My Brief Two Cents & Some Thoughtful Responses to the NY Times Article

Earlier this month the NY Times published an article entitled How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body and it quickly went viral. I was truly disappointed by the content of this article and found it to provide very little useful information while it was very high in sensationalism.  While I have decided not to write a full response to this article myself as I am currently on vacation with my family I have chosen to post some of my favorite responses to this article as I think they are very well written and are in alignment with my feelings on the subject.

When yoga asana is practiced in an intelligent way with focus and attention as well as a life affirming intention it has the potential to heal on many levels. The same asana practiced in an aggressive or unconscious way has the potential to harm. It is that simple. As an experienced yoga teacher  I am well aware of this and for that reason have committed to hundreds of hours of formal training with world class teachers so that I can guide my students safely and with confidence through a practice that will enhance their well being rather than cause harm. It is also why  I am committed to teaching alignment based styles of yoga and am constantly encouraging my students to make a serious commitment to both their practice and their overall physical, mental, and emotional health.

Again I could say much more on the subject but I think that the following teachers and health professionals have already said it all and hope that reading their articles will ease some of the fear based reactions that the NY Times article has provoked

Aadil Palkhivala’s Response to NY Times Article

Yoga, Injuries, and William J. Broad’s Trainwreck.

Eva Norlyk Smith, PhD’s Response

Anusara Yoga Teacher Bernadette Birney’s Response.

Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Eddie Stern’s Response.

Sarah Miller’s Hilarious Response! Love this one!