Therefore, I thank Phillip Barcio for helping to compile the materials and making my ideas more comprehensible. Next, I would very much like to thank my friend Richard Mandrachio, whose talents as an editor helped enormously in presenting the book in a straightforward manner that all readers can understand and practice with. I also wish to give many thanks to photographer Richard Miller, who himself benefited tremendously from this work; he improved his vision in spite of a birth defect and a condition that caused a major loss of his optic nerve. He regained much of his vision and, through black and white pictures, was able to bring to life many of the exercises that will help you, the reader. The person to whom I extend my heartfelt gratitude more than anyone else is my good friend Jan Albin, who worked tirelessly for countless hours on all the forms the manuscript has taken. Jan offered an incredible amount of aid in editing this book and was instrumental in getting it published. Finally, my sincere thanks go to the editors and good people at North Atlantic Books who accepted my manuscript for publication.
About the Author
MEIR SCHNEIDER had the unusual misfortune to be born with cataracts and many other conditions that affected his vision; after five unsuccessful surgeries, he expected to be blind for life. Though he read only Braille, at age seventeen he began a regimen of eye exercises and healed himself of congenital blindness. Today he holds an unrestricted California driver’s license.
Schneider went on to help many people improve their vision from situations that had previously been considered hopeless. He affirms his viewpoint that nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and computer-use problems can all be prevented or overcome through his method. Schneider’s innovative work in the holistic health field, especially concerning the empowerment of the individual, is an inspiring message as well as a practical guide. Many of Schneider’s past students are currently practicing his method in Brazil and have become well known for their impressive work, frequently appearing on television and in popular lectures. Moreover, conventional specialists have praised Schneider’s method because they saw results that exceeded their expectations. And no resistance or opposition of any kind has ever stopped Schneider from bringing his work to more and more people.
In his quest for self-improvement, Schneider discovered that the same principles by which he gained functional vision could also be applied to the entire body. This became the basis for the Meir Schneider Method of Self-Healing through Bodywork and Movement—a nonmedical, holistic health rehabilitation and prevention system. It teaches us how to use muscles and joints in a balanced way, thus preventing common degenerative conditions that arise from lifestyle, employment, injury, and health problems. This is achieved by isolating muscle groups, relaxing chronically overused muscles, stimulating brain-body neural connections, and, most importantly, enhancing circulation.
A globally respected pioneer, therapist, and educator, Meir Schneider is also the best-selling author of The Natural Vision Improvement Kit, Yoga for the Eyes, Meir Schneider’s Miracle Eyesight Method, A Lesson for Life (also known as Self-Healing: My Life and Vision), Movement for Self-Healing, and The Handbook for Self-Healing. Schneider was also awarded a PhD in the Healing Arts for his work with muscular dystrophy.
In 1980 Schneider founded the School for Self-Healing, a nonprofit center in San Francisco, California, that offers educational programs through which people can improve their vision as well as other physical handicaps. Meanwhile, Schneider has trained thousands worldwide, receiving international attention for his work in the healing arts. During more than 120,000 clinical hours over the last forty-two years, he has helped people to prevent blindness and conditions like glaucoma and cataracts. Through lectures, Schneider has taught many people the principles described in detail in this book: how to activate the powerful forces of nature within the body and how to improve vision by connecting to those forces through light, movement, and relaxation. This same connection encompasses the circulation, the nervous system, the visual apparatus, and the link between the eyes and the brain.