How Working With Your Visual System Improves Your Health
- Brainz Magazine
- Dec 3, 2020
- 8 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Diana May integrates somatics, applied neurology, and yoga to help clients relieve chronic pain and reconnect with their bodies. Her work empowers people to regulate their nervous system and move with confidence at any stage of life.
Working with your visual system is more than simply eye exercise, it is brain exercise. It has a surprisingly robust influence on your entire nervous system, and therefore your overall health. In this exploration, you’ll understand how comprehensive your visual system is, and how easy it can be to support it. And your health and well-being will be the ones to reap the benefit!
What is your visual system?
Your visual system is your brain’s processing of all visual information. It includes your eyes, eye muscles, some of your cranial nerves, and a lot of your brain (some studies show that between 30 and 50% of your brain's real estate is stimulated while using your visual system!). Essentially, your visual system is not just your ability to see things clearly, it’s your brain's capacity to process visual information. And it allows you to orient yourself within the world around you.
What are some of the benefits of working on my visual system?
Because your eyes take in so much of the sensory information your brain is receiving, and so much of your brain is involved in processing that information, the benefits can be wide ranging. Benefits include a reduction in chronic pain symptoms, improved range of motion, smoother and more efficient movements, greater access to strength, and an overall sense of safety in the nervous system. Your eyesight may improve! While the scientific studies are not comprehensive and don’t show enough evidence to support improved vision with eye exercises, many people report having better vision and even needing to get new, better prescriptions! There is an association between better vision and reduced anxiety as well, which can also enhance overall mental health and well-being.
How do I know if I need to work on my visual system?
Most people don’t know they could benefit from this work. Your brain does an incredible job adapting to a lot of information. In fact, your brain processes up to 11 million bits of information every second! And we can only consciously be aware of about 40-60 bits of information every second. So the chances of you consciously knowing you need to work on your visual system are pretty slim.
Is there anyone who shouldn’t work with their visual system?
Truly, this work can benefit just about anyone! Because this work is not reliant on having 20/20 vision (which we will get into), it’s about the brain’s skill of moving the eyes, most people will find incredible results. Even if you have poor vision and wear thick glasses, even if you have a prosthetic eye, this work can support you. There are ways to know if the work, for whatever reason, is not supportive of your system, but that is based more on the individual than any particular group of people.
Is it hard or time-consuming to work on my visual system?
One of the best things about this work is that it is incredibly easy and accessible to do! Once you find the best visual work that supports your brain, it can take as little as 1-2 minutes per day, and you can do them just about anywhere! Lying down, sitting down, on a walk, and at any time, as long as it is safe to do so.
Is there any downside to doing visual work?
There is a little bit of process to figure out what your brain finds most supportive. So there is a learning curve that takes some time. And in the process of finding what visual skills your brain benefits from, you’ll also likely find some visual skills that your brain perceives as a potential threat. When this happens, you may experience slight dizziness, more restriction in your movements, and more tension. While at first this may be perceived as “not good,” it’s an important part of the process to see not just what your brain likes, but what it doesn’t like as well.
What happens if I find a “negative result” from my visual work?
All information is good information. An intention to better understand how your brain and visual system work includes knowing what works well and what doesn’t. So when you test a visual skill, and your nervous system tightens up a bit, rather than feel defeated, treat this as new information about yourself! While it may be tempting to “get better” at certain visual skills, it can be a wonderful practice of accepting something about yourself and choosing to do the things that are helpful to you, rather than things that are not as helpful. And, working with a professional to help you improve the visual skills that are more difficult for you can be a supportive path if you’d like to do so.
What exactly are visual skills?
Visual skills are the basic movements of your eyes that help take in external visual information. Your eye movements are not random, but specific skills that happen often on a reflexive level. These skills can also be trained! The include movements like:
Gaze fixations (the skill of gazing at one specific object without moving your eyes around
Saccades (the skill of quickly and accurately bouncing your eyes from one specific target to another)
Smooth Pursuits (the skill of smoothing tracking a specific object through space)
Convergence (the skill of your two eyes moving symmetrically toward the midline)
Divergence (the skill of your two eyes moving symmetrically away from the midline)
Vestibulo-Ocular-Reflex (the skill of your eyes staying steady on a target as your head is moving)
Opto-Kinetic-Reflex (the hybrid skill of your eyes slowing tracking a moving object in a smooth pursuit, followed by a saccadic movement to the next moving object)
How do I know if a visual skill is good for me or not?
You can tell if a visual skill is helpful to your brain or not by assessing it. An assessment can be just about anything, but a few common assessments include:
range of motion (such as shoulder rotation, thoracic rotation, forward bending, or back bending)
Strength output (using a grip dynamometer can be helpful, or doing a bicep curl or a squat)
Balance testing (using Romberg’s test)
Pain levels (even tracking pain during a certain movement)
Pick an assessment that is relevant to you and in alignment with your goals. And keep it repeatable and as measurable as possible so you can see the effects.
There are only three possible outcomes of assessments. They get better, they stay the same, or they get worse. All information is good information!
What are some visual exercises I can do?
Eye circles
This is my go-to starting point for people. It is the visual skill of smooth pursuits.
First, pick your assessment. Make any notes or take photos so you can track your results.
Stand or sit comfortably tall.
Picture a circle about the size of a beach ball around your face.
Take an object (your fingernail, or a pen– something specific) and trace that circle 3 - 5x.
Without moving your head or neck, track the moving object with your eyes.
Try your best to keep your eyes locked on the moving target, and try to keep it as smooth as possible.
Breathe normally while doing this.
After 3-5 circles, take a break. Close your eyes.
Repeat the exercise going the opposite direction. (You can use your same arm, or a different arm).
After the second side, reassess the same thing and notice any shifts!
If you got a better assessment, your brain liked this exercise! Practice this 4x per day for 5 weeks to support your brain and nervous system.
If you had no noticeable improvement, it could mean that the neural load is not high enough for you. So you may need more repetitions, or some other way to intensify the activity, like doing it in a more challenging posture.
If your assessment got a little worse, your brain did not like this exercise! No worries, it’s good to know. And you can choose to do a different visual exercise to support your system in a different way.
Gaze fixations
There are 8 basic directions you can play with for this one. Think of it like a compass. Do one at a time and assess after each one. Before you begin, pick an assessment that makes sense to you.
Sit or stand comfortably tall.
You may place your hands at the back of your head to support the stability of your head (option).
Without moving your head, look at one specific point in one specific direction of the compass.
Don’t strain to the furthest edge of that direction, make it an easy challenge.
Keep your eyes still on the target for 15-30 seconds.
Breathe normally as you do this.
If you yawn or swallow, let that happen.
After 15-30 seconds, close your eyes and let them return to center.
Reassess whatever you chose and note the result!
You can repeat this for all 8 directions.
Take your time going through it all. If you get any hints of dizziness or nausea, it’s a sign to take a break.
If your reassessment was positive, you can practice that skill 4x per day for the next 5 weeks.
What if nothing is working for me?
Despite all the theory and science, sometimes visual work just isn’t the right approach for some people. There are other systems we can work with that are equally gentle, accessible, and impactful. That’s why I created my 12-day neuro somatic workbook. I share not just visual exercises, but I walk you through the other cranial nerves and how to work with each one. The point isn’t to be good at all the visual exercises, it’s to find ways to support your brain and nervous system to feel at ease. It’s just a matter of finding the right support.
How can I incorporate vision work into my daily life?
Eye exercises and vision work are such a powerful way to work directly with your nervous system to support your chronic pain, mobility, and overall sense of well-being. As a neurosomatic practitioner, I support people in figuring out how to work with their eyes, and my goal is to make it as easy as possible for you. Check out my free eye guide to get curious. And if you want a deeper dive and other tools that work with your brainstem and cranial nerves, check out my 12-day workbook! If you have specific health issues you are working through, including complex trauma, or are hesitant to try things on your own, it is my passion to support you in creating a roadmap that feels the exact right pace for you. Reach out to me here.
Read more from Diana May
Diana May, Neuro Somatic Practitioner & Yoga Teacher
Diana May is a yoga educator and Somatic Experiencing® practitioner who integrates applied neurology, mindful movement, and nervous-system science to help people reduce pain and restore mobility. She holds degrees in environmental studies and urban planning, grounding her work in a lifelong passion for ecology and natural systems. Diana weaves these perspectives into her teaching, connecting the rhythms of nature with the intelligence of the body and brain. Through her classes and 1:1 work, she empowers clients to build resilience, regulate their nervous system, and feel at home in their bodies.
