The New York Times published an article a few weeks back about how yoga can wreck your body. Nothing like a good title with some cited cases of a few poeple who were injured badly from doing yoga to scare people away.

Now, I could easily use this as an opportunity to stay away from conventional yoga practices and practice tai chi instead, but I’m not going to. This article is good because it should remind all of you that practicing yoga, tai chi, or qigong is about cultivating awareness; not sculpting a supermodel body that can bend and twist in freaky looking poses.

Beginners in these practices should emphasize proper body alignment to prevent themselves from injury. That is why it is important to have a qualified instructor and not a DVD or Youtube to learn these arts.

And when you choose a tai chi instructor, make sure he can actually “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk”. Glen Black, who the NY Times calls a “master” teacher at Omega, was just getting out of spinal surgery from years of severely overdoing his spinal movement in poses. I don’t care if there is “master” or “sifu” (Pronounced “See-Foo”. Chinese word for master or teacher) in front of a instructors name: I certainly would not take a class from someone that destroyed their spine so badly in his own practice for decades and now needs surgical help.

What shouldn’t stop anyone from doing a mindful practice is the fact that you might get injured while doing it. People can get hurt anytime they move, and sometimes even if they don’t. For example, other proven causes of injury, stroke, nerve damage, and death are:

Having sex

Running

Crossing the street

Drinking in a bar

I haven’t yet found a NY Times article on the dangers of being injured by doing ballet, which, by the way, has more injuries than playing football. Anything can potentially harm or even kill you. Life is a big risk, and yet if you want to reap its rewards, like moving your body, doing your life’s work and trying new adventures-you’re gonna have to risk it.

Tai chi safety Tip: Performing the correct bow stance – This is pretty much how I teach the bow stance in my beginner tai chi class. Following these steps will ensure you have the correct bow stance and prevent future knee injuries.