Yoga Myths: What You Need to Learn and Unlearn for a Safe and Healthy Yoga Practice

by Judith Hanson Lasater

The essential guide to correcting yoga misconceptions and avoiding injuries in your practice from Judith Hanson Lasater, a yoga instructor, physical therapist, and bodywork expert.

"Tuck your tailbone to protect your back." "Increase your breath." "Pull your abdominal muscles into your backbone." Following these movement cues is often believed to benefit your yoga practice and protect your body when entering and holding poses. However, what may seem like a helpful correction can actually lead to injury or physical harm.

In Yoga Myths, Judith Hanson Lasater draws on almost fifty years of experience as a yoga instructor and physical therapist to address the most common mistakes in our yoga practice and provide clear instructions for correcting these errors. Focusing on the eleven "myths" most detrimental to our practice, Lasater provides a comprehensive discussion of what the myth is, why it can hurt us, and how we can avoid it through step-by-step instructions. This book will allow you to return to the inherent wisdom, natural goodness, and spiritual wholeness of yoga and avoid life altering injuries for as long as you practice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

272 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2020

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a ton of yoga books out there, so why should you buy this one? Because chances are, you're doing it wrong. Or at least some of it. But again, why THIS one? Because Judith Hanson Lasater knows yoga and anatomy, and how to teach it.

Judith Hanson Lasater is not just an author of yoga books or a yoga enthusiast. She is THE go to person for yoga. I don't say this lightly. Judith is quite an impressive woman. She has a Ph.d. in East-West Psychology and is a physical therapist. She has taught yoga around the world since 1971.and trains yoga teachers in just about every state. She is president emeritus of the California Yoga Teachers' Association. .She is also a founder of the Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco, CA, and a founder of Yoga Journal magazine. If you've ever been to a yoga convention, chances are, she's been a guest speaker.

I have a few other books by her, so when I saw Yoga Myths on Netgalley, I might have squealed a little. Okay, a lot. I've been practicing yoga ever since I became ill in 2013, and I've learned a lot, but Yoga Myths really put me in my place and explained in detail how and why I was doing certain things wrong. Parts of this book are very technical, keep in mind she's also a physical therapist, so she knows anatomy and physiology, which is incredibly important when practicing yoga safely. While the technical portions may seem dry and boring to someone that's not into that stuff, I encourage you to get through it, because you, and your body, will see huge benefits from it. After going through the technical details, she does walk you through poses and the proper way to go about it for your body and how to recognize what is correct for your body. I wish I had this book years ago!

This book is absolutely brilliant. I highly recommend this book and any others by her. She is phenomenal.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Shambhala Publications, Inc for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most important thing to understand about this book is that it is very, very technical. If you are an anatomy geek, this is definitely for you. I think alignment is important but found some of the descriptions to be difficult to grok, even after multiple rereads. I thought the myths part was great and it has helped me think about why I'm doing certain poses in certain ways. That piece was absolutely 5-stars, worth reading. I did not find the practice pieces to be that helpful. While it was described in exquisite detail, it was impossible to follow along reading a book and also be doing it. I agree with the many, many times that Dr. Lasater said that you really should do some of this stuff with a yoga teacher first and they would help you correct your alignment where needed. But, with that in mind, then I don't need to learn it from the book. So, I read through it but rarely did the practice because I couldn't hold an entire page of very particular languaged directions in my head to be able to do it. Perhaps if you could have someone read it to you while you practiced, that would be helpful but I didn't have that option this time.

[Lorena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blurb accurately describes this book. Lasater does an excellent job explaining biomechanics so that you will understand how to move more safely. The discussions of anatomy and physiology can be a bit technical at times. If you don’t have any training in this area, this may be a challenging read. However, generous illustrations help clarify the concepts.

I appreciated the structure of the book. Each chapter introduces a myth and offers a teaching story demonstrating the potential dangers of that myth. Next, the relevant anatomy and physiology is explained. Then asanas (or pranayama practices in the chapter on breathing) are used to help you experientially explore the prior instruction. That section, called “Attentive Practice,” begins with cautions and props needed. Each new chapter builds upon the previous content in a logical progression.

I enjoyed the chapters explaining how shoulders and knees are designed to function since I have had trouble in both of those areas. I also really appreciated the chapter on practicing during menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause.

Many of the practices require props, and some will be hard to do if you don’t have a teacher to guide you. However, I think this book has something to offer anyone who enjoys yoga.

Thanks to Shambhala for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

[Elizabeth Bain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until very recently, every high-level yoga teacher I had ever met had experienced one or more very serious injuries--usually to the hips, hamstrings, shoulders, or pelvis--often unintentionally inflicted by the hands of their yoga teacher. In the early days of yoga's popularity (in the US, at least) there were very few yoga teacher training programs. Those that existed were fairly exclusive, in that you needed years of experience practicing and the recommendation of your own yoga teacher before you could apply for the program. On the one hand, this had the result of yoga teachers who had years (often decades!) of practice before studying to become teachers. On the other hand, this also resulted in a very small number of yoga teacher training programs, and in the case of most yoga schools what you learned as a student, you learned to teach, and you taught to your students--no outside study, no "cross-pollination" with other yoga teachers, schools, and practices. In many ways, Judith Hanson Lasater is both a product of that yoga teacher training system, and one of the greatest forces for its evolution.

I knew I wanted to buy this book before I finished reading chapter one. Maybe even before that. When I saw the subtitle for chapter 2 ("Why you don't need neck rolls, but do need blankets for shoulder stand") I got really excited--I was fortunate enough to have a yoga teacher training program that explained the anatomy of the neck and why blankets are essential for shoulder stand, and cringed every time I attended a class where the teacher included shoulder stand without blankets. (I may have even "suddenly developed a shoulder issue" that prevented me from executing a shoulder stand in those classes, wink, wink.)

While Judith Hanson Lasater's name often appears in discussions of yoga '"celebrities," it's not because she's playing the role of yoga rock star, standing in front of hundreds and teaching to a live band. It's because among all yoga teachers, Ms. Lasater is one of the few who has continued to learn and experiment with that knowledge in her practice, then translate that knowledge into something useful for other yoga teachers. She's been writing for Yoga Journal since before it was purchased by a media conglomerate, and regularly teaches for Yoga U and other teacher training course offerings. In doing this, Ms. Lasater is not afraid to upset the sacred cows. She is one of the first instructors I remember speaking out against the "position your pelvis between two panes of glass" instruction (attributed to Iyengar teacher training and repeated daily by thousands of yoga teachers--I used to be one of them) often used in trikonasana or virabhadrasana II.

This book continues to question the assumptions taught in even some of the most well-known yoga teacher trainings, explaining the anatomy involved and WHY that assumption is incorrect. But more than just explaining it, Ms. Lasater provides step-by-step instructions for how to personally experience what she is explaining. (For this reason, it might be worth purchasing the audio book as well, especially if you don't have someone to read it aloud to you so you can focus on your movement.)

While you might think this book is geared exclusively towards yoga TEACHERS, I highly recommend it for all students. This is NOT a "beginning yoga book" but I highly recommend it for beginners to yoga. The reason for this is simple. Given the proliferation of yoga teacher training programs, many of which provide little instruction in anatomy, or were written with the assumption the trainees are already involved in a discipline that requires advanced anatomy knowledge, if you read this book you will likely know more than your teacher the next time you go to yoga class. This is important because then YOU the student will know the right feel of the pose in YOUR body (regardless of what it looks like) and will be able to opt-out of misguided but well-intentioned attempts to assist/correct/etc. your pose.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review book for Metapsychology Online Reviews.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

More appropriate for yoga teachers or physical therapists than to me. Long descriptions of small differences in body movements and human anatomy make this a tough read for the average yogi.

[Cheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a yogi with a few classes under your belt and beyond, then this is the book for you! This book isn't quite what I had imagined (I had thought that each chapter would highlight one cue that teachers commonly give, then debunk the cue); each chapter talks about a part of the body that is often misunderstood or miscued in yoga more generally, then goes in detail about anatomy and alignment, ending with key takeaways and a practice session covering what was just taught. It's actually fairly dense (which is why the author even recommended reading through the book twice before taking the lessons onto the mat to put the new knowledge to practice). Even as a seasoned practitioner, I will need to read it again in order to really digest the information. There isn't a ton of new information in the book for long time yogis who have always had a high level of awareness of or interest in yoga anatomy, which is why I would recommend this book for beginners because it's better to learn this early than to have to "unlearn" unsafe habits. But the presentation of information is very clear, and it's still a great reference guide for all levels of yogis. The book could be made more appealing by using anatomy pictures and the yoga photos in color rather than black and white throughout the book!

[Reading Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit, if I see Lasater's name on something, it...magically just appears in my hands. She is pretty much the biggest of big names in restorative yoga (her books are absolutely foundational for Western restorative yoga, and she's of the school that restorative poses should be held for 15-20 minutes). So, my first visit to an actual bookstore since the covid lockdowns and I saw this book? It came home with me.

It's wonderful. I hear the critiques that the book is not for beginning yogis and perhaps not even just casual yogis. But if you're even thinking about a teacher training, I'd slide this book toward your Must Read pile.

The book has 12 chapters, starting with the spine and neck and the last few include notes for practice for biological female bodies, pranayama and of course savasana. Each chapter starts with an anecdote, a section called 'Why you need to know this', and then some good solid anatomy. Each chapter ends with a box of key points and then what she calls 'Attentive Practice' where you attempt to find and feel these anatomical changes (such as, stop tucking the tailbone, don't do shoulderstand on a flat surface, etc) in your own body. This is, experientially, the most important part of the chapter. She offers plenty of illustrations and greyscale photographs to help.

It's a great book to read, and then get up and go to your mat and it addresses several things that have sort of bothered me for a while--the rigidity without real understanding of many yoga alignment cues, the way some yoga is inappropriate for some bodies (pregnant, female, menstruating, etc). I will be reading this book again with my notebook to make sure I truly have integrated the knowledge Lasater has spent almost 50 years of teaching to acquire.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my list here for the entire 2021 so I have felt honor bound truly to read it, rather than just check out the yoga aspects considered and then put it on my shelf "for reference". I am very, very glad I took the time this month to do so because JHL really provides *informative* and, in fact, *informed* data for reflection, for students of yoga and teachers alike. She traverses the entire body, detailing anatomical justification for her suggestions. And that -- the suggestive aspect of this book -- is perhaps the most rewarding since JHL is not preaching, but IS teaching, that is, offering sane ways to allow us to practice yoga safely. I definitely will refer to this book as I review my own teaching cues and practice habits.

[Audio Athena · Rating 2 out of 5]

non-audiobook review:

I read this for a yoga teachers book club.

It was most helpful for understanding pelvic tilt, lumbar curve, and hip placement in poses.

The shoulder section was lacking. She explains shoulders in down dog should be internally rotated, and that external rotation causes shoulder impingement. This goes against ALL advice from physical therapists and anatomy heavy yoga experts like Ray Long and Leslie Kaminoff. She says the exact opposite as everyone else, but the author never goes into detail as to WHY. Then, when she reviews shoulder-heavy poses like headstand and handstand, she either doesn't specify where the shoulders should be, or she says a vague direction. For example, in headstand she says shoulders should be down, but when you are upside down, is "down" towards your feet or towards the floor? If she stuck to anatomical terms, she could have said depress the shoulder blades and there would be no ambiguity.

The inversion section is flat out outdated and lacking. Every handstand/headstand/forearmstand type of pose she reviews, she says to kick the legs up into position. This is dangerous, uses momentum instead of strength, and is really outdated. I checked when the book was written, thinking maybe it was from the 70's. Nope. 2020. She also does not review shoulder placement in these inversions, a huge oversight, since some should depress the scapula and others should allow them to lift towards the ears.

I feel like some of the "busted myths" are her opinion and not explained enough from an evidence-based perspective. She touts throughout most of the book that we should go back to the anatomy to determine the do's and don'ts of poses, but then she argues women should not do inversions on their period because it imbalances their energetic Prana. Not only does she lose her foundation of anatomy here, but she then starts to promise health cures to things like hot flashes and irregular periods or heavy bleeding if you do or don't do certain poses. Her evidence? Student testimony, not scientific research.

Of all the old patriarchal yoga myths out there, I can't believe she agrees that women shouldn't do certain poses while menstruating!

[Shakti Burke]

Want to read!

The Book Depository review:

The essential guide to correcting yoga misconceptions and avoiding injuries in your practice from Judith Hanson Lasater, a yoga instructor, physical therapist, and bodywork expert. Tuck your tailbone to protect your back. Increase your breath. Pull your abdominal muscles into your backbone. Following these movement cues is often believed to benefit your yoga practice and protect your body when entering and holding poses. However, what may seem like a helpful correction can actually lead to injury or physical harm. In Yoga Myths, Judith Hanson Lasater draws on almost fifty years of experience as a yoga instructor and physical therapist to address the most common mistakes in our yoga practice and provide clear instructions for correcting these errors. Focusing on the eleven myths most detrimental to our practice, Lasater provides a comprehensive discussion of what the myth is, why it can hurt us, and how we can avoid it through step-by-step instructions and guiding photos. This book will allow you to return to the inherent wisdom, natural goodness, and spiritual wholeness of yoga and avoid life altering injuries for as long as you practice.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a ton of Yoga books out there but there aren’t many that really dive into how to manage the poses correctly. I’ve been practicing Yoga for 3 years at home before I realized there was a better way to do it and that I was actually not putting my body into the poses the right way to get the results I was hoping for.

I’m a long time sufferer of mild-Scoliosis and it has affected my quality of living over the years, just not enough for me to take steps medically to correct. There's just not enough of a curve to deem it necessary so I’ve looked to other ways to help alleviate the pain and discomfort. You can imagine my surprise when after practicing Yoga consistently, that I started seeing and feeling results not just in my back but everywhere and I was learning how to breathe properly which aids us in other ways!

If you’re looking to learn more about Yoga to enhance your knowledge this is the book for you, but if you’re just getting started I highly recommend it as well! You’ll start off with a great foundation that will guide for years to come and really give you the Yoga body you want!

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've been in yoga for any length of time, you've heard of Judith Hanson Lasater. In a recent podcast I listened to, she mentioned that she will have been teaching for 50 years next year. So she should know what she's talking about. And this book is a definite exploration into what has changed in yoga and our understanding of the human body. Of course, the biggest one is "tuck the tailbone." When I started practicing in 1999, I very much remember my teacher demonstrating how/why tucking the tailbone would serve you in your poses as well as in the rest of your life. But that has slowly evolved as have other ways we do poses. Well, depending on the type of yoga you practice. The book has lots of great pictures with variations for each pose and long descriptions of why each might serve better than a "traditional" pose.

[Pop Bop · Rating 2 out of 5]

Idiosyncratic and Technical

This might be a useful book for a teacher or advanced practitioner. For a casual student it didn't offer much. The author has very fixed and distinct attitudes about many aspects of yoga practice, and without a deep background in the subject it's not possible to tell whether her approach is revolutionary or out in left field. At any rate the topics she addresses cry out for in person demonstration and are poorly served by just text and the occasional posture photo and stock anatomy drawing.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Adeann · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date August 25, 2020.***

3 stars
⭐⭐⭐

This book seems to have a lot of information on ways to potentially adjust your yoga practice. However, the information was more technical oriented for someone like me to follow, meaning someone who has NO background of how anatomy ties in with yoga. Would definitely be worth a re-read after getting a better anatomical background understanding. ☺️

[Stefanie Bevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so informative! Judith Hanson Lasater goes into great detail regarding many different poses, when is the right time to do them (i.e. avoid certain poses or modify when on your period or when pregnant). She also includes a lot of diagrams, take aways from each chapter as well as things to be cautious of. I recommend this book for anyone who practices or teaches yoga, even if it is a home practice.

[Annette]

I started practicing yoga almost 50 years ago with Lilias Folan, and I'm forever indebted to her cautions to be gentle with oneself. Through the following years, I've heard every single one of the myths this author talks about! Some of these myths I had long ago discarded, knowing that they didn't work for me, even though some teachers criticized me. I'm so thankful for all the teachers, all along the way, and particularly those who keep on learning!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree with the author - so much of what is taught in modern yoga asana classes is not based on "anatomical reality." However, since these myths are often taught with such confidence and enthusiasm, it took me years to learn to trust the wisdom of my own body. I think this book will help or enhance the life of anyone who wants to learn yoga in way that is healthy over an entire lifetime.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has take me awhile to get around to writing this review because I never “finish”:the book. This, to me, is meant to be a reference book. I like to pick parts to read and practice. Very helpful to have a yoga instructor who is also a physical therapist. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review..

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skimmed this book; would be immensely helpful to any new yoga teachers, and should be incorporated as a text in yoga teacher training programs (like this one better than my old Iyengar). Not for the average yogi, but an incredibly valuable book.

[Ting Pimentel-Elger · Rating 5 out of 5]

good reference

[Jessi Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game changer! Not a beginner book, exactly, but for anyone who would like to know more about how our bodies really function in yoga and learn to improve poses so they do no harm.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and useful!! I took many notes and plan to come back to this one again in the future to revisit some of the cueing tips. Already putting into use in my own practice and in class.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Sound physiological reasoning for abandoning very traditionally taught cues. Absolutely excellent.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith Hanson Lasater is such an incredible resource of yoga information and I always enjoy her books - this was no exception. She tackles common yoga asana instructions that are actually counter to what your body should be doing from a functional anatomy perspective, and presents the information in an in-depth yet accessible way with diagrams and photographs. A book that every teacher should read, at the least.