Originally published April 8 2008
Using the Power of the Sun to Improve Eyesight and Boost Immunity
by Richard Stossel
(NaturalNews) It's becoming common knowledge in alternative medical circles that the sun, far from being the enemy to health that western medicine has made it out to be is really our best friend when it comes to health, healing, immunity and even strengthening our eyesight. How can this be? Well in this article, I'm going to show you how and teach you a little known Taoist technique to not only improve the eyesight and eye strength, but to increase your overall immunity simply by using the sun with a simple eye exercise that only takes a few seconds to do each morning and evening.
The Sun pours unimaginable amounts of radiation into our atmosphere on a daily basis. Of course, in modern times it's well known that we can use the sun to generate electricity and it's only recently become known that the sun is the best source of stimulating the production of vitamin D within the body which is a vital nutrient to be sure. But there is another way in which the sun heals and boosts immunity. That way is through something called the "Oculo-Endocrine System".
As author Daniel Reid writes in his fantastic book The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity on p.247:
"The key factor in heliotherapy is the invisible ultraviolet band, and the key receptor is the retina. A layer of cells called the epithelial cells become highly neuroactive when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, without in any way affecting vision. While the visible bands of light excite the retina's rods and cones to produce vision, the invisible ultraviolet band stimulates the adjacent epithelial cells, which transmit the stimulus as a powerful neural Impulse through the optic nerve directly to the pituitary and pineal glands. Western medicine calls this newly discovered biosystem the 'oculo-endocrine system', but the mechanism has been known to Taoists for ages. The discovery has spawned a new branch of western science known as 'photobiology',"
The Chinese (as well as other cultures) have known about the sun and its power to heal, rejuvenate and prolong life for millennia now. This is especially true within the martial arts community of the Taoist and the Shaolin monks. They made sure to get out in the sun and even practiced certain exercises which involved actually looking towards the sun but not directly at the sun. They did this in the early morning and late afternoon each day Before 9am and After 4pm when the sun was beginning to get stronger and weaker. They never did it between the hours of 9am to 4pm because the sun was too strong and eye damage could occur.
Why did they do this? Because they knew that the sun contained vital life energies that were critical to the immunity and health of the body as well as that of the eyes themselves. This exercise, called "The Sun Blinking Exercise" aka "Administering Sunbeams" involves looking towards the sun using one of two different methods.
The first one is done by looking at the four points of the compass and blinking the eyes rapidly for 3-5 seconds. Look once to the north of the sun about 15 degrees above it while blinking the eyes for 3-5 seconds, then to the right (east), then below it (south), and finally to the left (West) of the sun itself. Again, don't look directly at it since the part of the retina that we want to irrigate with the UV rays and other rays from the sun exist on the side of the eyes, not in the center. This also helps prevent any damage to the eyes themselves which is why it's done before 9am and after 4pm in the evening when the sun is not too strong, but the amount of UV rays is quite sufficient to result is significant benefits.
The second exercise is a bit more advanced. Following the same rules as the previous exercise, we're going to roll our eyes around the sun for 3-5 seconds clockwise, then pause, look away for a few seconds, then repeat the roll in the opposite direction, counter-clockwise. This method provides a more complete irrigation of the retina with UV radiation. Just be careful not to let the eyes look directly At the sun as you move the eyes around it.
While these exercises and ideas may run counter to conventional western wisdom, the results of millions who have practiced these exercises over the millennia, including myself and many others, are strong evidence that they work. But don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself and see the results. At first these exercises might cause your eyes to water or throb. That is due to the epithelial cells being without sufficient UV rays for so long, as well as possible atrophy of the eye muscles, which is one reason that I like the eye rolling exercises the most, which have other benefits to vision even done by themselves.
This sounds strange, I'm sure, since all our lives we have been lied to and told that we need to wear sunglasses and "protect our eyes from damaging and deadly UV rays". It's more lies from the medical community and the media since they know that the sun is vital to the health not only of the body through the production of vitamin D which occurs when the sun shines on our skin, but also through the "occular endocrine system" which is what is stimulated when the sun's rays enter our brain via the eyes.
The retina is the only outside nerve that has direct contact with the brain. It's therefore the best way to get the sun's vital rays directly into the brain itself. Why would we want to do that? Again we have to get out from under the mass of lies and deceptions of the western medical world. When the sun's rays enter the brain via the optic nerve, it stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete HGH "human growth hormone". This stimulates and significantly boosts the entire immune system, as well as strengthening the eyes themselves. Of course, if we're going to be spending all day in the sun, at the beach or outdoors, then we do want to wear sunglasses to prevent sun glare from damaging the eyes and getting too much sun, especially between the hours of 10am-2pm. But this obsession with always wearing sunglasses all the time, while driving, when outside every minute is very damaging to the health of the eyes themselves and our immunity overall. Our eyes are weak mostly due to the fact that we spend most of our lives indoors now in office buildings and our homes. When we do go out, we wear sunglasses that block out all UV light which further deprives the brain and body of the vital UV rays vital to maintaining proper vision, health and immunity.
I used to wear sunglasses all the time and I found that my vision was slowly getting weaker. Each time I went out in the sun or drove in the bright sunlight, they would hurt and I needed sunglasses all the time. After learning the truth about the sun and the damage those sunglasses were doing to my vision and eyes, I stopped using them. After a few weeks of practicing the sun blinking and eye rolling exercises, even the mid day sun no longer hurt my eyes. The eyesight also became sharper, clearer and overall my vision improved, including day and night vision.
Again, this flies in the face of all that we hear from the western medical sources that tells us the sun is bad for our eyes, wear sunglasses all the time, use sun block every times you're out in the sun and do all that you can to avoid the sun, like it's some kind of disease. Sure, too much of any good thing can be harmful. The only reason the sun is such a danger today is because of people's obsession with getting a tan and fun in the sun as much as possible. If you're going to be out in the sun all day, then you do want to protect your eyes and skin from too much sun, this includes wearing sunglasses and a good organic or natural sunblock and wearing as much protective clothing as possible so that your need for sunblock is that much less.
Much of the skin cancer that they try to blame on the sun is not in fact due to the sun itself at all, but due to the out of balance ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids in the body. This and many other factors are a major cause of skin cancer. Add to that the disinformation which tells everyone to avoid the sun, causing a lack of vitamin D in the blood and skin which protects and prevents cancer, as well as people being told to slather on generous amount of sunscreens which are also known to cause cancer and you can clearly see why the health of people throughout the western world continues to decline at an ever accelerating rate.
Here are some other comments from medical professionals on the importance of the sun:
Eyeglasses and contact lenses rob you of energy by blocking some of the ultra violet rays that travel through the eyes to the pineal gland, writes Patricia McCormac.
After discontinuing wearing his eyeglasses, Dr. John Ott writes that he exposed his eyes to the sunlight without lenses. His vision was much improved. He recommended similar therapy to his friends and they received similar improvement in their vision. Ott writes that nothing should block out the full spectrum of sunlight, no glasses of any kind to block the ultra violet rays, and especially, no dark glasses.
Sunglasses block healing ultra-violet light and thus contribute to the increased incidence of blindness and eye disease in this country, writes Dr. Jacob Liberman.
Suntan lotions should not be used because they can cause cancer, writes Dr. Zane R. Kime.
Remember too that just going to the beach every weekend to get a tan does not compensate for the other five days that we spend indoors most of the time. If anything, that makes it worse since people often sit out in the intense sun for hours on end during those weekend outdoors, when the eyes and body are not prepared for this sun thrust into intense sunlight. This increases the risk of getting sunburn and further damage to the eyes. Remember that any change to the body, even when switching to an organic diet and adding new exercises such as the sun blinking exercises, requires time and patience in order to give the body sufficient time to adapt and adjust into the new role. Train slow and smart, not fast and foolish.
It is for that reason that these exercises, like most things in the Tao, must be done on a daily basis. Only doing them here and there will not produce the results that I'm talking about here. I've had friends and relatives practice these exercises who have greatly improved not only their health, but their vision as well, and some have even been able to restore their vision to 20/20. Of course no one can promise any results to all individuals, since you get out of training and life just what you put into it. The very best way of giving yourself maximum odds at living a long, healthy, strong life is by following the way of nature, the way of the Tao in all things. I hope that today's article will help you to begin your own journey down that path, or to at least begin to learn more about the amazing benefits of Chinese medicine, chi-gung and in particular, the ways of the Tao or 'natural way of the universe'.
The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any illness. Reader assumes all liability for any damage or harm that may come from the practice of these exercises.
Reference:
Daniel P. Reid "The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity"
About the author
Richard is a network engineer and longtime practitioner of Chinese martial arts, medicine and chi-gung for over twenty six years. Having learned many Chinese health and healing arts from old world gung-fu and healing masters and practitioners, he has helped many people to overcome their health issues and achieve their fitness goals. Through diligent study and experience he has taken this knowledge even further over the years including reading scores of books on Chinese medicine, health, chi theory, science, physics, nutrition, supplements, meditation, martial arts, and many other subjects. Utilizing the web, health and fitness videos, newsletters, articles, teachings and lectures, Rich is passionate about spreading the true knowledge of health, healing, fitness and spiritual truths. I'm proud to be writing articles for NaturalNews.com You can read many articles, hear audio interviews, and learn more about the highly praised Chinese Health and Fitness video by visiting Chinese Health and Fitness.com
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