I started doing Yoga regularly in June. And I'm totally hooked. It's the only workout I actually look forward to. Maybe it's because the end of the class involves laying flat on the mat with a lavender scented eye pillow. Or maybe it's because with each practice, I learn something new, or see a small improvement from the week before. There are tons of mind and body benefits -- which explains why people pack into studios like little Lululemon-wearing sardines.
That's why I was so surprised by this opinion piece in the NYTimes. Maureen Dowd (an avid yogi herself) takes a look at science writer William Broad’s new book, The Science of Yoga: The Myths and the Rewards, which basically claims yoga can make you insane, fat and/or seriously injured. (Click on that link, it's kinda crazy.)
Umm, what?
There's no way those arm-toning chatarungas are making me fat. I will bench press this science writer and show him what's up.
Regardless of what's in this book, I'm not going to stress out about the alleged downside of yoga. With any exercise, you can be at risk for injury. And let's face it, I'm not exactly doing one-handed headstands while in the splits. Yoga helps me take a breather (literally) from the stress of everyday life for a bit, and just focus on the "now". It's a great, challenging workout, that's given me a new appreciation for incense and Ani diFranco music. And it's something I've been able to stick to ... unlike fitness fads that come and go.
Do you believe the hype from this book?
Monday, October 10, 2011
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