3 Myths Nearly Every Yoga Teacher Says

Yoga teachers are skilled and can offer insight in to all things related to yoga, yoga anatomy and overall wellness. But like any profession, they might be teaching on topics that may have more to it than they know. In other instances, teachers may have been taught on topics without the fully extent of knowledge that goes along with that, which can contribute to spread of myths.

Myths Nearly Every Yoga Teacher Says

In this webinar, yoga teacher Matthew Huy shares 3 myths that nearly every yoga teacher says:

1. Twists detox the liver

Your liver is detoxifying you 24/7. No specific pose like a twist can change that. Detoxification is a cellular process, not a mechanical that requires wringing out.

2. Shoulder stand stimulates the thyroid gland.

The thyroid releases its hormones only after it has received a signal from the pituitary and the pituitary only releases that signal after it has received a signal from the brain’s hypothalamus. Simply bending your neck while inverting is unlikely to have any effect on the thyroid gland.

3. Yin yoga targets the fascia.

This claim is not exactly wrong; it is just vague and inaccurate. There are many different types of fascia in the body so it is not clear which fascia is being referred to here. For the intramuscular fascia, it is impossible to stretch a muscle without stretching its fascia (no matter what style of yoga is being practiced including yin yoga).

There's always more to learn about any topic which is why yoga teachers need to keep finding ways to keep learning.  By taking a deeper look in to these topics you can gain more understanding and ensure that information is being accurately taught in your classes.

About Matthew Huy