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Old 01-06-12, 04:57 PM  
Susan G.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SharonNYC View Post
Jill would naturally link to the article -- Glenn Black is her teacher.

While I think we should all be more conscious about avoiding injury, I think there was a definite skew in this article. There are some styles of yoga that are more about pushing than others and some are more about alignment and body integrity. And there are students that gravitate along the whole spectrum. I did sense a bit of scare tactic, a bit of sensationalism. Curious about the book, but this was not the greatest first impression for me.

And I've gotten my most serious injuries walking on sidewalks and down stairs. Hey, I've even hurt myself in my sleep.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't speak up if a teacher is asking us to exceed our limits. And this doesn't mean we shouldn't try to be aware of those limits. The student-teacher equation is a relationship, a partnership. It's an interaction, not a servile situation. Or shouldn't be.

If anyone feels they have to give up their autonomy by walking into a class, best not to go in the door.
I hesitated to post the article, because it is alarmist, and only presents that viewpoint. Any physical activity has risks, any activity has risks as does inactivity. All living is downright dangerous.

I've done beginning yoga every day for over two years with only a couple of extremely minor injuries. I notice feeling better and moving more efficiently. At age 60, I have no way of determining what injuries the yoga PREVENTED. That's what the article fails to discuss.
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Old 01-06-12, 05:33 PM  
susan p
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You could replace the word "yoga" in that statement with kettlebells, Crossfit, Zumba, running or practically any other fitness craze. People go overboard (either wanting instant results or loving it so much that they don't recover or progress properly) and get injured, combined with instructors who only want to jump on the gravy train and never knew much about teaching people to begin with.
Sue, you are exactly right! That's what I meant by my comment upthread, I just didn't say it as well. And as Sharon pointed out, you can hurt yourself walking down stairs or even in your sleep. Life isn't safe. You have to be careful, with yoga, as with any workout, as with any activity whatsoever! I do think there was some important info in the article, though, as so many people have a tendency to think of yoga as healing every ill out there, mostly because you see articles right and left about how yoga is good for back pain and yoga is good for menopausal symptoms and yoga is good for depression and yoga is good for headaches and yoga is good for stress and yoga is good for whitening your teeth! It's a little ridiculous, some of the almost supernatural powers attributed to yoga. So while this article was a little sensationalist, I think it was simply sensationalist in the opposite direction of articles that promote yoga as some sort of cure-all.

It's not as dangerous as juggling sharp knives and it's not the solution to every probloem in your life. It's a workout. Like anything, be careful.
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Old 01-06-12, 05:42 PM  
susan p
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Originally Posted by LunaSea View Post
Here is a quote from the link I posted above (MedicineNet):

"High myopia (greater than 5 or 6 diopters of nearsightedness) increases the risk of a retinal detachment. In fact, the risk increases to 2.4% as compared to a 0.06% risk for a normal eye at 60 years of age. (Diopters are units of measurement that indicate the power of the lens to focus rays of light.)"
THanks for the link!! So your risk of retinal detachment increases to 2.4% in general, if you're just standing there, right? How much might it increase if you are upside down? If you combine severe myopia with the pressure of a headstand, how much does the risk increase at that point?

I will ask one of my ophthalmologists (I have a staff, lol) that question.
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Old 01-06-12, 05:49 PM  
LunaSea
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Susan - Yes, let us know what your specialist says. Thank you!
I'm also curious if all inversions are equal. It seems that with headstand there is more pressure than with other inversions (handstands or forearm balance).

From what I can find in the research literature there are studies that show that headstand increases risk for those with the pre-existing condition of glaucoma (no mention of increasing risk for average folks or those with high myopia). I imagine it's not easy to find a subject pool for this kind of study.
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Old 01-06-12, 05:54 PM  
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I read the article with interest and I agree with Sue B. We can easily overdo something good and hurt ourselves, or jump into it without proper care because it's supposed to be good.

The story of the 28-year-old woman who was half paralized after doing the arc was scary! I have lifted myself up into that pose often

The article got me thinking about systems like P57, that recommend doing 5 hrs a week of their exercises (and include splits!), or Tracy Anderson who has you doing the same exercises 10 days (with only one rest day).
I think it's easy to overwork some muscles to the detriment of others, or injure oneself by working the body the same way day after day after day. These systems also promise a lot to those who embrace them fully and are dedicated and consistent (in Tanya Becker's words), and (P57) also sells itself as balanced and very good for the body because it includes orthopedic stretches, but you could injure yourself if you try to do the splits!
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Old 01-06-12, 06:48 PM  
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I suffered a number of injuries during yoga teacher training, as did some people in my class. I agree that one needs to actually be in pretty good shape to be able to do yoga safely. And teachers don't always know. I let Melanie Fawer, one of like 12 women in the world certified to teach Ashtanga, put me into Marichyasana D and tore something in my chest that took weeks to heal. I also injured my hand working on arm balances. I guess people need to be super aware of their bodies and limitations, but I thought I was.

From what I know, a pose is considered inverted when your heart is below your legs, or your legs above your heart, so no, bending forward and down dog are not inversions.
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Old 01-06-12, 06:51 PM  
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Interesting article. I think the key is, no competition with yourself or others. So many times, over and over, the yoga teacher will say, 'If you're straining, back off the move. This should feel good.' Sometimes moves can be intense but they should never be an endurance test. I don't care if I never progress beyond so-called 'beginner' yoga. That's not the point of yoga. It's how I feel after the practice that counts. And during good old savasana, where 'all the magic happens'.
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Old 01-06-12, 07:36 PM  
karjoy
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I thought the article was pretty scientific in terms of knowledge of anatomy, for example, the verterbral artery in the brain and spinal cord, and the ability to occlude blood flow to this area doing things like shoulder stands and other poses where the cervical spine is flexed or extended, and especially when the neck is loaded with body weight. Many of these exercises load the cervical vertebrae as well. Perhaps one should not work on high level inversion moves unless you have some prior Yoga training. Fortunately, sounds like these injuries are rare. I was encouraged to do a headstand in class once and did one. Then I firmly told the instructor I was not doing more as it just did not feel right to me. Kareng
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Old 01-06-12, 08:30 PM  
killoffsonny
 
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I have tendinitis in my shoulder from yoga. I practiced yoga seriously at a yoga studio for a year then quit going and joined a gym. A few months after doing yoga at the gym my shoulder started bothering me. It's just not the same type of instruction. Just saying.
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Old 01-06-12, 09:35 PM  
bfj
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This is a great discussion. One has to listen to her/his body and be smart to align the body correctly in any form of activity.

Here's one of the articles in response to the original article:

http://bernadettebirney.com/2012/01/...-out-loud.html
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