Sounds familiar? I bet it does, the debate since emerging in the media sphere last year seems to be never ending. Debating is a good thing… when there is a legitimate ground for it! Unfortunately in our case, too many people have unnecessarily been scared away from trying yoga, because of exaggerated claims about the risks of the practice, somehow cannibalising its wealth of health benefits. You can rest reassure, Yoga Journal’s medical editor Timothy McCall M.D provides more solid arguments in response to the controversy in a recent interview with the Huffington Post. He recalls that “These are extraordinary claims about yoga, but they are backed by little if any good evidence.”, quoting the astronomer Carl Sagan. McCall also provides actual numbers: in 2007, the injury rate for yoga was about 3.5 people out of every 10,000 practitioners, it represents less than a quarter of the injury rate for weight training and less than a tenth of the injury rate for golf! The integrality of the article is definitely worth a read and available here. Plus! for more (relevant and useful) info, YogaUOnline, an online yoga educational resource, will broadcast FREE OF CHARGE from April 10-14, 2013 a telesummit on Yoga Injuries — Facts and Fiction. It features a number of leading yoga teachers who will shed some light on the real evidence and will discuss a number of related topics. The line-up of presenters is fantastic and includes Dr. Timothy McCall, Judith Hanson Lasater, Dr. Loren Fishman, Roger Cole, Jason Crandell, Leslie Kaminoff, Ellen Saltonstall, Dr. Baxter Bell, and other leading yoga teachers. The time difference is not always ideal if you follow the telesummit from Australia but the talks will be available 24 hours each day so you can listen in at your own convenience. Highly recommended, click here to register! Wishing you a happy & SAFE yoga practice!! ;-)
Any exercise will be injury prone if wrongly done otherwise yoga looks safest bet! That was great article, he actually clears off many things on yoga!
I cannot agree more with you Vini! This is also why mindfulness is fully part of the practice of yoga. Anyone doing yoga is invited to work with their own body, their own capabilities and limitations. The practice of yoga requires to create a safe environment for yourself. This doesn’t mean you cannot challenge yourself or go to that place of discomfort to allow growth to happen, but as Judith Hanson Lasater once said, “how we define the word challenge is extremely important”. “Challenging doesn’t mean pushing. It means inviting the student to explore their own freedom and their own growth in their own time and in their own way.” Thanks for commenting and sharing your view on such an important matter Vini! Namaste :-)