a modified version of a blog I wrote several years ago. 

A qi gong-like exercise which I call “walking trees” has been responsible for the correction of my near-sightedness for several decades.  I’ve taught it to many patients and some friends and family members.  Those who have used this exercise daily, in the prescribed manner, have often obtained beneficial results.  “Walking trees” also could be considered yoga; it involves specific movements accompanied by a positively expectant state of mind.  I first learned a version of this exercise through the Edgar Cayce Association.  Edgar Cayce was arguably the most famous and accurate psychic of the twentieth century.  He referred to this yoga/qi gong as the “head and neck exercises”. 

“Walking trees” can be done sitting, standing, or walking.  It is best done walking out of doors among trees, on somewhat uneven terrain.  The spine should be reasonably straight.  This therapy consists of six sets of movements, each done three times.  First, the head and neck are flexed forward and then brought back to midline before again flexing forward.  After three of these movements, the head and neck are extended backward, three times, then flexed laterally to the right, then to the left, then rotated clockwise and finally rotated counterclockwise three times each.  After each movement in a set of three, and before each new type of movement, the head and neck are always returned to midline.  Head and neck move slowly, in a relaxed manner, and to their furthest possible range without causing significant discomfort.  A sensation of tightness is alright, as are sounds of popping or grinding, without pain.

The “walking trees” exercise might best be attempted seated first and then standing.  When a person no longer gets dizzy standing while doing this exercise, it is time to begin walking, first on even ground and then among trees, where roots and stones may cause the ground to gently swell or sink.  The eyes are kept open, and if glasses or contact lenses are normally worn, they are removed during this time.  If the person is so near-sighted without glasses that they might be in danger of walking into branches, protective clear goggles can be worn.  Numerous factors make this a particularly effective exercise.  Movement in various directions while the eyes are open forces the eyes to focus on different spots.  Doing this exercise while walking challenges every part of the eye, including the lens and the surrounding muscles.  Walking on uneven ground, outside among trees, carries benefits even further, for now the practitioner is able to breathe in more oxygen from the surrounding vegetation, and to absorb other forms of beneficial energy from the out of doors.  At the same time, the trees absorb exhaled carbon dioxide.  According to acupuncture five element theory, the wood element is associated with trees and the liver, and the eyes are the sensory organ connected with the liver. 

This exercise can be used to support treatment of visual problems with TCM (using acupuncture and herbal therapy).  It is best to do “walking trees” every day for an entire year.  Gentle use of “walking trees” can also aid in the healing of neck and upper back injuries through the mobilization, stretching and strengthening, and the relaxation which this exercise allows.  For this purpose, it is usually practiced morning and evening, in a comfortable seated position.  Over several weeks or months, local blockages in acupuncture channels which traverse the head and face, the neck, and the upper back can be reduced or eliminated, restoring normal flow of qi and blood through the tissues.  Since everything is connected, in the body and in the universe at large, this will ultimately improve a person’s overall health.

This blog was extracted from an article I wrote for the Oriental Medicine Journal in 2011.  You can reach their website at omjournal.com   You can reach the A.R.E., the organization which organizes and shares Edgar Cayce’s readings at edgarcayce.org   Share this blog with others who might benefit.  This blog’s free offer is the opportunity to read the entire article on correcting eyesight without glasses.  Just contact me at mtngrybr11@sbcglobal.net  or (773) 274-6827 to arrange a time to drop by my office.  I will also take a few minutes to teach you “walking trees” if you have questions about it.