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| Eye Color by M.C. Escher |
A: Thanks for your question regarding practicing safely with eye related concerns, specifically cautions and options for yoga after retina repair and doctor permission to return to class. This is not an uncommon concern among some of my students. In fact it came up again this past month, when a student had to undergo laser treatment to the retina for a partial tear to the back surface of the eye. His doc recommended avoiding inverting for a full two weeks. And I suspect given individual circumstances, you can expect even longer periods of rest from inverting before safely re-introducing poses like down dog to your practice.
I suggested to my student that he could modify many of his poses and still practice safely at home and in class. For instance, I suggest Half Standing Forward Bend instead of classic Standing Forward Bend, Half Downward-Facing Dog pose at the Wall instead of classic Downward-Facing Dog pose. It might also be good to avoid holding poses for a long time, as there could be a corresponding rise in blood pressure that could negatively influence the pressure in the eyes. Focusing on restorative poses, calming pranayama (breath practices), and yoga nidra (guided relaxation) would likely support healing.
—Baxter
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