Yogis come from all different backgrounds, and some require the use of corrective lenses, either eyeglasses or contact lenses (i.e., wear glasses for yoga).
Just because yogis wear corrective lenses does not mean they are restricted from practicing yoga.
It has been said that some yoga instructors do not allow eyeglasses to be worn in class, most likely because of the risks. If you absolutely need your glasses during your yoga practice, talk to the instructor before class begins.
There are ways to wear eyeglasses as well as contact lenses if you are consistent in your yoga practice. There are specific safety precautions to take if you wear glasses during your yoga practice, as well as a different perspective on your practice if you go without corrective lenses during yoga.
Some yogis wear glasses that will practice without them on to challenge themselves and strengthen their other senses. Some yogis do not care for wearing eyeglasses and some yogis that do not care for contact lenses.
It is important to note that everyone has their own personal preference as to which corrective lenses they feel most comfortable in, on and off of the mat.
The Best Glasses for Yoga – Proper Styles
There is a particular style of eyeglasses that is best for yogis that want to wear glasses while doing yoga.
If your usual everyday style of glasses are thick, stylish frames and could often slide off your face if you deal with sweat or just overtime throughout the day, you may want to have an extra pair of glasses just for yoga practice.
There are inexpensive glasses to have as second pairs, so if money is an issue for the yogi, do not worry.
Having a second pair of eyeglasses is excellent because one pair is to wear for everyday life and the other pair is specifically for yoga – lightweight, thin and plastic frames that are perfect for your yoga practice.
You may even find that your yoga eyeglasses are suitable for everyday life as well.
The perfect style of glasses for yoga practice are glasses that are lightweight, thin frames that are plastic and not metal, so they do not fall off your face.
Plastic frames are best for certain poses because if you do start to feel sweat on your face, your glasses will not fall off of your face. Select Specs are about $13.00, inexpensive lightweight, thin plastic frames that are good for yoga practice.
If your regular frames are thick, this may be due to having a powerful prescription, and you may find thin frames very useful for you.
Another great style for yogis that wear glasses during yoga is tight sidearms on the frames of the glasses.
This style is perfect because the tight arms ensure that the glasses stay close and snug on your face, so they do not fall off.
These glasses can also be universal because you can wear them on the mat during yoga practice as well as off the mat during your everyday life.
It is important to note that if your side arms and frames are incredibly tight, they can actually give you a headache instead of helping you. Be sure to have frames that are tight enough for practice and everyday life but not too tight.
On the other end of the scale, some yogis wear glasses that do not necessarily need them all of the time to assist with sight.
Glasses are an accessory and can be accessorized to fit the wearer’s style. Some yogis pick glasses that are the perfect accessory for yoga class but do not wear out of yoga practice.
Glasses can be used as a form of self-expression and used to express a bold identity, and some yogis take pride in this, knowing how they feel when they wear them.
Safety Tips: Glasses for Yoga
If yogis want to keep their glasses on during yoga, there are a few safety tips to consider. Although it is entirely possible to wear glasses during yoga, it is essential to stay safe, in the form of keeping your body and your eyes safe.
Not following safety tips when wearing glasses during yoga could result in a painful experience for the yogi.
Purchasing glasses that fit your face tightly and do not fall off of your face when you put your head down is critical because if your glasses fall down your face just when you move your head, it is recommended not to wear those during yoga.
Make sure they are correctly fitted, not too tight but tight enough to stay on your face for the whole practice as well as the day.
Although some yogis prefer to do certain poses with their glasses off, it is still important to have glasses that properly fit your face.
Once you have glasses that fit your face to form, use straps to put on the back of your glasses so that the lenses are more secure.
The straps go on the ends of the glasses behind your ears and fall to rest on the back of your neck down your back.
If you have a strap in place, your glasses are bound to stay in place on your face. If you feel as though you need to take a break during class to wipe your face and re-adjust your glasses, then you should do that.
Having glasses that fit your face correctly and a strap is good, but you also need to focus on poses that you are doing.
Be mindful of doing poses that require you to be upside down and that have your face towards the ground because you could lose your balance and fall flat on your face breaking your glasses, which could turn out to be disastrous.
It is important to note that if you do injure yourself during yoga practice because you fell in a position that broke your glasses on your face, then please consult your doctor immediately.
Ditch the Eyeglasses and Challenge Yourself
There is another approach to consider when doing yoga.
While most yogis that wear glasses outside of yoga practice and off the mat, do need them to see and make it through the day, a new approach could be to try practice without wearing glasses.
Without glasses, some wearers of glasses feel naked and vulnerable.
Blurriness and dizziness could also happen, and this will make some people extremely uncomfortable.
Sight can be looked at as one of our most used senses, and some would say they cannot do life without it.
While that may be true when someone does not have the ability or luxury of sight, their other senses become strengthened to make up for that lack, and it requires a new level of trust.
Not wearing glasses or contact lenses during practice strengthens your nervous system as well and the sensors that your body uses for balance.
One of the benefits of yoga is to practice inner focus and to trust yourself enough.
If yogis do not wear glasses or their contact lenses during yoga practice, they are forced to trust their instinct and listen more intently to the yoga instructor.
The loss of sight is a challenge for individuals who are used to having sight, but the other senses will, over time, become more heightened.
If you have been doing yoga for a while and you try yoga practice without glasses, you can begin to test your trust in your own instinct of remembering poses and listening to how poses are done with just your ears and not your seeing with your eyes.
Now, you can challenge yourself but doing poses with your eyesight blurred. Of course, if you feel dizzy for the whole entire practice, then consult your doctor immediately after class or leave class right away.
Another option would be to continue to wear your glasses.
Change Your Routine
Some yogis want to challenge themselves in different ways. Not only can yogis ditch their glasses and challenge themselves during yoga practice but they can also change their routine within their yoga practice.
Having a change in routine also challenges the yogi. If you always go to the same yoga class or still do the same poses in certain sequences, try going to a different yoga class style or change poses.
This can be for at-home practices or studio practices, maybe try going to a different studio location.
Trying different yoga styles can stimulate your mental, emotional and physical well-being and this can also go into not wearing your eyeglasses or contact lenses during practice when you usually do.
This is especially good because if you are used to doing yoga poses in your glasses and your glasses have always fallen off of your face during practice, you can try doing poses that will not have your glasses falling off your face constantly.
Yogis can try doing poses that require less movement of their head being upside down which includes arm balances, headstands, and handstands.
This approach will, of course, be a ton of trial and error, but once you find your niche, you will feel comfortable and more comfortable to keep trying new ways.
Some yogis are staunch to their specific yoga practice and only do certain styles and certain poses.
If you do go to studio practices, talk to your yoga instructor before or after class to find ways to incorporate your wearing of glasses into your own practice by altering poses or doing poses specifically for glasses wearers.
If you do an at-home practice make sure your practice is catered towards glasses wearers and do research for that since you are not in class to speak with the yoga instructor about it.
Make sure your poses are safe because you are practicing at home and will not have all of the benefits of practicing at a studio. Utilize the internet to find specific poses and tips for yogis that wear glasses.
Eyeglasses vs. Contact Lenses
While some yogis wear both glasses and contact lenses, at separate times, of course, some yogis are sticking to one side and staying there.
There has been research and debate regarding whether eyeglasses or contact lenses are better for your eyes. At the end of the day, it is personal preference and whatever you feel most comfortable in.
Some yogis do not like wearing glasses because they may fall down their face too many times throughout the day and the smudging on the lenses could become bothersome.
On the other side, some yogis do not like wearing contact lenses because over time they could cause damage to your eyes and your sight.
Some yogis complain that contact lenses become dry and also dry their eyes out which could become uncomfortable.
For yogis that would like a change from eyeglasses to contact lenses, especially for yoga practice, can purchase inexpensive contact lenses from Select Specs, which happens be the same company that makes the lightweight, thin plastic glasses frames.
These contact lenses are one-day wearing use and keep your eyes from becoming dry and irritated.
You can wear these contact lenses to yoga class and keep them in for the rest of the day to give them a try. Imagine having contact lenses just for yoga class and not having to worry about wearing glasses.
If that is your preference then this is the best option for you; ditching eyeglasses only for yoga class and replacing with one-day wear contact lenses.
If you are done with wearing glasses and/or contact lenses, a solution to wearing glasses and/or contact lenses is to have LASIK, a corrective eye surgery that corrects your sight so much so that you no will no longer need corrective lenses of any kind.
This may be an option that some yogis may take if they are done with wearing both glasses and contact lenses. It is important to note that recovery from LASIK eye surgery differs for everyone and to be patient with yourself on and off the mat.
Conclusion
If you are a yogi that wears glasses and have been having issues with your glasses falling off of your face during every practice, you can alter your practice.
Alter in the sense that you can do poses that stop your glasses from falling off of your face or you can alter the type of glasses you are wearing.
Some yogis wear eyeglasses for a fashion statement as some would say, an accessory. Accessories can be anything and glasses worn as such to yoga class.
Some yogis like to make bold fashion statements with specific accessories specifically for their yoga practice.
Wearing lightweight, thin, plastic frames will prevent your glasses from falling off of your face during practice and in particular poses.
We recommend frames that are made of plastic, and not metal, because it is a more comfortable material to wear when sweating.
Having glasses that have tighter side arms will keep your glasses secure and on your face as well as straps that will be attached to your side arms and fall down your neck keeping your glasses in place.
Some yogis have a preference for eyeglasses or a preference for contact lenses and have their own specific reasons for that.
There are pros and cons to both options, and the yogi just has to pick which option is best for them.
Not wearing glasses and contact lenses altogether will challenge the yogi to trust their instincts and muscle memory to remember how to do certain poses but with blurred vision or a feeling of dizziness.
Visual chaos should be embraced during yoga practice and yoga is about learning how to move towards inner focus as well as learning to have grace with yourself when you need it most.
If you are doing yoga without your usual eyeglasses and contact lenses, your other senses will be strengthened over time because they will have to step in since your site will be challenged.
LASIK eye surgery, a corrective eye surgery, is also an option if you are entirely done with wearing eyeglasses and/or contact lenses altogether. But it is important to remember that the recovery period for LASIK eye surgery differs for everyone and not to compare your recovery to another person’s recovery.
Another approach is to change your routine of class completely, try going to different yoga style classes or trying different poses.
Try poses that will not have your glasses falling down your face, altering your poses will enhance your yoga practice.
If you have an at-home yoga practice, do plenty of research to find out which poses are best for you without the hands-on assistance of a yoga instructor from class.
If you are a yogi that wears eyeglasses regularly and are always hesitant about going to practice, keep these tips in mind to help you next time you roll out your mat.
Just because you are a glasses wearer does not mean that you cannot enjoy yoga and its benefits.
If at any point you feel uncomfortable during class without your eyeglasses or contact lenses, please speak with the instructor after or before class or chat with the other yogis.
Yoga is the last place that yogis need to feel uncomfortable or not welcomed.