Paul Grilley's response to "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body"
I have been reading with great interest the insightful and excellent responses from yogis and yoginis to the NYT's recent article. It's a great conversation. What has been missing for me, is the understanding of how our bony structure plays an absolute significant role in understanding our asana practice. So I wrote to Paul Grilley and asked him to explain. This is what he wrote (thanks Paul!):
"William Broad published an article in the January 5, 2012 edition of the NY Times with the title “Yoga can wreck your body.” In this article yoga teacher Glenn Black is quoted at length. Mr. Black discusses injuries he has witnessed in others and in his own practice of asana. He concludes that the vast majority of people practicing asana today should stop as injury is inevitable.
I admire greatly Mr. Black's efforts to be honest about yoga's myths and his efforts to expose the risks of asana practice. I especially admire his willingness to speak candidly about his own injuries, injuries he believes were caused by his asana practice.
We cannot eliminate all risks in asana practice but we should do our best. One large step in this direction is to identify the difference between tension and compression. Tension is the sensation of tissues being pulled, compression is the sensation of tissues being pinched or pressed. If we feel tension in a muscle then careful training will eventually modify that tension, making the muscle more supple. But if we feel compression then we have to recognize that this is the limit to our range of motion, and if we try to “push through it” then we will get injured.
The limit to every range of motion is compression and this limit is determined by the shape of our bones. Exercise can influence the health and density of our bones but it will not appreciably affect the angles and proportions of our bones.
Tension and compression occur on the opposite sides of a joint, this can be demonstrated by the shoulder joint. If someone raises their arm above their head and feels sensation in their chest or armpit then these sensations are tension, the muscles are being stretched. But if the sensation is on the “top” of the shoulder then this sensation is compression, the bones are pinching the tissue. Practicing downward dog will stretch and “open” the muscles of the chest and armpit, but the compression at the top of the shoulder will not change. If the yogi ignorantly tries to “open” the top of the shoulder by aggressive, repetitive practice then injury is inevitable. I know of several experienced yogis who have had hip and shoulder surgeries to repair damage caused by aggressive, repetitive compression in these joints.
Discriminating tension and compression will not eliminate all risk, even experienced yogis who are not being aggressive strain themselves. I personally know a woman who dislocated her shoulder in a restorative yoga class when coming out of a gently supported position. Restorative yoga is neither aggressive nor repetitive and yet injury is possible.
As more and more people start practicing yoga asana more and more injuries are going to be reported because all forms of physical activity involve risk. Even patients following carefully prescribed physical therapy have painful setbacks and sometimes orthopedic surgeries need to be redone because "the first one didn't 'take'".
I do not slight Mr. Broad for the sensational title of his article, it got people to read it. Nor do I agree with Mr. Black’s statement that the vast majority of people practicing yoga should stop, but I appreciate his concern for misguided practice. I do believe that discriminating the difference between tension and compression will help many people safely enjoy the benefits of asana practice while minimizing its risks.
To view pictures of bones that demonstrate the wide range of human variation please visit www.PaulGrilley.com and click on Bone Photo Images."
Paul Grilley,
Ashland, Oregon,
