Here is the original article: (first page of 5, not counting the commments):
www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html
And here is the article all on one page:
www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?pagewanted=all
The comments to the New York Times begin at the bottom of either of the above links. Comments were shut off after a couple of days, by then totalling 734.
This article is an excerpt from the the book, due to be published in FEB 2012, The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards by William J. Broad. The article was published on the web on Thursday JAN 5, 2012, and in the print edition of the New York Times Magazine on Sunday JAN 8 (under the title All Bent Out of Shape).
William J. Broad's website: www.williamjbroad.com
The book at Amazon:
www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1451641427
This article instantly became probably the most talked-about thing ever in the entire world of yoga. It went "viral" immediately. Within a day of being posted on the web, telephone calls, emails, Facebook postings, and announcements in yoga classes had spread the word of this article far and wide. It will not be possible to list all the major responses to the article, but I will work on gathering a collection of some links I have found here. (NOTE: This issue was dwarfed a few weeks later by the John Friend / Anusara Yoga scandal/controversy. see yogadork.com for more on that).
In my opinion, this article presents some very important observations about what is going on in the yoga world. It may be a bit one-sided and perhaps sensationalistic and provactive, but that's modern journalism. Glenn Black, the yoga teacher featured in the article, is one of the top authorities in the world on this subject. I have personally witnessed many yoga injuries in yoga classes, and much competitive behavior in yoga classes. I also attended a workshop with David Williams, in which he taught that pushing people into yoga postures has no place in yoga. This teaching totally fell on deaf ears. Especially in the Ashtanga world, the teachers want to push, and the students want to be pushed. And maybe that's OK, if that's what they want. Everyone is different. And it should be pointed out that the title and text of the article do not say that yoga will wreck your body, but instead point out how that might happen. Also this is an excerpt from a book, which of course will contain a more rounded view. In fairness, it should also be pointed out that the author of the article and the book is a staff writer for the New York Times. Whatever anyone thinks of the content of this article, it sure got people talking!
The New York Times Responds to Itself: 01/12/12 - Me, Myself, and Yoga - Is Yoga for Narcissists?
www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/12/is-yoga-for-narcissists
The first article to appear at Yoga Dork - 01/05/12:
www.yogadork.com/news/yoga-injuries-and-battered-egos-how-yoga-wrecks-the-body-via-the-new-york-times/
And the next one at Yoga Dork - 01/08/12:
www.yogadork.com/news/is-the-new-york-times-wrecking-yoga-the-community-responds/
Yoga Dork article number 3 - 01/13/12:
www.yogadork.com/news/more-is-yoga-for-narcissists-nyt-takes-on-its-own-ego-debate-and-redefining-yoga-again/
Yoga Dork article 4: 01/13/12 - Complete and Exhaustive Guide: Yoga Community Responds to NYT "How Yoga can Wreck Your Body"
www.yogadork.com/news/complete-and-exhaustive-guide-yoga-community-responds-to-nyt-how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body/
Eddie Stern: "How the New York Times Can Wreck Yoga"
www.ayny.org/how-the-nyt-can-wreck-yoga.html
Interview with Glenn Black at Huffington Post - 01/12/12
www.huffingtonpost.com/eden-g-fromberg-do/yoga_b_1202465.html
Alternet: "Should You Give Up Yoga? Experts Respond..."
www.alternet.org/story/153744/
The Awl: "Six Reasons to Ignore the New York Times Yoga Article"
www.theawl.com/2012/01/six-reasons-to-ignore-the-new-york-times-yoga-article
Salon.com: "Yoga Need Not Wreck Your Body"
www.salon.com/2012/01/10/yoga_wont_really_wreck_your_body/singleton/
Yoga Journal: "Yoga Injuries: The Bigger Picture" - Baxter Bell M.D.
blogs.yogajournal.com/doctorsorder/2012/01/10/yoga-injuries-the-bigger-picture/
Leslie Kaminoff's video response:
www.yogaanatomy.org/2012/my-2-cents/
Leslie Kaminoff's followup:
www.yogaanatomy.org/2012/egg-on-my-neck-follow-up-to-my-2-cents-about-how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body/
2000 Yogi's Respond:
www.ivillage.com/yoga-strikes-back-2000-gurus-respond-new-york-times-story/4-a-420212