Aging, Cataracts & Feng Shui: 7 Ways to Healthy Eyes

I didn’t believe them!

Honestly, when people told me that things like your eyesight changes when you turn 40, I was like

“Nope, that doesn’t apply to me”’ .  I just couldn’t fathom the fact that aging was actually a thing and would actually happen to me!

 

Now that I have officially entered into my fifth decade, I’ve had to forego my vanity and embrace things like wearing my glasses regularly instead of my contacts. Which I loved and have worn for many years.

 

You see, I received an eye injury when I was 8 years old and from that injury I developed a cataract.

 

Cataracts occur when the lens in your eye becomes cloudy from natural proteins that build up over time. As time goes by and the condition progresses, the clouded lens allows less light to pass through your eye and you develop blurred vision. Kind of like a dirty window keeps the light out.

 

Cataracts can also be caused by certain diseases, like diabetes or glaucoma. Trauma, radiation exposure and nutritional deficiencies are also factors in the development of cataracts.

 

June is Cataract Awareness Month

 

Cataracts currently affect more than 20.5 million Americans over age 40. After having my first eye surgery (at 8 years old) I was told that glasses wouldn’t work for me and my only option would be to wear contacts.

 

At that time soft contact lenses weren’t available and just a pipe dream that I thought my ophthamologist was making up.

 

Can you imagine the torture I went through as a child with hard contact lenses?

 

Since then, I have had multiple eye doctor appointments, eye surgeries, numerous pairs of soft contacts, gone through gallons of saline solution and eye drops just to keep my eyes in healthy condition.

 

Feng Shui belongs to one of the five “branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This system coordinates a variety of healing techniques like meditation, qigong or tai chi , Feng Shui, herbology, I-Ching, acupressure and acupuncture.

 

In Feng Shui, the eyes (and heart) are represented in the south sector of your home.The ruling element of the south sector is Fire.  When there are imbalances in the south corner it can cause problems in your vision and show up as eye infections, eye conditions, eye injuries or even heart problems.

 

What’s in an Eye

 

The eye is nourished by all of the internal organs in the body. The lens of the eye and the pupil belong to the kidney, the sclera to the lungs, the arteries and veins to the heart, the top eyelid to the spleen, the bottom eyelid to the stomach, and the cornea and iris to the liver. The Spleen and Stomach also control circulation in the eyes. So you can see how an imbalance in any of the internal organs may lead to eye problems.

 

Other things that can affect our visual health are:

• Type of work we do (90% of accountants are nearsighted compared to 10% of farmers that are nearsighted)
• Lifestyle(smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and coffee, exercise, and attitude).
• How you deal with stress
• How much time you spend on your computer or smartphone
• What we eat as well as how well we absorb those valuable nutrients
• Health conditions
• Medications
• Genetics

 

The Eyes are the Window to the Soul

 

*|FNAME|* You can “see” that most eye conditions are considered to be a reflection of the health of the whole body, our lifestyle choices and our diet can play a major factor in having and maintaining good vision. Here are some recommendations:

 

1. The Eye Diet– Studies show patients can reduce their eye pressure by five to seven millimeters with an improved diet and supplement program. Choose a diet high in beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and sulfur-bearing amino acids. You can find these nutrients in garlic, onions, beans, spinach, celery, turnips, yellow and orange vegetables, green leafy vegetables, seaweed, apples, oranges and tomatoes.
2. Juice It (organic if possible) – 1 pint (16oz) per day minimum. Up to 2-8 pints per day for healing. Vegetables used should be mostly greens.
3. Stay Hydrated – 8-10 glasses of purified water. Avoid carbonated, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. These drinks actually dehydrate your eyes.
4. Manage your stress – Take up meditation, yoga, tai chi, or any practice that helps you relax. Some consider glaucoma a stress related condition.
5. Spiritual Practice– Meditate, chant, journal or pray on a daily basis.
6. Move It – do at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. Walking and swimming are two excellent forms of exercise.
7. Eye exercises can help to bring energy and blood to the eyes, helping to drain away toxins and congestion from the eyes.