Restoring Your Eyesight: A Taoist Approach (Paperback)

by Doug Marsh (Author), Thomas R. Quackenbush (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Doug Marsh gives a truly fresh approach to the holistic components that lead to successful improvement of vision. The vital connection between life’s rhythm, the conscious flow of spirit, and the efficient functioning of the visual system is correctly portrayed.”
(Roberto Kaplan, O.D., author of Seeing Without Glasses and Conscious Seeing )

"Doug Marsh’s obviously deep understanding of the Tao illuminates the most interesting aspects of Dr Bates work. This is one of the best books on Natural Vision Improvement I have read, and I will recommend it to all my vision students!"
(Elizabeth Abraham, co-founder of the Vision Educator Training Institute )

“Taoist readers will wonder how they missed applying these principles to their suboptimal eyesight. It's clear from this book that the Bates method is not so terribly isolated and unique, but in tune with an impressive variety of research, both historical and modern." 
(Dave Kiesling, director and founder of www.iblindness.org, dedicated to the Bates Method )

"Restoring Your Eyesight helps readers better understand how the eyes are strained and affected by aspects of modern urban life, such as sedentary and demanding school systems, strain from long work hours and lack of rest for the constantly bombarded eyes. An excellent and highly recommended read for anyone frustrated with their increasing dependence on corrective lenses or who wishes to take control of their vision health."
( Jill DeDominicis, Vision Magazine, Mar 2007 )

"Here's a natural alternative to improving eyesight which blends Taoism with an eye doctor's exercises and insights, discussing reflexes, concentration, and re-training the eye. An intriguing approach for a long-standing problem."
(The Midwest Book Review, Mar 2007 )

"The weaving of simple, but profound, Taoist understanding with the cruel realities of contemporary scientific folly and the brillilant but neglected work of Bates on how to achieve normal, healthy eyesight defines the character of Restoring Your Eyesight: A Taoist Approach." (
Reg Little, New Dawn )

Product Description
A holistic guide to improving one’s vision both physically and spiritually

• Explains how blurred vision is a reflection of other imbalances in the body, mind, and spirit

• Offers natural methods for improvement of poor eyesight and stress-related difficulties, including dyslexia and ADHD

• Combines the core values of the Bates method of natural vision improvement and Taoism

Fewer than three percent of children in North America are born with visual defects, yet as they become adults nearly two thirds will become reliant on prescription lenses to see clearly. Virtually nonexistent in pre-industrialized cultures, this epidemic of blurred vision can be traced to mental, physical, and spiritual imbalances in modern society. The traditional “quick fixes” of eyeglasses and contact lenses only serve to cover the true cause of blurred vision while increasing eye-strain, and often progressively worsen eyesight as the eyes become trained to work within the confines of the corrective lenses. The advent of refractive surgery carries even more serious risks.

In Restoring Your Eyesight, Doug Marsh offers a natural alternative that shows readers how to improve their eyesight by taking conscious control of their vision health. He combines proven methods pioneered a century ago by eye doctor William Bates with the ancient Chinese wisdom of Taoism. Marsh describes how vision goes deeper than the eyes and optic nerves, extending well into the layers of the mind, emotions, and spirit. Eyesight difficulties are often connected to behavioral and stress-related syndromes, such as dyslexia, ADHD, stuttering, TMJ, and anxiety disorders. He draws upon the core values of the Bates method and Taoism--rhythm, softness, return, balance, and wholeness--to provide guidelines for a holistic healing of outer and inner vision.


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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Healing Arts Press; 1 edition (December 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594771502
• ISBN-13: 978-1594771507
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #345,979 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taoism of Natural Eyesight Improvement, December 27, 2006

By	motees "motees" - See all my reviews

Doug's "Restoring Your Eyesight: A Taoist Approach" (RYE) contributes to the relatively sparse and much needed library of NVI books in his "motivation to reach out to others." I am surprised and pleased to discover Doug's book is on par (yes; a pun on his love of golf) with books written by professional NVI teachers.

His theme of Taoism is appropriate since both NVI and Taoism teach a way of living in balance and harmony with nature--something many of us have not yet obtained, not by conscious choice, but because of the severe imbalances modern cultures presents to us. Taoist philosophy includes "rhythm, softness, return, balance, and wholeness." There has hardly been a better description of the attributes associated with good eyesight. In my work I use the right-brain/left brain theme, which ultimately steers us toward the same goal of good eyesight. Both philosophies emphasize relaxation, movement and centralization (which Doug has coined "concentric focus.") These principles are presented and described very well herein.

The damage caused by modern industrialization and technology is explored in Part 1 "Excess." Why is the majority of people living in "civilized" societies unable to function normally without crutches on their noses, in their eyes, or vaporized corneas? Doug present good answers.

The ancient wisdoms of Taoism as related to NVI fundamentals are primarily offered in Part 2 "The Way." It is important for students that NVI really is "a way." NVI is not a series of eye exercises for 20 minutes per day, as is greatly misunderstood by most students of NVI. NVI is a process of relearning how to see the correct way--the way most of us learn naturally, automatically and subconsciously in the first year of our lives. Dr. Bates stated that these are "habits" and are meant to be used "all day long." And as I like to remind my students, anyone can relearn something they used to do perfectly.

I should add that a specific spiritual teaching is not needed to improve one's eyesight; however the philosophical concepts common to both are needed.

Have you ever seen your vision fluctuate? Perhaps when you were on vacation you may have noticed you see better sometimes. Or, conversely, when you were under excessive stress your vision was not as clear, or even crossed-eyed. Have you ever noticed that after wearing glasses for a few hours and then taking them off, your vision is more blurred than before you put them on? Then in a few more hours of not wearing them your vision gets better again? If so, then you have experienced NVI, and you have contradicted the theories of virtually all eye doctors who proclaim dogmatically that it is impossible for eyesight to improve naturally. The theory (a guess) that eyesight cannot improve is so ingrained in the orthodox professionals that, sometimes, when improvement is measured and verified, they will say their previous examinations were in error! That may not be a reassuring thought to many people.

An optician once told one of my students that she (the optician) only needed her stronger glasses when she was under high stress. Since vision fluctuates for everyone, and most people know this, it is curious that eye professionals adhere so strong to theories which contradict their own experiences. As a holistic dentist once stated, "They can't teach you what they don't know; and they can't lead you were they won't go." Go to authorities who have been taught your eyesight cannot get better naturally and have no experience with people's eyesight improving naturally, and you will most likely not improve. Go to authorities who have been taught eyesight can improve naturally and have lots of experience with people's eyesight improving, and your chances are a lot better. Flaws and confusion within the optometric and ophthalmologic professions are covered in Part 3 "Harmony."

Doug's writings include his own struggle with glasses and contact lenses, wondering how to rid himself of these torturous crutches--an all too common plight of people all over the world. The theories of myopia being hereditary and presbyopia being due to old age are shattered by simple facts. What are they due to? Dr. Bates showed they are due to stress--not just any stress, but specific strained, mental, emotional and physical vision habits. Doug wonderfully helps us understand terms like "force, stress, strain, pressure and tension", and concentration--terms often misunderstood. By relearning natural vision habits and principles more each day Doug has been rewarded with excellent improvement "accumulated dramatically over the long run" as have I. Thomas Chavez, a homeopath and one of my NVI students, in his book Body Electronics, defines health as freedom, which resonates with Doug's own NVI process as being "a liberating journey."

Doug describes many supportive holistic therapies including massage, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, cranio-sacral therapy, myofacial release. Any therapy that truly supports relaxation, movement (circulation), and centralization (relaxed visual concentration) will accelerate your improvement of eyesight.

Since there is a strong correlation between certain "functional" vision problems (like nearsightedness, farsightedness and presbyopia) and eye diseases, many people are also seeking NVI for preventative reasons. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to eyesight.

Bottom line? Lower the power of your prescription glasses and/or contact lenses (safely and legally if for driving), use your own eyes more and more, and "Restore Your Eyesight" by relearning natural vision habits and principles. I have watched thousands of my students improve their vision since 1983, and many thousands more have improved with other NVI teachers. Educate yourself and reap the rewards.

I believe Doug's book will be a valuable aid for those seeking the truth about eyesight and how to take care of it in a natural way for your entire lifetime. In fact, I will now be using Doug's excellent information in my NVI classes. Motivations, patience, perseverance, and commitment are necessary, but the rewards are most likely far beyond what you might currently expect.

As one reader of my book stated, this process "could actually be called Relearning to Live." Sounds Taoist to me.


Thomas R. Quackenbush
Author of "Relearning to See"
Nijmegen, The Netherlands

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Holistic" or "unfocused"?, July 15, 2007

By	Kevin Turner "software enthusiast" (North America) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've worn prescription lenses for myopia since I was about seven years old. The unorthodox approach here was a little hard to accept in spots, but it does make a kind of sense, and this book did succeed in increasing my interest in natural vision improvement (NVI).

But while I appreciate that the message of this book is that restoring your eyesight is a holistic process, that one can't expect to improve one's eyesight without regard for the other sorts of stresses in our lives, I did pick up this book with the intent to learn about eyesight. So I was somewhat unhappy with all the pages dedicated to tangential subjects like the vestibular system or proprioception or the ills of our medical establishment. While the subject of natural vision improvement is new to me, I am familiar with the basics of those other systems, so I ended up skimming a lot of those sections, looking for something new and not finding it.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing approach for a long-standing problem., March 5, 2007

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

RESTORING YOUR EYESIGHT could also have been featured in our New Age section but is reviewed here for its interest to any who would overcome blurred vision. Here's a natural alternative to improving eyesight which blends Taoism with an eye doctor's exercises and insights, discussing reflexes, concentration, and re-training the eye. An intriguing approach for a long-standing problem.