gazing questions

[Anonymous]

I have some questions about the finger gazing practice in both bagua circle walking and hsing-i San Ti.
Let me say that I am fairly nearsighted (-5 diopters or so) and astigmatic. The eyes and optic nerve, for me, seems to be the most difficult of things to release tension from.

1) Is it best to do this practice with eyeglasses on or off? I would think that since optical lenses tend to “force” and “fix” a focus, that relaxing the eyes/peripheral vision would be more difficult with them on. But on the other hand, everything is very fuzzy without them, and it feels like there’s strain in trying to focus on my finger, and anything in the distance is just blur. Also, as I’ve been told, “practice in the kind of shoes and clothes you normally wear,” since part of the value of these practices is for “everyday” circumstances. I don’t normally navigate space without glasses on, so should I always practice with them on? (I’ve done circle walking both with and without glasses, and at first they were wildly different experiences, especially with my balance on uneven terrain. But that has somewhat normalized after several years, though I haven’t practiced finger gazing while walking yet.) But -I am not doing this practice for fighting applications but for building strength/releasing tension purposes so … hence the question.

2) Is it really possible to focus on the index finger of the outstretched hand and clearly see and be aware of things in the distance? When I focus on my finger, everything in the distance is two images (sometimes it seems like things in the distance clear up, but that’s only when what’s in the distance is something like grass, where the doubling can’t be easily distinguished – if I become aware of say, leaves on the grass, then the image is clearly being doubled.). When I focus in the distance, my finger is doubled. This seems normal physiology to me, but the implication in Bruce’s statements is that when sufficient tension is released from the optic nerve/visual brain centers that the seeing will be clear. Is this a misunderstanding on my part?

3) Along the same lines, I can be very aware of everything between the object/distance that I’m focusing on and my eyes – but if I’m focusing on my finger, the objects beyond my focal point (at least the static ones) tend to “disappear” or get very dim and it’s almost impossible, at least now, for me to remain visually aware of them without actually shifting my gaze and thus re-focusing.

Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Can anyone tell me that they do see the full range of objects in front of them clearly, non-doubled, when focusing on their finger? Would you please let me know about your experiences of gazing with these practices – I’m woefully ignorant of others experiences of seeing.
Any hints, tips, techniques, epiphanies, etc. are welcomed as well.

Thanks
Peter

[Anonymous]

I also have the same problems as you. Practice will answer your concerns.

[Anonymous]

Glasses off. When you wear glasses the eyes stare instead of moving freely.

[Author]

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