13/07/2026
I heard this on radio 2 also. I haven’t had time to write about it but my yoga teacher and friend Isabel has hit the nail on the head. Not all yoga teachers are created equally. ❤️
Apologies for a long post, but I hope you find it informative!
This afternoon on Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show, they were discussing injuries from yoga in their medical Monday slot. I have to be honest this feature left me somewhat frustrated and I would really like to clear up a few points!
My main issue with the commentary was that the resident GP (Dr Sarah Jarvis) used on this feature started by saying that she was a big fan of Pilates but knew nothing about yoga, which was obvious by the way she was discussing the discipline, especially as she appeared to lump all yoga and yoga teachers together, with preconceived ideas on how she thought we all taught and what a class consisted of.
Let me state clearly...All yoga classes and yoga teachers are not created equally!!
It seemed to me that there was an assumption that only Ashtanga and Hot Yoga exist as these are the yoga styles the GP was familiar with. These are strong athletic yoga styles, great for some people, but not for everyone, and they are certainly NOT the only styles available. There is a wide range of different traditions, each one offering something different. I believe there is a yoga style for everyone. There is so much more available than the vigorous styles usually offered in gym or presented in the media.
Dru Yoga a very safe style of yoga, we don't teach extreme postures, we can modify and adjust every practice, advise you on safe and ideal practice and will make safe, sensitive adjustments.
Talking of extreme poses, postures they repeatedly mentioned as injury causing culprits included headstand and full lotus posture - I've never taught these in 26years of teaching! She also included Triangle and seated forward bend as examples of extreme postures, which reaffirmed to me that the discussion was centred around a couple of yoga traditions. These asana are not generally considered extreme, both being easy to modify, and as with all postures, they should never be forced.
It was then suggested that we don't hand out health forms, because that's what happens at the gym Dr Jarvis attends. I think I speak for all properly qualified teachers when I say that you absolutely will be asked to complete a health form. Once I see your health form if I think there is anything we need to discuss I will contact you. Your health form allows me to make sure that I keep you safe, and that I know in advance which postures to avoid or modify, and this is also important to note, a properly qualified teacher can modify and amend postures, trust me I have a modification for everything we do! I will also tell you if I think you need a 1:1 consultation first, or permission from a health care practitioner, before you join a regular class. You will not be allowed to class 2 weeks after having a hip replacement as per an example given in the programme!!
This leads me to my next point. I can modify and adapt the yoga I teach because I am properly trained. You can train to be a yoga teacher in a weekend or you can do it like I have, ie. I did a 3 year 300 + hour basic qualification, followed by hundreds of hours of postgrad courses, recently a 600+ hour Yoga Therapy qualification, and literally thousands of hours of personal practice over more than 30 years - all yoga teachers are not equal! Plus a teacher regulated by a proper yoga organisation such as Dru UK or the British Wheel of Yoga, will have to do annual CPD to keep their insurance / registration.
If you've got to the end of this little rant, thank you, and I hope that this has reassured you that you are not risking life and limb every time you step on a yoga mat!
If you are thinking of trying a class, then do your research, and go wider than your local gym if all they are offering is high octane, vigorous yoga. Ask about your teachers training, qualifications and experience - a properly trained teacher will be more than happy to tell you :)
