Tromboning
What It Is:
Slowly move a small object back and forth in time to your breathing, from arm’s length to the tip of your nose, like a musician playing a trombone.
What It Does:
Tromboning exercises the focusing mechanism and the convergence or binocular system, which also improves control of the extraocular muscles. Besides working each system by itself, you will be working the fine coordination between the focusing and binocular system.
How To Do It:
- Hold a small object such as a finger, thumb, pen, or piece of jewelry in front of you at arm’s length.
- Breath slowly and deeply.
- As you inhale, bring the object towards you until it touches the tip of your nose. Try to keep it as a single image as you bring it closer. If it breaks up into two separate images, move the object back out until you see a single image again. Increase your concentration to keep the object solid, single and clear all the way in.
- As you exhale, focus at the object as you take it out.
Advanced: Begin to shift your attention to see how aware you are of the room around you as you move the object in and out. The more aware, the more relaxed you are. That allows you to use your eyes most effectively and efficiently.
