When my Mom was 6, an Alsatian (German Shepherd) dog jumped up on her, jarring her head round to look, left her with a cast in her right eye. Known as strabismus, the ancient Greek for squinting. More accurately, it means the affected eye can’t really focus and can thus appear as a cross-eye.
Off her Granny would take her to Wellington Road, in Cork, where treatment included watching butterflies on a screen, then a patch over glasses to cover her right eye. Regular trips back and forth until the cast was healed. About 6 months in all.
This is the eye that went onto develop astigmatism and myopia. A family history too of glaucoma and a myriad other issues, including cataracts, resulted in near blindness in her 70s. Thank goodness for yoga, nutritional support, the succour of prayer that my mother holds so dear and the tenacity to turn inwards. She developed a high third eye/inner eye awareness and a fresh appreciation for the beauty in the world, that for some years she really could no longer fully see.
A highly skilled surgeon and good hearted man, finally agreed to operate on this very delicate eye situation and in early 2020, the cataract removal returned a significant part of her sight back. What a journey.
Our splendid eyes
Eyes are accessory organs that facilitate sight. Connected via the optic nerves speaking to the visual cortex in the brain, there are many information channels at play.
There are eyelashes and tear ducts to also consider. Make a wish upon an eyelash? Cry a river of flowing tears. The elegant brush stroke of mascara. The spirited swirl of black kohl around the eyes, to widen our sense of wonder in the world.
We express emotion through our eyes. They are connected to the health of the liver, so can be an interesting liverish indicator e.g rheumy eyes might mean the body needs less stimulants such as booze, excessive sugar.
How to support the eye health
*Ease off sugar - sticky/viscous blood is harder to move through the tiny vascular system that feeds the back of the eye. Glucose and insulin response are very key for eye health. A little of what you fancy is all good….
*Include plenty of greens and leaves to support liver health. Bitter greens especially. Rocket, watercress, sorrel, chicory, romaine lettuce. This is not an exhaustive list! Be creative and follow seasons in your area as much as possible.
*Dietary omega 3 (essential fatty acids DHA and EPA) oily fish such as trout, tuna, mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines. Grass fed beef (grass is high in omega 3!), oysters, algae, flax seed and chia seed
*Research gingko biloba tincture. An ancient tree that has various benefits for vascular health. Main contra-indications are blood thinner meds. Of course, especially if you have health conditions and are on polypharmacy, look into what’s appropriate.
*Move your body in ways that feel good. This promotes healthier circulation for eye health. This includes moving the eyes. Eyes need supportive musculature for focus. Simply turning eyes left, right, up and down a few times.
*Reflect on stress in your life and your response to it. Breathing practices that promote calm. Eyes are profound switches for the brain. You may have seen or heard of EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) as a therapy and experienced healing a trauma using eye movements and memory. We can tap into this anytime. Eyes are also very useful for reorientating ourselves emotionally. For example, you enter a busy train or need to give a talk in front of many others, looking around for a few seconds, or closing the eyes and turning inwards can help. These are ideas to explore and see what is useful. The brain learns though repetition.
*In yoga, drishti means eye gaze. Having a focus and staying centred. Of course life is rocky and turbulent at times. In this age of information and technology, our eyes can be distracted so often. And it has an impact! Those of you with teenage kids will know how addictive tech is and the effect it can have on behaviour. All the images constantly received through the eyes, into the brain, into the nervous system, This is the case for all of us. This is perception too as our filters are also unique. How we see the world
Looking to the horizon helps us feel that sense of space. Like we might feel standing on the sea shore and looking way out at a wide open horizon. The nervous system feels that.
*Supplements: Nuance and context is very important here. A a professional trained in this, don’t skip all the above and reach for the tablets as a first call! Here’s two:
i) Lutein, a carotenoid found in the macula and retina of the human eye and ii) Omega 3 are essential fatty acids DHA and EPA. Every cell in the body has a lipid (fatty) bilayer. These fats are called essential for a reason. We have to get them through food.
Always consider the whole picture. You are unique. The body speaks in unique ways.
Now….bright eyes, may your vision continue to guide you, inside and out.
In warmth,
Ciara Roberts