An Indian orthopaedic surgeon has warned that yoga is bad for knees.
Dr Ashok Rajgopal says he has performed knee replacement surgery on a number of leading yoga gurus, which rather contradicts the traditional advertising campaign of its health-giving benefits and anti-ageing properties.
With over 30 million regular practitioners worldwide and more than 30,000 yoga classes in the UK, yoga is big business, but Dr Rajgopal warns that some of the more extreme stretching exercises put severe stress on joints, leading to arthritis and he has seen a higher incidence of joint and bone ailments among yoga followers.
The problem is particularly prevalent in large public classes of more than 100 people, especially when the participants have not been trained adequately before they become seriously involved and harm themselves attempting some of the more advanced postures.
It is vital to build your practise up slowly, taking account of your own personal anatomical design. Everyone is built differently and can achieve differing depths in the various postures. By ensuring that your own body is properly aligned and taking your training carefully, the possibility of any such injuries can be avoided.
Classes at Shambhala Studios are limited to a maximum of 16 students and the teachers can adapt all postures to accommodate the age and flexibility of each individual.
