Summary
Nathan Oxenfeld answers frequently asked questions about the Bates Method and natural vision improvement. He covers practical topics like how to use his YouTube videos and online course effectively, whether to wear glasses during practices, how to wean off glasses using training glasses, and the importance of switching from contacts to glasses as a first step. He also discusses how vision improvement connects to living your broader life vision, drawing on his own upcoming trip to New Zealand and Australia as an example of following through on long-held dreams.
Key Points
- All Bates Method practices should be done with the naked eye, not while wearing glasses or contacts
- The first step is switching from contacts to glasses so you can easily take them on and off throughout the day
- Glasses can and should be put back on when needed for safety or work; the goal is not to struggle without them
- Training glasses with reduced prescriptions act as stepping stones on the path to clear vision
- If you take glasses off and start squinting or straining, you are making the problem worse
- The Bates Method is about dynamic relaxation, not forcing your eyes to see through effort
- Vision improvement has a mental and emotional dimension; living your broader life vision supports eye health
Key Moments
All Bates practices must be done without glasses
Nathan explains that all Bates Method practices are designed for the naked eye and recommends switching from contacts to glasses as the very first step so you can remove them easily throughout the day.
"All the Bates Method practices are designed to be done with the naked eye. That's why it's called the Naked Eye Podcast and the Naked Eye Book Tour is because we're trying to regain the eye's natural ability to focus without artificial lenses, without correction from prescriptions."
Learning to relax rather than strain without glasses
Nathan warns that removing glasses and then squinting or straining makes vision worse, and explains that the Bates Method is fundamentally about learning to focus through relaxation rather than effort.
"The Bates Method is learning a new way to focus through relaxation by not doing anything, by letting go and allowing your eyes to learn how to focus again by themselves without you controlling them."
Training glasses as stepping stones to clear vision
Nathan describes the concept of training glasses with progressively weaker prescriptions, comparing them to training wheels on a bicycle that help bridge the gap between full correction and unassisted vision.
"So I refer to this concept as training glasses, kind of like training wheels. You don't just learn to ride a bike right away. You need to ride it with training wheels first before you can ride it without them."
