LASIK and inversions

[Guest guest]

Considering LASIK eye surgery and wondering about the possible ill effect with

inversions. Could the increased pressure be a problem? Anyone have any

experiences to share?

[Guest guest]

Check with your Ophthalmologist for sure, but you

should be fine for any postures in about 14 days post

procedure. Lasik and PRK both are wonderful treatments. It

brought about a major improvememt in my son's life and

inconvenienced him for less than 3 days, he needed only 2 or 3

pain pills (PRK in '98).

[Guest guest]

Correction to my previous post: - my son underwent LASIK correction (not PRK) to

both eyes in the spring of '97.

[Guest guest]

i had it done last May on a Thursday, on the next

Sunday i did 1st series in totality. its taken awhile to

"cure" but 4 months out i couldn't be happier then 20/20

to 20/15. some days i see better than others, get

some mini-haloes around lights at night. No more

"blowing out" a set of contact lenses due to profuse

sweating and dehydration from Sadhana. Overall: highly

recommended. blessings, E_SJ<br>-

[Guest guest]

I had the operation done about a year ago, before

I started practicing yoga. I find it super not

having to go through all the trouble with contact

lenses. I`m also more confident because I never liked my

looks with glasses on.<br><br>I`ve had one major

problem, though. I think the operation has affected my

night vision (in good light I see perfectly). I see the

same halos around lights in the dark as E_SJ but I see

poorly otherwise as well. My doctor assured me the halos

would disappear in time but I`m worried since it has

been almost a year already. <br><br>I`d like to

discuss LASIK and yoga more, but I assume not everyone is

interested on this topic that is quite far-fetched from

ashtanga yoga. Feel free to mail me at

yogangel.<br><br>Yogangel

[Guest guest]

Speaking of eye care and yoga, does anyone here

know anything about so called "eye yoga", exercises

for the eyes that can correct poor eyesight? It's

topic I've heard about in passing but I've never found

any substantial information about it. I think that

Alan Watts used these types of techniques to correct

his vision. Anyone ever tried it or know where to

find info on it? Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Alan Watts. A name I have not heard in a long while. Thanks for the

memories...<br>Sorry, I can't help with the eye-yoga stuff.

[Guest guest]

Eye Yoga - its called the Bates Method

[Guest guest]

do you mean those eye exericises like looking up,

down, side to side, all around, focusing and

refocusing, etc.? I have a book with some info, but it's from

India and not published here. I'm sure you can find the

exercises in some western books or on webistes. I used to

do these everyday; they can be fun. I can't give any

testimony, but it seems that if we did things like this

maybe we could keep the muscles of the eyes healthy

enough to avoid the problems that occur with aging.

[Guest guest]

As Guy pointed out, the Bates method is what you

are looking for. Also, I bet you are thinking of

Aldous Huxley, rather than Alan Watts. Huxley wrote a

book called The Art of Seeing, which seems to be out

of print. In this book he tells how he almost lost

his sight and regained it by practicing the Bates

method (if I remember correctly). There are a bunch of

books available on the Bates method. (look on

Amazon.com) There are also some books on yoga and eyesight.

(Its the same thing). When I started going to ashtanga

classes a few years ago we used to do eye exercises at

the end of led primary classes while resting in

savasana. With eyes closed, look up then down 5 or ten

times, then side to side, then diagonals, then half

circles (rainbows and "U"s), then full circles. Then rub

palms together until warm and place over eyes. If you

look in an anatomy book, you will see that each

eyeball has six main muscles attached to it. These can

have chronic tension just like other muscles. This is

what causes eyeballs to become misshapen, which is the

cause of most vision problems. I have bad eyes and

stopped wearing glasses 30 years ago. I know that I could

improve my eyesight but I guess I'm too lazy. You would

really have to work at it to fix your eyes, but it can

be done. There is a story of a zen guy who went into

a cave and looked at a fly on the wall for several

years to improve his vision. I used to have a "Tibetan

Eye Chart" that I found in a health food store. It

was just a fancy cross to help do eye exercises. It

has always pained me to see little kids by the

thousands being fitted with glasses, which they will wear

for life as their vision deteriorates and the doctors

act like this is normal and there is nothing that can

be done. I've been meaning to put up a web page with

more details, but its really pretty simple - just do

your eye yoga.

[Guest guest]

The Oct 2000 issue of Yoga Journal magazine has roughly 4 pages about eye

asanas. I have never done it, but it looks useful from what I've

read.<br><br>-mer

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all the info! I've thought of getting the surgery but I think I'll

look into the Bates Method instead. And practicing some exercises during

savasana sounds like a good idea. Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Not sure how the Bates method compares with the

yogic eye exercises. However, did know one guy who did

intensive work with the Bates method and brought his vision

from something like 20-80 back to 20-20. Drove home

without his glasses with a pranamayakosha high . . .

unfortunately, stopped the exercises and back came the blur.

>From what I gather, the exercises are pretty strenuous

and time consuming. I'm satisfied with my soft

disposable contacts; only problem being the after-practice

residue on the lenses.<br><br>When I have the money, I

might go for the Lasik. Have to decide first if I want

to give up scaling Everest in this lifetime -- just

read INTO THIN AIR account of the climber who lost his

Lasik vision (burst) due to the high altitude.

[Guest guest]

i think beck weathers, the pathologist on everest

(sorry, i'm being redundant) who had the eye procedure,

had a radial keratotomy. lasik wasn't out yet. RK is

a wicked sounding procedure discovered thru

serendipity by some russian md's. the cornea is incised in a

series of radial cuts which allows it to re-shape as it

heals. the newly healed better shaped cornea focuses

light better resulting in better vision. i'm not sure

if the low barometric pressure on everest causes

myopia but i'd have to say most everest-eers are by

definition myopic, only way anyone could ever get to the top

[Guest guest]

You're right. I didn't know of the difference.

[Guest guest]

After reading INTO THIN AIR, I agree with you

about Big Mountain Myopia. The reality overshadows the

romance . . . particularly considering what Beck Wethers

went through.<br><br>I can't think of a more poigniant

moment in the book, or any book -- being up a 27,000

feet rock, blind. And that was just the beginning of

what happened to the guy; what a story!

[Guest guest]

I had PRK a 4 or 5 years ago, and to tell the

truth I never even thought about any ill effects with

inversions. I never had any problems at all. I was in bed for

the weekend (mainly because I'm a big wimp, not that

the surgery itself was so bad). That Monday I was

back in court just like normal. (I'm an attorney not a

yoga criminal.) The surgery itself changed my life. It

was the best thing I've ever done for myself. Good

luck to you! I hope it works out well.