That's a funny and wry response. But in all seriousness - and I've been kind of quiet about this, seeing all the buzz from yogis going about, I've almost felt like a crazy dissenter - I have to say I didn't think the article was totally off the mark. It was too alarmist, but from personal experience I had to agree with a lot of it. Despite all the years of training as a dancer, all the hours logged in anatomy and kinesiology, all the training I did with some of the best Iyengar teachers - basically relying on all the knowledge and body awareness that I had accumulated over 20+ years, (i.e. I was not some fly by night yogi who up and decided to teach without knowing my ass from my elbow) - my back hurt constantly during the years I taught and practiced daily. Specifically my left Si joint. It got to the point where I could pop it in and out of place. I tried everything to heal it. I modified poses, stopped doing others, did PT and acupuncture, consulted with my teachers. I kept looking for the one specific thing that was causing the pain, but I couldn't find it. It stopped hurting when I stopped teaching and stopped practicing asana daily. Now I just do a little and only what feels good and I do it however I please with no hard and fast rules. I have really come to believe that many of the poses aren't for everyone (and not just the crazy galavasana type poses, but many bread and butter poses), are not a panacea for health (or spiritual) woes and sometimes - not always, but possibly - can do more harm than good. I was totally in agreement about the headstand - I've felt that way about it for years. It is not an appropriate pose for many people - especially people like myself with a long cervical spine that makes it almost impossible to achieve an even base. Anyway ... just a personal perspective from someone who at one time one of the biggest advocates for all the healing benefits from a solid daily practice.
On Six Reasons To Ignore The 'New York Times' Yoga Article
That's a funny and wry response. But in all seriousness - and I've been kind of quiet about this, seeing all the buzz from yogis going about, I've almost felt like a crazy dissenter - I have to say I didn't think the article was totally off the mark. It was too alarmist, but from personal experience I had to agree with a lot of it. Despite all the years of training as a dancer, all the hours logged in anatomy and kinesiology, all the training I did with some of the best Iyengar teachers - basically relying on all the knowledge and body awareness that I had accumulated over 20+ years, (i.e. I was not some fly by night yogi who up and decided to teach without knowing my ass from my elbow) - my back hurt constantly during the years I taught and practiced daily. Specifically my left Si joint. It got to the point where I could pop it in and out of place. I tried everything to heal it. I modified poses, stopped doing others, did PT and acupuncture, consulted with my teachers. I kept looking for the one specific thing that was causing the pain, but I couldn't find it. It stopped hurting when I stopped teaching and stopped practicing asana daily. Now I just do a little and only what feels good and I do it however I please with no hard and fast rules. I have really come to believe that many of the poses aren't for everyone (and not just the crazy galavasana type poses, but many bread and butter poses), are not a panacea for health (or spiritual) woes and sometimes - not always, but possibly - can do more harm than good. I was totally in agreement about the headstand - I've felt that way about it for years. It is not an appropriate pose for many people - especially people like myself with a long cervical spine that makes it almost impossible to achieve an even base. Anyway ... just a personal perspective from someone who at one time one of the biggest advocates for all the healing benefits from a solid daily practice.