In the last chapter we discussed the routine that is to be followed in doing the eye exercises.

1. Sunning.
   
   
2. Palming for ten minutes.

LONG SWING

The next step is the Long Swing, which should be practiced for five minutes before going to bed at night, for five minutes on arising in the morning, and as the third step in relaxing at the time you do your eye exercises.

Because of its stark simplicity, you may find it diffi­cult to believe at first that this kind of eye exercises can accom­plish anything. Actually, it is one of the most useful relaxing eye exercises in existence. It will relax the eyes, the mind, the spine, and the back of the neck, enable the eyes to shift naturally and, if you follow instruc­tions, the mind will think of one thing best, which is the basis of all relaxation.

In the beginning, in doing the Long Swing eye exercises, it may help you to unbend if you turn on a radio or phono­graph and sway to the rhythm of a slow waltz. But later on it will be better to try to regain your own inner rhythm. Rhythm lies at the very heart of all life, from the circling of the planets to the changing seasons; from the movement of the tides to the rhythm of the heart and the lungs.

That rhythm differs with each person, a little more rapid in one, a little more leisurely in another. When it goes at its own pace we are in harmony with our­selves and with the world about us. Under civilized strains, however, the rhythm tends to become jerky, over-rapid, over-tense. A knowledge that the body is loose, rhythmical, free, gives a sense of buoyancy not only to the body but to the spirit.

It is never a good idea to stick to any particular eye exercises for a long time. It is better to change from one to another so that the movements do not become automatic and routine.

Before beginning the Long Swing eye exercises, stand erect in an easy posture and begin to sway the body slowly and easily from side to side, enough to throw all the weight on one foot at a time but not enough to lift either foot from the floor. Then, when the body is mov­ing rhythmically, without jerking from side to side, you are ready for the Long Swing, in which the body relaxes through mental control as well as the physical shifting of the eyes. This Long Swing is the basis of all the techniques which follow. Ideally, it should be done out of doors. If that is impracticable, it should at least be done in front of a window, which will give you a deeper perspective than you can get within the four walls of a room.

Stand erect with the feet about twelve inches apart during your eye exercises. Do not "square" your shoulders. Your body must be at ease, head up, arms hanging loosely at your sides. It is the body we are going to turn—not the head. It must move with the body and not independently.

Standing in the middle of the room, swing the body to the right, shifting the weight to the right foot and letting the left heel come off the floor. Your turn should bring you facing the right wall, with shoulders parallel to the right wall. Now swing the body to the left until you are facing the left wall, shoulders parallel to the left wall, shifting the weight to the left foot and letting the right heel rise.

Back and forth at the rate of about thirty swings a minute. About the tempo of a slow waltz. Be careful not to do it faster than that. Most nervous people do it too quickly. You are swinging, not jerking yourself around or going into a whirl. Your arms hang easily at your sides, swaying a little with your body. Keep your head upright by imagining that it is brushing the ceiling.

Do not let your thoughts go wool-gathering during these eye exercises. Exer­cising without focusing mental attention on what you are trying to accomplish is a sheer waste of time. You must think about what you are doing and only abou't what you are doing.

As you swing easily from side to side, get the illusion that the room is moving in the opposite direction. As you swing to the right, the room swings to the left.

Your eyes are open but not staring. You are not try­ing to see. Blink frequently and easily, and, as you swing, let your eyes follow the line of the picture molding around the room. Now imagine a molding a foot lower and let your eyes follow that line. Keep dropping the line, a foot at a time until it is just below eye level.

Keep your mind on that imaginary line. It is not as easy as you think. If you let your mind wander, your eyes will jump from one spot to another and the shift­ing of the retinal pictures will be jerky and uneven. The line must be kept smooth and even, without breaks. From the right wall to a distant point outside the window and back to the left wall there should be one continuous, imaginary line

You are relaxed as you swing—slowly and regularly —feeling that the room is revolving in the opposite direction. Your shoulders hang free and without ten­sion, your head is up so there is no pulling on the back of the neck; your eyes are looking, without trying to see, from near to far, as you follow your imaginary line. In other words, your eyes are rapidly shifting focus from objects within the room to distant objects outside the window.

If it is possible to do this kind of eye exercises out of doors, on a roof or porch, the distance from near to far will be much greater than a room can offer and this will pro­vide greater action and flexibility in the extrinsic mus­cles which we are endeavoring to relax and strengthen.

Imagine that you have a long-handled paintbrush, covered with jet-black ink, fastened on the end of your nose. Swing with eyes closed and, as you swing, paint the imaginary line with your brush, making it a deep soft black, and keeping it smooth and even. Never permit it to waver or blur. Retrace the same line with your eyes open. But do not stare at it. Blink softly and frequently.

Keep in mind an imaginary pull from the top of your head to the ceiling and, as you swing in that revolving room, you will get a sense of freedom and release.

The Long Swing eye exercises are particularly helpful for myopic eyes because they induce them to shift easily and na­turally. It is an essential factor in securing relaxation for all forms of eyestrain. Only by making it a part of your daily routine will you discover to what extent it can relieve not merely eyestrain but fatigue, pain, and other physical discomforts.

VARIATIONS ON LONG SWING EYE EXERCISES

1. As you swing to the right, raise the right arm to shoulder height. Look beyond the extended fingers and imagine them painting a black line around the alls of the room. Drop the right arm to the side when the shoulders become parallel to the right wall. Raise the left arm and swing it with the body as you turn left until the shoulders are parallel to the left wall. Then drop the left arm to the side. Repeat. This swing often gives a better sense of motion than the usual Long Swing eye exercises.
   
   
2. Here is a kind of eye exercises which gets the blood racing through the eyes and brain, and the lungs full of oxy­gen. Try this on getting up in the morning, or before an examination or an important interview. It clears the head and promotes better vision.

Throw the windows open. Stand with the feet about twelve inches apart, toes pointed straight and weight on the balls of the feet. During these eye exercises, take a deep easy breath and let the head flop gently to the chest. Bend from the waist down. Keep knees straight, letting head, neck and arms hang limply toward the floor. Exhale slowly as you bend.

Imagine a fifty-pound weight pulling your head down toward the floor and slowly bounce the body up and down as though the spine were a steel spring. Continue the bouncing until all breath is expelled. Then, with the head still hanging downward, take an­other deep breath. Slowly lift the body to an upright position as you exhale. By the time you stand erect the last bit of breath should be gone. Repeat these eye exercises five or six times and your head will feel clear, and your mind and eyes will be relaxed.


¹These variations of the Long Swing eye exercises are not recommended as a sub­stitute for it in the bedtime routine. The Long Swing induces complete relaxation while the others, by stirring circulation, are more stimulating in their effects. They are, however, well worth doing at least once a day.

3. Bend down from the hips with knees straight so that the head hangs as close to the floor as possible. Make neck and arms limp. Then swing slowly, in an arc of ninety degrees, from side to side, letting arms, head and neck hang laxly. Shift the body weight from one foot to the other, as in the Long Swing eye exercises. Swing the body back and forth, observing that the floor appears to move in the opposite direction.

After twenty-five or thirty swings raise the torso gradually, swinging all the time until you stand erect and are swinging as in the Long Swing.

This is excellent to get the eyes shifting naturally and the blood circulating thoroughly through the head. Whenever possible, do the swinging eye exercises out of doors so that you will have the benefit of looking into distant vistas.

4. Place the right foot forward and raise the left arm over the head. Extend the fingers. During these eye exercises, keeping the right knee straight, bend from the waist, bringing the left arm forward in an arc until the right toe is touched by the fingertips. Repeat several times, always look­ing beyond the fingers to the ceiling and wall and trying to get the illusion of the room revolving back and forth as you bend up and down.

Alternate tho exercise with the left foot forward and the right arm upraised. The rapid shifting of the eyes from ceiling to floor is restful and serves to loosen and relax tired eye muscles.

5. Stand erect, feet twelve inches apart. In these eye exercises, raise both arms above the head, palms outstretched and first fin­gers touching as in a diving position. Look beyond the fingers to the ceiling. Gradually bend forward from the waist, bringing the arms down until the fin­gers touch the floor. Then raise to the original position.

Repeat twenty or thirty times, always looking be­yond the fingers until the room appears to move up and down from ceiling to floor, as when sitting on a see-saw.

6. Whenever the eyes get tense, take two rubber balls about two and a half inches in diameter and use them in the following exercise:

a. Take a ball in either hand. Toss up the ball in the right hand, passing the other from the left hand to the right and catching the first ball in the left hand. Con­tinue to toss, pass, and catch the balls, fifteen to twenty times, always keeping the eyes on their movements.

It is important that the eyes follow the ball from the palm of the hand during this kind of eye exercises. The tendency is for the eyes to get ahead of the ball. They are generally looking up as the ball leaves the hand. This must be avoided.

b. Vary the first of your eye exercises by tossing the ball alter­nately from right to left hand, then from left to right.

c. Bouncing the ball on the floor,  sidewalk,  or against the side of the house is excellent for improving vision through mind-and-muscle co-ordination.

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