Yoga - exercising your common sense

The following is an extract from an article I wrote for this month's MKPulse magazine.

Yoga has been getting a lot of mileage in the international press of late. A recent article in theNew York Times, called How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body, caused some major ripples in the normally tranquil yoga scene, with ripostes and counter ripostes flying across the blogosphere. More recently, the gentleman behind the piece, an American author, sparked further controversy with irresponsible, headline grabbing phrases like “yoga can kill you” to market his latest book. Between the pro-yoga advocates and the scare-mongering sensationalists, how is anyone who might consider yoga classes for the first time meant to navigate a sound, sensible foray into the world of Downward Facing Dog?

The answer, of course, is plain old common sense. I know it sounds a little glib, but everything is dangerous… flying in planes, driving your car, jogging. Any exercise programme can cause injury or, in extreme circumstances, kill you. No sensible personal trainer would insist on an unfit couch potato running a half marathon during the first week of their new gym membership. Comparing yoga to other activities puts things in perspective. According to an American study in the nineties, the sports with the highest risk of injuries in descending order were cycling, basketball, softball, running and skiing. Yoga did not appear in the list at all.

So where does that leave the prospective yogini? I strongly feel that you should approach yoga as you would any proper exercise regime. Consult your doctor first and foremost if you have any health issues or concerns. Your next step is to find a qualified teacher. It is not a personal insult to ask a yoga teacher (or any fitness professional for that matter) to see their qualifications; you need to do this for your personal safety and peace of mind. And then you need to shop around. Yoga teaching is a growing profession. There are thousands of teachers in the UK, teaching many different styles of yoga. Each teacher’s approach and style is as unique as their fingerprint, and the myriad ‘types’ of yoga can be confusing and really very diverse. Ask around and do your own research into what’s out there and what might suit your needs. If you don’t enjoy a class (it might be too boring or too athletic for you) or if you feel the teacher is not professional or properly trained, then don’t go back again. But don’t give up…try another teacher or another style. If you are very fit and enjoy a more demanding exercise class, try an Ashtanga or Vinyasa Flow class. If you would rather have something more gentle, try a beginners’ Hatha class or even a more nurturing Restorative Yoga session.

Please just remember that your body (your posture, flexibility, strength, range of motion in the joints) is a reflection of a LIFETIME of daily habits. The way you have sat, walked, stood and exercised over your entire life has formed your body; and this will be different from the teacher’s body and that of the person on the mat next to you. So your yoga poses will not look exactly like theirs. Your practice is about developing a relationship with your body, about developing body awareness and about discovering your strengths and your limits; most importantly it is about working within those limits. The teacher cannot feel what you feel. They are there to guide you safely into proper alignment and to get you to challenge yourself; but they cannot know when it pinches, tweaks, pulls or hurts you. A good teacher should be able to deal with different levels of fitness, strength and flexibility in a class and beginners should be treated with the proverbial kid gloves until the teacher has had a chance to assess the students’ abilities. Competition has no place in yoga, and no one should be pushed beyond what they can comfortably achieve. If a teacher forces you to do an advanced pose – like a headstand– before you feel ready to, take responsibility for your own health, say no, and look for another teacher. And just remember, you are statistically more likely to die from being stepped on by a cow (Google it, it’s true!) than by stepping on to the yoga mat.