062: Bates Fundamentals and Procedures with Dr. Ray Gottlieb
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
Release Date: 06/24/2022
084: Glasses - To Wear or Not To Wear? + Does The Bates Method Really Work?
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher, Nathan Oxenfeld shares the audio versions of the two videos he filmed while in Italy. Part 1 is the Natural Vision Vlog #6 about the role that glasses play in the natural vision training process. Quitting cold turkey is not always the best way to go about improving vision naturally. Sometimes it is better to gradually wean off glasses over time by wearing full correction or reduced prescription lenses. It is important to avoid blur adaptation, which could be an impediment to improvement. Part 2 is the Bates Method 101 section addressing the...
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083: My First Two Teacher Training Graduates with June Milich and Nalini Ramji
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher, Nathan Oxenfeld talks to his first two graduates of his Natural Vision Teacher Training Program, June Milich and Nalini Ramji, about a couple of key concepts that have helped them personally improve their own vision naturally and have started to help others as well. First, Nathan explains a little bit about the teacher training process and how it came about in 2020 and 2021, which led to the launch of the Beta version of his teacher training program in 2022. Then you'll hear from June about the best way to approach your vision improvement...
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082: RE-RELEASE - Reversing Astigmatism with Esther Joy van der Werf
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Nathan Oxenfeld announces the untimely loss of his friend and colleague Esther Joy van der Werf. Nathan and Esther had been teaming up on the Better Eyesight Podcast from 2019-2025, releasing new episodes on the 1st of every month where they read the original Better Eyesight Magazine articles from 100 years prior, which then spurred rich discussions between teachers and listeners in the monthly Better Eyesight League Meetings. Esther was passionate about educating as many people as possible about natural vision improvement, as well as creating communities around that mission....
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081: Anthropology of Eye Care with Anna Bambridge
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher (and anthropologist) Nathan Oxenfeld interviews Anna Bambridge, a natural vision teacher and researcher based in Glasgow, Scotland. The two natural vision educators discuss some of the topics from Anna's piece called "Seeing Details In Context", which can be read in its entirety on her website: 0:30 - Anna on Episode 65 of the Better Eyesight Podcast 2:37 - 6 Month Vision Improvement Program from December 2024 - May 2025 4:44 - Eye Yoga Workshops in Hawaii, Kauai, Oahu in January 2025 7:25 - Anna’s Introduction 8:55 - Anna’s vision...
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080: Nathan's New York Recap (Conference, Gathering, Retreat)
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher, Nathan Oxenfeld recaps his recent experiences in New York in September and October, including the 5 Day Association of Vision Educators Conference, the 4 Day Teacher Training Gathering, and the 3 Day Vision Retreat. The AVE Conference attracted 30+ natural vision teachers from the USA, Mexico, Canada, Europe, and more. The teacher training gathering gave Nathan and his teacher trainees a chance to meet in person. The 3 week NY trip culminated in a 3 Day Vision Retreat with Nathan Oxenfeld and Anat Axelrode, the creater of the Conversations with...
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079: The Fascia Vision Connection with Judy Gantz
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher, Nathan Oxenfeld interviews Judy Gantz about her work with the fascia. Judy is the Director and Founder of the Center for Movement Education and Research. She skillfully blends anatomy and physiology with dance and movement. The fascia also plays an important role in the function of the eyes, so the topic of vision gets interwoven throughout. For more information about Judy's work, visit https://cmer.info/ To learn more about Nathan & Anat's upcoming 3 Day Vision Retreat, go to https://integraleyesight.com/2024retreat Thank you for listening!...
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078: Presence and Pinhole Glasses with Peter Grunwald
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher interviews Peter Grunwald, the creator of the Eyebody Method and a special type of pinhole glasses that help get you into a state of "presence" rather than a state of "underfocusing" or "overfocusing". For more information, go to https://eyebody.com/ or https://integraleyesight.com/ Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming Vision Retreat in New York this fall, likely October 3-5, 2024. Thank you!
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077: Cultivating Community in Costa Rica
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this solo episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher, Nathan Oxenfeld recounts his recent trip to Central America on an Ecovillage Tour that visited 7 intentional communities in 9 days. Not only was it an enriching experience, but it helped reiterate the important role that a healthy community plays in having healthy vision. Thankfully, he was able to embark on this international journey in January before breaking his leg in March! To read the text version of this piece and see some pictures and videos that go along with the story, go to To listen to Nathan's recent appearance on the TAO...
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076: Listening To The Eyes with Anat Axelrode
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher, Nathan Oxenfeld interviews Anat Axelrode about her unique method called Listening To The Eyes. By learning how to have conversations with the eyes, one can learn valuable information about what the eyes need in order to heal. For more information, visit Anat's website - Go to to watch the replay of "Improve Your Eyesight 6 Ways" and learn more about Nathan's upcoming 6 Month Vision Improvement Program. Listen to the new episode of the Better Eyesight Podcast at https://bettereyesightpodcast.com and join the Better Eyesight League at ...
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075: Stress Point Training on Trampolines with Dr. Ray Gottlieb
The Naked Eye Podcast: Exploring Natural Alternatives to Glasses, Contacts, and Surgeries
In this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher, Nathan Oxenfeld interviews Dr. Ray Gottlieb about how to improve attention, memory, coordination, proprioception, and vision using a trampoline! The concept is called "stress point training" and it has shown to help people learn new skills in a positive and productive way. Eventually it can help one master any given skill, whether playing an instrument, competing in sports, or simply seeing clearly without glasses. Dr. Ray tells some incredible success stories of people he has worked with in the past, and even gives a live demonstration of the...
info_outlineIn this episode, Certified Bates Method Teacher, Nathan Oxenfeld is joined by Dr. Ray Gottlieb as they review some key parts of his Bates Fundamentals & Procedures document, which you can download at https://integraleyesight.com/raygottlieb
0:00 - 13:00 - Nathan's Introduction
14:14 - Find the PDF on Ray's website www.raygottlieb.com
14:56 - Dr. Ray Gottlieb's introduction
15:35 - Ray's vision history
16:00 - Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditation, and Bates in 1970
17:00 - Self-Taught Bates System leads to first clear flash
18:00 - Central Fixation at an optometry meeting
19:00 - Comparing learning eyesight improvement to learning piano
20:00 - On-demand clarity
21:00 - Curiosity and dedication help get through plateaus
23:00 - Using self-massage techniques on face and neck to relax eyes
24:00 - Being patient with the process to fizzle out frustration
26:00 - Any form of relaxation counts
27:00 - Everything in the Bates Method is about relaxing the eyes
28:00 - Story of the Presbyopia Reduction Chart
30:00 - Vision habits showing up in everyday life, practicing all the time
32:00 - Make an appointment with yourself, and show up
33:00 - Palming without the palms, maintaining visualization
34:00 - Become aware, remember to be aware, prolong attention span for the awareness, maintain awareness in demanding situations
37:00 - Blink and Breathe Now! Signs
39:00 - Breathing well changes pH of blood and increases threshold of when fight/flight response takes place
40:30 - Current research backs up Bates' practice of "Dodging"
44:00 - Bates wants us to maintain good vision habits for life
45:00 - Palming Visualization Practices
46:00 - Extending attention span for breathing
47:00 - Five Finger Exercise
51:00 - The Big Squeeze
56:00 - The Light Touch
58:00 - The Alexander Technique
59:00 - Visualizing Letters and Numbers
1:00:00 - Body Posture and Vision
1:02:00 - Love Trust and Gratitude
1:08:00 - Visualizing the Color Black
1:09:00 - Using the Star Charts for Central Fixation
1:16:00 - Convergence and Divergence on the Star Charts
1:18:00 - Building depth perception by touching the tip of a pointer to the center of a star one eye at a time
1:20:00 - Deepening the breath with breathing games
1:25:00 - The Bates Method is about the eye-mind connection, bringing more attention to where you are looking
1:28:00 - What is your #1 tip for getting started?
1:29:00 - Toning and vibration cleans your brain
1:32:00 - Brahmari Pranayama
1:33:00 - Don't try too hard to visualize
1:35:00 - Breathe 100 times, Call for the letters
1:39:00 - Go to https://raygottlieb.com/ for more information