On January 8th, 2012, the New York Times Sunday Magazine published an article stating that “the vast majority of people should give up yoga altogether,” as it’s “simply too likely to cause harm,” citing Iyengar Yoga teacher Glenn Black, who now resides in New York.  In the first Sunday edition of the new year, the article has stirred quite a controversial backlash from the yoga community, with many stepping forward with their response to the negative slants of the “dangers of yoga” that the article claims.

Of the responses that have come forth, that of Chris Beach, president of the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States (IYNAUS), who consulted with many Senior Iyengar Yoga teachers and sent a response letter to the New York Times, stands out.  The response letter points out many errors that they believed the article contained as well expressing dissent with its negative tone, in hopes that it will be published to put these issues to rest:

To the Editor:

If yoga hurts, it is not yoga. A student’s overreaching ego, a teacher’s ignorance – many causes may lead to injury while doing yoga, but yoga itself cannot be blamed. (more…)