Yoga Woo

Really like this quote: "Yoga, therefore, fits into a more general phenomenon of marketing a specific intervention as if it has specific benefits, when in fact it only has generic benefits."

>Yoga, if practiced responsibly, seems to be a reasonably effective form of stretching and exercise. There is insufficient evidence, however, to conclude that it is any superior to any other form of exercise of the same duration and intensity. There are concerns about the safety of yoga, as it often involves extreme stretching or poses that the average person might find not only difficult but physically harmful. I would therefore recommend caution before starting a yoga routine. If you have any physical limitations or medical conditions, consult your physician and consider a physical therapy assessment first. Find an instructor who seems reasonable and evidence-based. And do not feel pressured to try poses that are painful or seem to push you beyond reasonable physical limits.

I've taken many classes with many instructors, and I can't remember a single one where one of the first things out of the instructor's mouth wasn't, "listen to your body, do what feels right, don't keep doing it if it hurts". It's probably happened, but it's rare.

Most will repeat this throughout the class just to remind people to not chase something they are not ready for.

> Further – all of the mystical and pseudoscientific woo that often accompanies yoga is counterproductive. It may be useful for marketing to the gullible, but it taints the entire practice with pseudoscience. I would also find it difficult to trust in the competence of an instructor who thinks a yoga pose will squeeze toxins out of my liver.

I think this article reveals a lack of understanding of yoga, because it writes off entire portions of of a practice developed over thousands of years of continuous improvement because it goes against their narrow worldview.

And if you actually look, there are plenty of papers showing evidence that the practice works, and that there is more to it than just stretching.

Yogic stretching is by far the most effective I have experienced compared to ballet, contemporary dance, martial arts, sports, and western gym classes. It really is designed to stretch every single muscle you've got, some that western medicine does not even know about yet. Most movement classes now incorporate elements of yoga.

The breathing techniques are also a lot more than just improving oxygen flow.

Same goes for the mental techniques, also developed over thousands of years of practice and improvement by people who dedicate their life to it.

And together, they combine to a holistic "maintenance cycle", as I like to call it, for the human body.

To write off parts of it just because they don't fit into a completely different worldview framework comes off as foolish and closed-minded to me.