(originally posted 2/8/2012)
If aliens were to land on Earth and come across an apple and a banana, they would probably be amazed to discover that both are classified as “fruit.” Yoga, like fruit, comes in a vast assortment of varieties and styles.
Yesterday, I read an article in the Boston Globe entitled “How to Avoid Yoga Injuries” and was astounded to read the following: “Yoga is a strength building activity…so you need to give your muscles a chance to recuperate and recover from those microtears that occur after every workout.”
While I agree that Yoga is strength-building, I would argue that there are styles of Yoga out there which are not based on the current exercise model of how to strengthen muscles. In fact, I teach one of those styles, which is called “Svaroopa® Yoga” and which is based on a completely different paradigm of the body. In our classes, we build muscle strength and flexibility by releasing tension in the muscles connected to the spine. This approach does not result in “microtears” – rather it results in an amazing feeling of bliss and well-being.
As I read the Globe article, I thought that it was like someone saying “you may hurt your teeth while eating fruit when biting into the hard outer layer.”… Maybe for apples, but for bananas as well???
If you are considering trying a Yoga class (or if you have done Yoga in the past and didn’t like it), I encourage you to research the different types and figure out what you want to get from a class. Don’t deprive yourself of bananas just because you once tried an apple and broke a tooth! And if you are getting scared away from Yoga because you are reading all the articles in the current news, recognize that Yoga in the United States is so varied, it is hard to make generalizations. Again, do some research… and then try several different styles to see what best fits your needs.
Remember, it’s meaningless to compare apples to bananas. You might as well compare apples to oranges.
