Is Yoga too dangerous for most of us? That, according to William J. Broad, is the conviction Glenn Black, a highly-regarded yoga instructor who has taught the discipline for 40 years. Writing in the New York Times magazine, Broad quotes Black saying “the vast majority of people†should give up yoga because it’s likely to cause harm. Yikes! The reason, says Black, has less to do with yoga and more to do with the lack of muscle tone in the hordes of people who decide in mid-age that yoga is just what they need to get in shape, that combined with the inexperience of the smaller hordes of yoga instructors required to teach the masses. Broad tells us that the number of Americans doing yoga has risen from about 4 million in 2001 to what some estimate to be as many as 20 million in 2011. Broad, a senior science writer at the Times, has a lot to say in the piece, and much more to say in his book “The Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards,†to be published next month by Simon and Schuster.
Glenn Black “The Anatomy of Yoga” from Omega Institute on Vimeo.
This conclusion is probably taken out of context for media dramatization. Many physical activities can cause harm if done incorrectly. As a middle aged practitioner of yoga using video instruction I can say that yoga has improved my overall strength, balance and strengthens my lower back so that I can enjoy other activities such as cycling.