The New York Times magazine story “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body” is one of those articles that takes the contrarian viewpoint, seemingly just to be provocative. And in that way, it succeeds. It’s also one of those articles that allows the yoga haters — you know who you are — to come out of the closet with chants of “I told you so…” Well, enjoy but I’m afraid you’re wrong.
In case you haven’t read the article (and I hope you don’t), the point is that yoga is not the cure-all that’s been advertised and that you can actually, gasp, get injured in yoga. What’s truly infuriating about the piece are the photos of wacky, ill-dressed actors doing their level best to make fun of asanas or yoga poses. (note to self: don’t go to ‘Godspell’ which features these actors.)
As someone who practices yoga (when healthy) four times a week, I find the photos insulting and the article misguided. Yes, you can get injured doing yoga just like you can get injured in any form of exercise.
Right now, I am not practicing yoga because I am injured — from jogging! I severely strained a ligament in my knee and I only wish I had stuck to yoga.
I will grant you that the article makes a good point when it notes that there are all kinds of yoga classes out there and some are not very good. In that, the writer is correct. I’ve found some studios and teachers to be poor examples of what yoga can and should be. I think the worst classes are those that tip too far over into just pure exercise and abandon the principles of yoga which, by the way, is intended to link movement and breathing. Anything less than that is calisthenics.
Yoga, to me, is about getting out of your head a bit and entering a different state of mind. That’s why I stopped going to one studio (where I had a pass for unlimited yoga for a month for $20) when, at the first class I took, every student was looking at his or her blackberries, iPhones or iPads. That’s no way to prepare for a yoga class my busy, anxious friends.
But if you go to a great yoga class (and there are great teachers out there like Tara Stiles at Stralayoga in Manhattan or Sarah Lewis at Jaya Yoga Center in Brooklyn), you’ll get a great workout and feel relaxed at the end of class. You’ll flat out feel better and, when that happens, there’s no exercise in the world quite like it.
I am with you Paul. I saw the article and chose not to read it. Plus I too injurednmyself running andnam just now able to return, gently, to yoga.
I agree with you 100%!!! Yoga is not a cure all…again nothing is! But its not as bad as the NY Times claims! Lets look at all the things that can hurt us…jogging, biking, hiking, walking, sports, climbing stairs, bending over, cleaning, working….etc! Give me a break this article, the more and more I think about it, is exactly like you say, written for the people that HATE yoga and hate what yoga is about. I am absolutely sick of reading about this “yoga is bad for you” subject. I have found yoga is a great benefit for me. I’ve gotten hurt more doing other activities other than yoga! Thanks for you opinion! I enjoyed it!
I injured my knee from hiking almost 2 years ago… it was my yoga practice that brought my knee back to health. So, I don’t understand all this “yoga is bad for your body”. It’s not the practice itself, it has a lot to do with having great teachers who can teach students how to go beyond their egos on what a pose is “suppose” to look like.
I am very happy a book has finally been written about the risks and rewards of yoga.
I too had monthly deductions of unlimited yoga $125.
Very happy I finally got out. I feel the yoga became very
addicting and brought more strain, pain and competition injuring
my shoulder along the way.
Why should a yoga class play rock and lyrics that entice
your senses and lure you to self destruction?