Uproar over 'yoga can damage' story

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/14/yoga-can-damage-body-row

I've had back and neck injuries from overdoing it as a novice. I have some on and off lower back troubles and poses like Cobra can cause me problems if I push them too far. I also had my neck jam up once from holding a shoulder stand for too long which required a physic to fix! Part of the problem is my own competitive nature. I push myself too much and need to learn to slow down a little!


It should be looked at like any sport or physical pursuit, f you attempt to achieve too much, too soon, you're likely to hurt yourself. Adequate time needs to be allocated to warming up and cooling down and you can't underestimate the value of a good instructor who will push you to your level and challenge you but not ask you to achieve more than is reasonable.

well, yoga doesn't wreck your body, your ego does (and bad teachers allow it to get out of control)

I have been practicing yoga for 25 years, and apart from one sprained sacro-iliac joint (entirely the teacher's fault as she didn't understand my peculiar musco-skeletal structure and insisted on an alignment that works for other but not for me!) i have not sustained any injuries.


Since then i have been very very careful in my choice of teachers. Unfortunately in HK there are a lot of yoga teachers who care very little about students' safety.


I tried many yoga classes before choosing a studio, and i remember with horror instructors that included inversions such as headstands and shoulder stands, or deep back bends in a beginners class.

A lot of poses should only be performed by people who have had a regular practice for years, not days or weeks.


I don't understand why so many studios offer a very aggressive, very physical practice, when actually people would benefit more from a slow, mindful practice that focuses on mind-body harmonization, pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation and relaxation. I guess a lot of people look at yoga as a way of burning calories and getting buns of steel rather than stilling the mind and maintaining optimal health through gentle movement and stretching.