'Yoga can Damage Your Body'- Says an Article from NYT

The New York Times prestigious Sunday magazine quoted that yoga can damage the body. This article was written by senior science writer William Broad, under the headline, 'How yoga can wreck your body'. Mr. William feels that yoga practitioners as well as tutors might be injuring themselves 'in droves' by over-ambitious and under-taught yoga moves. The article also carried views of local yoga veteran Glenn Black, who seriously hurt his back after years of practice. Mr. Black said, "The vast majority of people should give up yoga altogether because it's too likely to cause them serious damage."

Mr. Broad quoted doctors who claimed that they were increasingly seeing patients who had been injured from practicing yoga. He also spoke of crowded yoga classes and unqualified yoga teachers.

Anatomy experts also warn about the risks of inverted poses, which can strain cervical vertebrae or restrict blood flow into the head, either acutely or progressively.

Owner of Manhattan practice Reflections Yoga, Paula Tulsi said, "The controversy is massive. People in the circles I run in are going crazy, because lots of people who were going to try yoga - the people you can bring in and heal - are going to be afraid now and they'll think yoga's bad. That's so tragic and angering. It's not yoga, it's the bad translation or teaching of yoga that's the problem."

The yoga industry is outraged over this New York Times article.

According to the Centers for Disease Control Injury Center- more than 10,000 people receive treatment in the nation's emergency departments (ED) each day for injuries sustained in sports, recreation, and exercise. At least 1 of every 5 ED visits for an injury results from participation in sports or recreation. Therefore yoga, like any exercise, should be practiced with caution.

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Source-Medindia