"U.S. doctors are beginning to question the potential for injury among those who practice Bikram yoga, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Participants typically spend 90 minutes doing 26 yoga postures - positions that some physicians worry are harmful-in a very hot room."
""Heat increases one's metabolic rate, and by warming you up, it allows you to stretch more.' said Dr. Robert Gotlin, director of orthopedic and sports rehabilitation at the Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan."
"But once you stretch a muscle beyond 20 or 25 percent of its resting lenght you begin to damage a muscle."
"Each week, he sees as many as five yoga-related injuries to the knees or the lower back. Postures that require extreme bending of the knees-squats and sittingbackward on folded legs, for exeample-are the likely to cause tears in knee cartilage."
"In Bikram yoga, students practice the "toe stand pose" a single-legged sqaut and the 'fixed firm pose, ' sitting backward with bent knees."
Power yoga can cause powerful aches, pains. Ira Dreyfuss. Los Angles Times, 13 december 1998, Bulldog Edition, Section : Part A, p. A-10.
"Aging baby boomers sometimes find that the popular workout is too strenuous. Experts say instructors should spot potential problems and novices should go slow. Newcomers to yoga may find an unexpected twist-instead of growing stronger and more flexible, they get hurt. As yoga grows in popularity, instructors and students should watch out for positions that can get the student hurt, an expert warns."
Bend it like the stars and risk wrecking your health., Campbell, Denis. The Observer, 8 September 2002. Email de l’auteur : denis.campbell@observer.co.uk.
"An increasing number of yoga's army of converts are finding that contorting themselves into complicated positions can hurt their backs and knees, damage their groins, make them faint, bring on splitting headaches and tear muscles and ligaments. One even ruptured his cruciate (knee) ligament from attempting one of yoga's simpler poses." "Devotees will be horrified to learn that many of yoga's most popular positions, such as the cobra, the plough and even touching your toes, are among those likeliest to cause injury."
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“Doctors and physiotherapists report seeing a sudden upsurge in patients suffering pain who thought yoga would make them strong and flexible like the celebrities whose endorsement of yoga has sent its popularity soaring…”
Former instructor warns of yoga's spiritual implications. Jim Brown OneNewsNow.com. February 2, 2007. [Traduction] Un ancien maître yogi avertit des implications spirituelles.
Dangerous yoga. Sharmila Ganesan. TNN. The times of India. July 2, 2007.
"Orthopaedician Dr Nandu Lad of Mumbai has come across many cases of cervical spondylitis (pain in the shoulder blade) resulting from the improper practice of yoga. Knee pains and backaches, he says, are the most common side-effects." "Patients with high blood pressure, hypertension and heart diseases are advised against performing headstands and other asanas that could aggravate their problem. Some postures may also cause internal bleeding in those with ulcers."
In over their heads: Americans' competitive nature and a dearth of seasoned instructors mean more injuries on the yoga mat. Jameson, Marnell. Los Angeles Times, 13 August 2001.
When Yoga Hurts. Times, October 4, 2007.
"But with more than 14 million people practicing yoga or tai chi nationwide, up 136% since 2000, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and chiropractors across the country are dealing with the increasing fallout from yoga gone awry. Over the past three years, 13,000 Americans were treated in an emergency room or a doctor's office for yoga-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission."
Indian Gurus and unsafe yoga practice. By Indian Foundation for Scientific Yoga. Free-Press-Release.com. January 28, 2006.
"Are all yoga exercises safe to teach through the TV media and can the same exercise be taught to all people with various health conditions? This is the question which requires deeper digging into the subject of yoga itself otherwise the consequences of doing yoga practice could be more dangerous than beneficial said Subodh Gupta, Yoga expert from India." "This exercise (kapalabhati breathing technique) even though having tremendous benefits, can be equally dangerous if somebody has heart disease or problem related to hernia said Subodh." "Similarly there are number of other yoga postures which require great precautions."
Letter to the editor on the negative aspects of breath-holding from a conventional point of view. Bill Dandy. Yoga Today, February 1981, 5(10):31.
School Yoga Fitness Programs May Be Unhealthy Alternative, Author Warns. Jim Brown, literary critic on the book “Super Sized Kids”, AgapePress, October 2005.
"An award-winning medical journalist and Christian author is expressing concern that some American schools are introducing students to yoga, a practice that he maintains has spiritual as well as physical implications. "Yoga has spiritual roots," Larimore points out, noting its integral connection to Hindu religion and its popularity among many proponents of New Age spirituality. "Adherents of yoga claim that it leads to spiritual enlightenment and union with the divine," he explains. "In fact, the pinnacle of that is called Kundalini arousal; and I've got some real concerns about the spiritual roots – especially when yoga is being sold to people and those roots are hidden." The author also says intense involvement with Eastern spiritual practices is known to cause psychological and emotional problems in some people. And since yoga has religious roots, he adds, one could argue that promoting it in schools violates the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, or the so-called separation of church and state."
Stretching has its limits: Injuries are on the rise as newcomers take up yoga. Alice Dembner. The Boston Globe, 8 january, 2003.*
Prisoners take a nasty turn after yoga trial backfires Elizabeth Davies. Independent Newspapers UK Limited, August 5, 2005.
"On the negative side, Mr Hagen said, learning the ancient Indian routine – designed to harmonise mind, body and spirit – had provoked “strong reactions: agitation, aggression, irritability, trouble sleeping and mental confusion”.
"Staff at Ringerike say the deep-breathing exercises – an integral part of yoga – made some of the prisoners more dangerous by unblocking their psychological barriers and unleashing otherwise repressed emotions, such as anger, irritation or depression."
Rosen, Ellen. Trying a new sport? Sign a waiver, then hope for the best. The New York Times, 13 Aug 2005.
“A sample release, found at the Web site for the Yoga Alliance, states that the individual practicing yoga understands certain poses may in fact pose some risks." The waiver offers this instruction: ‘If I experience any pain or discomfort, I will listen to my body, adjust the posture and ask for support from the teacher. I will continue to breathe smoothly . . .’”
Sims, Amy C. Treading into fitness trends with care. 22 Oct 2002. New York: Fox News.
"But the rush in popularity has led to some cases of novice instructors teaching the masses, according to Leslie Kaminoff, a yoga therapist who has treated many injured yoga enthusiasts." "And as people push themselves to keep up with advanced classes, they get hurt. ‘I’ve had clients who’ve been injured by domino effect,’ he said, which happens when students fall into each otherwhile doing inverted positions like headstands.
Yoga classes 'provoke' prisoners. BBC News Wednesday, August 3, 2005.
Doctor: ‘Hot’ yoga may be harmful. The New York Times, 30 Mars 2004.
"U.S. doctors are beginning to question the potential for injury among those who practice Bikram yoga, the New York Times reported Tuesday."
Yoga injuries increasing. BBC News World Edition, 9 Sep 2002.
“. . . doctors and physiotherapists are reporting an upsurge in the number of inexperienced studients getting injuries after straining to get into difficult positions. “The British Wheel of Yoga, the governing body in the UK, has blamed a lack of properly trained instructors."
“The most common yoga injuries are caused by repetitive strain or overstretching and occur at the wrists, shoulders, neck, along the spine, and at the sacroiliac joint (which links the spinal column and pelvis), hamstrings, and knees . . .
Yoga should heal, not hurt, says ACSM expert. Medical News Today, 8 Aug 2005.
"Yoga should heal, not hurt, according to Roger Cole, Ph.D. In his presentation at the ninthannual American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition, Cole reviewed the injuries most often suffered by yoga practitioners and recommended ways to avoid them."
""Many injuries-such as those to the knees, back, neck, shoulders, wrists and ankles-occur when practitioners try to force themselves into difficult postures," Cole said. ‘The first rule of safety is to avoid forcing your body. Instead, practice with awareness, common sense and self-respect. Yoga is supposed to teach us not to compete or show off, but to use focused attention, conscious effort and rela xation to achieve results."
"Cole also emphasized the importance of learning proper technique to keep safe in yoga. ‘Specific poses carry the risk of injury if you do them incorrectly. It’s easy to avoid problems if you know what you are doing. For example, forcing the lotus position can damage cartilage in the knees, but you can prevent this by learning ways to redirect the force away from the knees to the hips, where it is needed."
"In addition to the knees, bodily sites most prone to yoga injuries include the lower back, hamstring and sacroiliac, according to Cole. While the latter two are more commonly injured, problems with the knees and lower back tend to be more serious."
""Many common yoga injuries occur during straight-leg forward bends from a standing or seated position," said Cole. He recommends stretching moderately in such poses; bending from the hip joints and elongating the spine, and taking days off from these postures."
Watt, Laura. As temps rise, so do yoga injuries, medical experts say. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 6 May 2004.*
When Does Flexible Become Harmful? 'Hot' Yoga Draws Fire. Lorraine Kreahling. The NewYork Times. March 30, 2004.
"Each week, Dr. Gotlin said, he sees as many as five yoga-related injuries to the knees or the lower back. Postures that require extreme bending of the knees -- squats and sitting backward on folded legs, for example -- are the most likely to cause tears in knee cartilage. In Bikram yoga, students practice the ''toe stand pose,'' a single-legged squat and the ''fixed firm pose,'' sitting backward with bent knees."
Meditation
Bad VibesWarning : Meditating may be hazardous to your health. Sandy Brundage. SF Weekly. August 28, 2002.
"Usually described as a technique for self-improvement and even healing, meditation is generally presented as suitable for everyone. Just as some people are allergic to penicillin, however, somepeople react badly to meditation. These harmful effects are not limited to one form of meditation,or to long retreats rather than short sessions, and have been known for 30 years. Adverse healtheffects include psychologic and physical problems ranging from muscle spasms to hallucinations, facial tics, insomnia, spacing out, anxiety, and even psychotic breakdowns. These effects havenow been shown to have a physiologic basis, as blood flow to the brain is redistributed and brainneurotransmitter release alters . . .”
Karen Long (a pseudonym), in her mid-20s, turned to meditation as a way to feel connected." "Then I began hearing voices," she says. ... Long quit meditating. The voices stopped." "Long's experience isn't unique. Researchers have known for 30 years that meditating can have adverse health effects on some people, inducing psychological and physical problems ranging from muscle spasms to hallucinations. But around the Bay Area, eyes seem closed to the data. "A lot of people do experience negative side effects," says Dr. Maggie Phillips, the director of the California Institute of Clinical Hypnosis and a licensed psychologist in Oakland..."
"The harmful effects aren't limited to one specific technique or even long retreats." "Those effects can include facial tics, insomnia, spacing out, and even psychotic breakdowns. Dr. Margaret Singer, clinical psychologist emeritus at Berkeley, with research partner Dr. Janja Lalich, collected case histories from 70 clients seeking treatment for problems that began during meditation practice. Their research presents several examples of these symptoms and notes that prior to meditating, none of the patients had individual or family histories of mental disorders."
"Dr. Michael Persinger, a psychologist at Laurentian University in Canada, found in 1993 that meditation induces epilepsylike brain seizures in some people. His study of 1,081 students showed that the 221 meditators among them had a higher rate of hallucinating floating spots of light, hearing voices, and even feeling the floor shake.
Other studies reported that meditators complained of feeling emotionally dead and seeing the environment as unreal, two-dimensional, amorphous."
Honebrink, Andrea. Meditation: Hazardous to your health? Don’t overlook the side effects of this powerful transformative technique. Utne Reader, Mar/Apr 1994, p. 26.*
Transcendantal Meditation
Meditate, don't mediate. Jerusalem Post (Israel), 16 Auoût 2002, p. 11. par Barry Davis.
Transcendantal meditation : Dissociative bliss becomes addictive. Edmonton Sun, Canada. Apr. 17, 2006.
Steven Alan Hassan, cult counselor and mind control expert is a Nationally Certified Counselor and licensed Mental Health Counselor and has developed a breakthrough approach to help loved ones rescue cult mind control victims.
"A compendium of 75 studies of TM technique in 2000 found that 63% of practitioners suffered long-term negative mental health consequences from the repeated dissociation – or disconnection – with reality caused by going into a trance-like state."
