The new year is swinging into gear, and there is even a shawl of snow on the ground to remind us of the slow turn of seasons.
The immense body of yoga is slowly twisting forward too, and the first few weeks of the year have induced growing pains in the old tradition. A New York Times article recently trumpeted the fact that doing yoga poses can cause injury, and the Globe followed suit yesterday. Yogis across the country have responded pointedly to the Times article, and we've captured some of their more illuminating responses in "Yoga hurts?" below.
It's an undeniable truth that injury is possible, and we're wise to keep safety in mind when we engage yoga or in any physical activity. Our "7 ways to stay safe" article distills into a simple list the wisdom of a handful of Dancing Crow teachers - 7 brief principles to keep in mind as you practice yoga poses. We hope you'll find it useful.
Without commenting on the quality of the "science" in the article or the judgment of the Times editors who published it, we will note its potential usefulness. To the extent that the author reminds us to keep our attention on the events in our body while we practice, his article does every yogi a service. Real yoga is about linking the mind to the body, and not about getting better at poses. The New York Times article may precipitate a healthy change in our western practice of yoga, toward a more healthy and mindful approach.
Continuing with the theme of growth and change, "Through the kaleidoscope" chronicles a change Mid has recently observed in his own practice; "What is yoga, anyway" highlights some unexpected places where yoga has come to touch our culture. "A touch of beauty" contains a brief poem and video to impart a hopeful and healthy direction to whatever changes the new year brings you.
Stay tuned for next week's "Opportunities for my schedule" newsletter. We've got interesting workshops and new classes in the oven for February and March, and it will give you the details. We think you'll like them.
