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Sylvia Lakeland and Mikolaj Markiewicz presented this theme at the opening day of the Conference, 30th October when details of the FREE® Model were introduced to an important group of visual educators and participants.

Breaking barriers, learning new educational tools and improving vision, for ever! was a very special workshop Sylvia and Miko presented 29th October, Through practical experience know about vision dysfunctions such as these putting into practice what theywe understood more of what is involved inmyopia or hyperopia as well vision problems to discover what consciousness for example. vision situations and went deeper such as macular degeneration, and relaxation mean and how to get there! With an original set of exercises we considered how to make sure these techniques are effective and long lasting. Thanks to Peter Ruiter- EyeTools, visit www.youtube.com/user/peterogen/ , and you can see the Conference and workshop presentation under the following titles: 22nd International Conference for Holistic Vision – parts 1 to 5. The Epidemic of Myopia – Parts 1 to 4 and Breaking Barriers ,Improving Vision for ever! Parts 1 to 4. Any questions contact me at lakelandsylvia@gmail.com The number of short-sighted people has increased tremendously during last decades and every year the percentage of children who use glasses is higher. Contemporary research leaves no doubt that it is school work that contributes the most to vision problems in children. So Mikolaj Markiewicz created FREE® Model It comes from many years of experience and working with children's vision in a wide range of educational institutions. Miko created all sort of techniques, dozens of simple games and training modules for pre-schools and primary schools, with easy tools that enable school teachers realize a simple program preventing children from developing myopia and stimulating their development. We strongly believe every child deserves the right to learn how to avoid myopia and other vision
problems.

International Committees: In adition to a very attractive program, at the lovely location Sol Cress, in Spa, Belgium, just next to the new Spa’s Thermal Baths, during the 22nd Conference, three special meetings brought together worldwide participants viewing the establishment of a national organization network managed by Marianne Wiendl. Giorgio Ferrario and Maurizio Cagnoli promoted a meeting concerning the exchange of ideas and support for the organization of professional training in the Bates Method in Europe based on the experiences of certain countries such as Italy. Sylvia Lakeland and Mikolaj Markiewicz led the creation of an international committee on the prevention of vision problems in the school environment, having already subscribed 35 participants ready to help in each of the countries involved.

22nd International Conference in Spa, Belgium - 2009

May 2008 was great for natural vision improvement work: Poland was a real discovery because not only a bridge of friendship was built between Sylvia Lakeland and Mikolaj Markiewicz but we managed to open so many interesting doors! We met and contacted health therapists and special education teachers, the human contact was inspiring. Great was the chance I had to visit sites in Warsaw where, for three generations, my parents lived.Traveling by car from Warsaw to Krakow and outskirts was great and last but not least we had excellent TV coverage in Poland, at the main evening news and at Good Morning Poland! Meet Mikolaj Markiewicz’s work in Poland and visit his site www.treningwidzenia.pl in Polish. For those who need information in English, please write to info@treningwidzenia.pl.

Mikolaj Markiewicz - Warsaw, Poland - May 2008 Polish psychologist working with vision therapies for the last 25 years and regarded as the best expert in this field in Poland, a very busy man with an incredible work on natural vision training for pre- school children and teachers, all over the country. I am very greatful for his warm welcoming, supporting our thorough agenda and the friendly partnership we created. Great expectations with fantastic results we achieved in a very short time: not only Mikolaj guided and shared with me the emotions of seeing the Warsaw sites were my mother and father were born and lived until 1939 but also we had time to visit and pay respects at the main points of remembrance of the II World War Holocaust, in Warsaw, in Krakow and the Kazimierz Historic District and as well the town of Oswiecim where the infamous death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau have been already visited by more than 25 million people! Just in time we visited the famous Wielickzka Salt Mine on the outskirts of Krakow and the sparkling cultural life in Krakow gave me the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful concert with the Camerata Cracoviensis and Paul Badura-Skoda, the 83 year old famous Austrian pianist and expert in Haydn and Mozart

Meeting at Polish Blind Association (PBA) and Lecture forits Members After meeting with about a hundred very interested members of the Polish Blind Association (PBA), the largest association of low vision and blind people in Poland, 73 000 members, and Retina AMD Poland, a non profit group, totally dedicated to help people with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), we had a really challenging meeting with the president of the Association, Anna Wozniak-Szymanska and Malgorzata Pacholec, president of the Retina AMD Poland, when we discussed important technical details of the natural vision therapies and its importance for the improvement of the low vision members as well as future plans together with European Organizations.

National News TV Programme, Warsaw ? 18 May In a lovely modern Warsaw preschool for children with special needs, we worked the whole Sunday with very interested low vision participants: in this workshop we shared a wide range of vision exercises, Meir Schneider body and vision exercises, using several entertaining accessories and experiencing important aspects that can help to improve vision, especially for this target public. It was great fun with the new support materials and mostly the presence of the Polish Television - surely excited the imagination of all participants. Impact of the programme was great, many phone calls during the following days of people interested in learning more.

Lecture at the Academy for Special Pedagogy, Warsaw University With great interest and commitment, we were received by Dr. Antonina Adamowicz-Hummel, director of the Academy for Special Pedagogy, regarded the best university in the field of working with low vision children in Poland. We really had a good chance of understanding the very intense work developed in Poland with low vision persons. During a whole morning we addressed important professionals: academics, people working with low vision clients, members of Polish Blind Association and students from all over Poland who came to meet us. We talked and demonstrated the different possibilities of improving or slowing down the deterioration of vision using methods that are available. Over a wonderful homemade Polish lunch including borsch, meat with potatoes, cake and a real Polish cup of tea, we indeed could understand the fantastic work developed by Dr. Adamowicz-Hummel and her teachers, during the last 20 years in Poland with low vision persons, a subject she lectured at the Ninth International Low Vision Congress, held in Montreal, Canadá in July 2008.

Lecture at the Children Rehabilitation Centre Just outside Krakow, after a very interesting visit to the Salt Mines in Wielizcka and the amazing Centre of Rehabilitation for Special Handicapped Children , we had the opportunity we lectured for to special skilled teachers from the Centre and other guest teachers, psychologists and special therapists when we debated and presented how vision exercises can be useful for the work of these special teachers. We all learned a lot and specially gained two new friends, the teachers Ewa Przebinda and Przemek Sierant who became our friendly companions and guides during our tour in Krakow.

While visiting Krakow, we gave a extensive interview on vision therapies and our work around the world, to thePolishTelevision for their programme Good Morning Poland, and we will have soon a copy to show to.

Mikolaj Markiewicz teaches natural vision improvement techniques to teachers, psychologists and medical doctors in Poland while Sylvia Lakeland does the same in Portugal and Brasil. Hence, the exchange of experiences was incredible and working in Poland was indeed easy with Sylvia understanding Polish and Mikolaj doing all simultaneous translation: seven unforgetable days we hope to follow up in the near future!

21st International Conference in Munich - 2007

20th International Conference in Genoa, Italy - 2005

Two Frontiers of Conscience - Seeing Clear, Seeing Far!

19th International Conference in Madeira Island, Portugal - 2004

XXIV International Conference for Holistic Vision - Italy 2013
Every two years, the vision therapists community plus medical doctors of all specialties meet to exchange experiences and to discover what is going on in the world of natural vision improvement and vision education. In 2011 it happened in North of Italy, in Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, by the Varese Lake . Papers and more details of the presentations are available at www.holisticvisionconference.com . We will all meet again in Italy in 2013.
The epidemic of myopia in schools. Fate or choice? at the 22nd International Conference 2009

Sylvia Lakeland and Mikolaj Markiewicz presented this theme at the opening day of the Conference, 30th October when details of the FREE® Model were introduced to an important group of visual educators and participants. Breaking barriers, learning new educational tools and improving vision, for ever! was a very special workshop Sylvia and Miko presented 29th October, Through practical experience know about vision dysfunctions such as these putting into practice what theywe understood more of what is involved inmyopia or hyperopia as well vision problems to discover what consciousness for example. vision situations and went deeper such as macular degeneration, and relaxation mean and how to get there! With an original set of exercises we considered how to make sure these techniques are effective and long lasting. Thanks to Peter Ruiter- EyeTools, visit www.youtube.com/user/peterogen/ , and you can see the Conference and workshop presentation under the following titles: 22nd International Conference for Holistic Vision – parts 1 to 5. The Epidemic of Myopia – Parts 1 to 4 and Breaking Barriers ,Improving Vision for ever! Parts 1 to 4. Any questions contact me at lakelandsylvia@gmail.com The number of short-sighted people has increased tremendously during last decades and every year the percentage of children who use glasses is higher. Contemporary research leaves no doubt that it is school work that contributes the most to vision problems in children. So Mikolaj Markiewicz created FREE® Model It comes from many years of experience and working with children's vision in a wide range of educational institutions. Miko created all sort of techniques, dozens of simple games and training modules for pre-schools and primary schools, with easy tools that enable school teachers realize a simple program preventing children from developing myopia and stimulating their development. We strongly believe every child deserves the right to learn how to avoid myopia and other vision problems. International Committees: In adition to a very attractive program, at the lovely location Sol Cress, in Spa, Belgium, just next to the new Spa’s Thermal Baths, during the 22nd Conference, three special meetings brought together worldwide participants viewing the establishment of a national organization network managed by Marianne Wiendl. Giorgio Ferrario and Maurizio Cagnoli promoted a meeting concerning the exchange of ideas and support for the organization of professional training in the Bates Method in Europe based on the experiences of certain countries such as Italy. Sylvia Lakeland and Mikolaj Markiewicz led the creation of an international committee on the prevention of vision problems in the school environment, having already subscribed 35 participants ready to help in each of the countries involved.


22nd International Conference in Spa, Belgium - 2009
Expanding our Horizons was the theme, exchanging methods and experiences in the field of natural vision improvement was the objective and the 22nd International Conference for Holistic Vision was intensive: Marie Schils, Hortense Servais and Anton Molitor, the organisers, brought together an exciting panel of speakers and workshop facilitators and this Conference will surely make a difference. 150 participants from 16 countries all over the world made sure this conference was enriching and exciting. More details at www.holisticvision.be and short videos at www.youtube.com/user/peterogen prepared by Peter Ruiter, covering the Conference and workshops.

Natural Vision Improvement in Poland 2008

May 2008 was great for natural vision improvement work: Poland was a real discovery because not only a bridge of friendship was built between Sylvia Lakeland and Mikolaj Markiewicz but we managed to open so many interesting doors! We met and contacted health therapists and special education teachers, the human contact was inspiring. Great was the chance I had to visit sites in Warsaw where, for three generations, my parents lived.Traveling by car from Warsaw to Krakow and outskirts was great and last but not least we had excellent TV coverage in Poland, at the main evening news and at Good Morning Poland! Meet Mikolaj Markiewicz’s work in Poland and visit his site www.treningwidzenia.pl in Polish. For those who need information in English, please write to info@treningwidzenia.pl. Mikolaj Markiewicz - Warsaw, Poland - May 2008 Polish psychologist working with vision therapies for the last 25 years and regarded as the best expert in this field in Poland, a very busy man with an incredible work on natural vision training for pre- school children and teachers, all over the country. I am very greatful for his warm welcoming, supporting our thorough agenda and the friendly partnership we created. Great expectations with fantastic results we achieved in a very short time: not only Mikolaj guided and shared with me the emotions of seeing the Warsaw sites were my mother and father were born and lived until 1939 but also we had time to visit and pay respects at the main points of remembrance of the II World War Holocaust, in Warsaw, in Krakow and the Kazimierz Historic District and as well the town of Oswiecim where the infamous death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau have been already visited by more than 25 million people! Just in time we visited the famous Wielickzka Salt Mine on the outskirts of Krakow and the sparkling cultural life in Krakow gave me the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful concert with the Camerata Cracoviensis and Paul Badura-Skoda, the 83 year old famous Austrian pianist and expert in Haydn and Mozart

Meeting at Polish Blind Association (PBA) and Lecture for its Members

Meeting at Polish Blind Association (PBA) and Lecture forits Members After meeting with about a hundred very interested members of the Polish Blind Association (PBA), the largest association of low vision and blind people in Poland, 73 000 members, and Retina AMD Poland, a non profit group, totally dedicated to help people with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), we had a really challenging meeting with the president of the Association, Anna Wozniak-Szymanska and Malgorzata Pacholec, president of the Retina AMD Poland, when we discussed important technical details of the natural vision therapies and its importance for the improvement of the low vision members as well as future plans together with European Organizations.

Special Lecture at the Academy for Special Pedagogy, Warsaw University

Lecture at the Academy for Special Pedagogy, Warsaw University With great interest and commitment, we were received by Dr. Antonina Adamowicz-Hummel, director of the Academy for Special Pedagogy, regarded the best university in the field of working with low vision children in Poland. We really had a good chance of understanding the very intense work developed in Poland with low vision persons. During a whole morning we addressed important professionals: academics, people working with low vision clients, members of Polish Blind Association and students from all over Poland who came to meet us. We talked and demonstrated the different possibilities of improving or slowing down the deterioration of vision using methods that are available. Over a wonderful homemade Polish lunch including borsch, meat with potatoes, cake and a real Polish cup of tea, we indeed could understand the fantastic work developed by Dr. Adamowicz-Hummel and her teachers, during the last 20 years in Poland with low vision persons, a subject she lectured at the Ninth International Low Vision Congress, held in Montreal, Canadá in July 2008.

Lecture at the Children Rehabilition Centre and on Polish Television from Krakow

Lecture at the Children Rehabilitation Centre Just outside Krakow, after a very interesting visit to the Salt Mines in Wielizcka and the amazing Centre of Rehabilitation for Special Handicapped Children , we had the opportunity we lectured for to special skilled teachers from the Centre and other guest teachers, psychologists and special therapists when we debated and presented how vision exercises can be useful for the work of these special teachers. We all learned a lot and specially gained two new friends, the teachers Ewa Przebinda and Przemek Sierant who became our friendly companions and guides during our tour in Krakow. While visiting Krakow, we gave a extensive interview on vision therapies and our work around the world, to thePolishTelevision for their programme Good Morning Poland, and we will have soon a copy to show to. Mikolaj Markiewicz teaches natural vision improvement techniques to teachers, psychologists and medical doctors in Poland while Sylvia Lakeland does the same in Portugal and Brasil. Hence, the exchange of experiences was incredible and working in Poland was indeed easy with Sylvia understanding Polish and Mikolaj doing all simultaneous translation: seven unforgetable days we hope to follow up in the near future!



21st International Conference in Munich - 2007
Marianne Wiendl, Wolfgang Gillessen, Uschi Ostermeier-Sitkowski, Gisela Wesche-Nielsen and a lovely group of supporters received about 170 participants at the 21 International Holistic Vision Conference, organized by the Association for Healthy Vision - Verein für Gesundes Sehen, which took place during the first week of November in a beautiful fairy tale castle on the bank of the Lake Starnberg, in Tutzing, about 40 km south of Munich. This region is even today associated with the dream couple the Bavarian King Ludwig II and the Austrian Empress Elisabeth (Sissi). The conference focused on Eye training in the area of prevention, education and recreation, eye training and support as a therapy for people of all ages and with all kinds of eye problems up to visual impairment, as well as workplace-related eye training in companies. This really wonderful Tutzing Academy received us with lovely rooms and excellent food, and the beautiful golden autumn colours, dark brown and red leaves, swans all about the Lake and great excitement in the air: meeting again old friends, creating new ones, a wide exchange of experiences and knowledge happened during this week. Very interesting and relevant subjects evolved and were discussed by the German speakers such as the ophthalmologist Prof. Dr. Ilse Strempel and the scientific studies on the efficiency of relaxation methods such as meditation and music therapy, on glaucoma cases; a new look about vision training by Marianne Wiendl; and holistic medicine by Dr. Sabine Nebendhal, just to mention some of the speakers. All about preventing pathologies of the eyes was discussed by Meir Schneider (USA), while Handle Work - gently enhancing clients vision was presented by Dror Schneider (USA) noting just some of the twenty presentations the public could listen to. Sylvia Loretta Lakeland, representing Brazil and Portugal, analyzed her work, during the period of 2003 to 2007, on vision improvement and quality of life for low vision persons. Sylvia created quite an empathy with all participants, mainly while explaining her voluntary work in universities, outdoor exercises and classes in the São Paulo Central Park, having received a cheerful support to follow up this work, mainly with low vision persons of all ages. Parallel to the main Conference, participants welcomed the workshops by Roberto Kaplan (Canada& Austria), cracking the eyecode, Peter Grunwald (New Zealand) was greatly motivated about his EyeBody work, Giorgio Ferrario (Italy) impressed the audience with is work on music therapy and Thomas R. Quakenbush (The Netherlands) was indeed totally committed to explain and teach each participant of his workshop, all about night vision training. Peter Ruiter and Almuth Klemm were great fun always with new gimmicks to help vision exercises. The 22nd International Vision Conference will take place at Spa, Belgium from 29.10 to 3.11, including the days for workshops.
20th International Conference in Genoa, Italy - 2005
This 20th International Conference for Holistic Vision in Genoa , Italy was indeed a turning point, the beginning of a new stage of development in Natural Vision Improvement (NVI). Organized by AIEV, Italian Association for Vision Education, Italy , the event happened at the Convent, Museum and Convention Center Sant ’Agostino, in historic Genoa , from 28 to 30 October 2005 . With full support of the local entities, the event had an excellent press coverage: Sept.9, the weekly national newspaper La Repubblica published a two pages article interviewing Maurizio Cagnoli, eye doctor Mario Cigada and quotes of Tom Quakembush. In Brazil , national newspaper Jornalalternativo published three articles, before and after Conference, prepared by eye doctor Laércio Motoryn and Sylvia Lakeland. Portuguese weekly magazine XIS, in the important newspaper O Público, published a full page on Vision and the Conference.

Two Frontiers of Conscience - Seeing Clear, Seeing Far!
Frontiers of Conscience – Seing Clear, Seing Far! More than one hundred participants had the opportunity to visit historic Genoa , with its XVI, XVII and XVIII Century Palazzos, narrow and romantic streets and the famous harbor. During one week eye doctors and therapists discovered how valuable is investing more and more in Natural Vision Improvement, Bates Method, Meir Schneider Self-Healing Method, the importance of the increasing exchange of experiences mainly amongst eye doctors. As in past occasions we all had a wonderful time together binding at least 20 years friendships. It was also a rare opportunity of participating in the World Science Festival to discover more about the Frontiers of Conscience. Details on the Conference at www.holisticvision.it.

19th International Conference in Madeira Island, Portugal - 2004
Freedom to See was the main theme of the 19 th Conference and about 100 participants, 22 nationalities, met to exchange experiences and learn from the world leading experts in natural vision improvement. Keynote speakers from USA , Europe , Iraq and Brazil , raised interesting and exciting subjects, and as well held special workshops during the whole week, explaining their own unique methods, exploring and reviewing the Bates Method, new ways in behavioural optometry, psychotherapy and much more. An exciting period of 10 days, in the midst of a beautiful environment, when eye doctors, practitioners, vision teachers, therapists and all those interested in finding answers for their own eye problems had the opportunities to enjoy fully the speeches, extensive vision exercises, workshops, private sessions and all parallel activities.

*Creating a happier world:* the President of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Dr. Alberto João Jardim inaugurated the 19 th Conference with a very strong speech, emphasizing the importance of reducing hostilities between traditional doctors and the new therapeutic concepts brought by vision therapists: “ differences should be sorted out and together we must all find the way to make each man and woman happier”, confirmed Dr.A.J.Jardim, while admiring the new Casa das Mudas Centre of Arts, where we the Conference took place. Fit between the hills and the seaside, the Arts Centre was inaugurated in time for the Conference and participants could also as well enjoy the extraordinary Joe Berardo Collection of Contemporary and Modern Art. Remarkable architecture, beautiful landscape and Fernando Botero “Male Torso” welcomed all participants and guests. “The new Arts Centre is dream come through with a lovely view of the mountains and the beach, with golden African sand “ confirmed Celina Neves, Director of Hotel Jardim Atlantico.

*We did meet the Girl of the Moon* - For the opening of our Conference, sponsored by the educational, rehabilitation and special education authorities of the Autonomous Region of Madeira Island, Henrique Amoedo and Barbara Matos, the Girl of the Moon, as well as the Versus Group of Mimics, involved us all in moments of tenderness and emotion: exploring “ The Differences”, as expressions of all human feelings, the group is part of an arts and creativity program and their main purpose is to change the social image of persons with deficiencies, through the art of dancing.

Impact of our Workshop covered by National News TV Programme at 18.30, May 18!

National News TV Programme, Warsaw ? 18 May In a lovely modern Warsaw preschool for children with special needs, we worked the whole Sunday with very interested low vision participants: in this workshop we shared a wide range of vision exercises, Meir Schneider body and vision exercises, using several entertaining accessories and experiencing important aspects that can help to improve vision, especially for this target public. It was great fun with the new support materials and mostly the presence of the Polish Television - surely excited the imagination of all participants. Impact of the programme was great, many phone calls during the following days of people interested in learning more.