Massage & Bodywork

November/December 2013

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Bodywork for the Eyes How Visual Habits Can Create Body Tension By Marybetts Sinclair "We fix our eyes on something thousands, or even tens of thousands, of times a day, and if every time you look at something you stiffen your neck muscles even a tiny bit, if you do that for several decades, what's that going to do to your neck?" 1 Jack Heggie, author of Total Body Vision Many people have vision issues. At least 25 percent of Americans are nearsighted, and 40 percent of all seniors have at least one vision problem.2 Because we use our eyes every moment we're awake, and our posture and movement are intimately related to how we look at the world, straining to see can create chronic tension in the Many body-related disciplines, including Alexander Technique, Bates Method, cranial osteopathy, Feldenkrais method, and hatha yoga have noted the role that poor visual habits play in chronic body tension. Your clients may complain of eye fatigue or strain, blurred or double vision, headaches, or tension in the eyes, temples, forehead, neck, shoulders, or back—especially after visually demanding activities, such as working at a computer or reading a book. Following are a few examples of how vision affects the body. face, neck, shoulders, and back. www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 83

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