As I walked in to teach a step class a few weeks ago, I heard members talk about an article in the New York Times, "How Yoga Wreaks Our Bodies" by William Broad. William Broad interviewed Glenn Black, a classic Yogi teacher of over 40 years who studied in Pune,India, not about the virtues of Yoga, but the damage it can do to the body. The teacher sited several instances when Yoga participants had been injured and went on to say that yoga is not for everybody. In 2001 there were approximately 4 million yoga participants in the United States and by 2011 that number grew to almost 20 million. An additional, 16 million participants means there are a lot more Yoga studios and even more Yoga teachers. That is a lot of growth in a short period of time and one has to think about quality. Black used the word “ego” several times. Teachers and students alike suffer injuries because they have a "do it or die" attitude not listening to what is good for them. The ego gets in the way with any kind of exercise at all stages of life. I always tell my class participants “listen to your body” and “take breaks when needed”. Some listen. Most all of us can exercise safely at all points in life, but we might need to accept what Joseph Pilates said years ago. “Not every exercise is for everybody.”
Source: New York Times Jan.5, 2012 How Yoga Wreaks Your Body
