All the Yoga Myths We Busted in 2022

This blog post was first sent to Jenni’s email list as an email newsletter. Sign up for the JRY email newsletter here!

When I look back on this past year, I almost can't believe how much high-quality content was released through my website, social media channels, and the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast (which I co-host with the amazing Travis Pollen, PhD)!

Much of this content came in the form of yoga myth-busting, and some of the most interesting content came from amazing special guests who shared their insights with our yoga community.

Here's a selection of my favorite pieces from this year. Enjoy catching up on any you might have missed or revisiting any favorites that you thought were extra rad. :)

And please feel free to share this roundup with any of your yogi friends who you think might be interested – it's always good to spread the educational word about these myths!

My Favorite Myth-Busting Content of 2022:

We hear that emotions are stored in our hips all the time in the yoga world. Could it actually be true? Listen to our most popular podcast episode of 2022 for the science-based scoop!

We’re often taught to tuck our tailbone to correct anterior pelvic tilt – i.e. a “swayback” posture. Will this type of posture lead to pain & dysfunction? We share the current science on this in our podcast episode all about the glutes!

Yin yoga is a wonderful style of yoga, but is it because it targets fascia? Read what special guest contributors Andrew McGonigle, MD and Matthew Huy, MS had to share about this in the article they wrote for my blog!

Polyvagal theory is a trendy topic in the yoga world these days, but is it evidence-based? Listen to our second most popular podcast episode of 2022 to hear from our special guest Dr. Laura Baehr on this topic!

is teaching yoga without demonstrating superior?

Yoga teacher trainings often teach us that minimizing physical demos while teaching yoga is the optimal way to teach. Does research support this widespread claim? Listen to our fun and educational podcast episode on this intriguing topic!

is jumping back to plank bad for shoulders?

“Don’t jump back to plank with straight arms; instead, you should jump into chaturanga with bent elbows to cushion the impact.” Have you heard this yoga rule? In this 2-minute video, we share how the actual biomechanics of this transition invalidate this longstanding yoga rule!

is it OK for the knees to move past the toes?

Yoga teacher trainings insist that the knee should stack right over the ankle for safety reasons in our standing poses. What happens if the knee moves forward, though? Will it explode? :) We present the science on this in our great podcast episode on chair pose!

It’s commonly claimed that yoga “boosts the immune system" – especially during cold and flu season. (We also head this a lot during the Covid-19 pandemic!) But is this an accurate or helpful claim to make? Special guests Andrew McGonigle, MD and Matthew Huy, MS share what science suggests in the excellent article they wrote for my blog!

We were overjoyed to have the amazing special guest Todd Hargrove on our podcast to talk about the fact that posture is overrated. You will love this discussion!

should we stop teaching yoga for low back pain?

There are an abundance of “Yoga for Low Back Pain” classes, workshops, books, and YouTube videos out there. But is the very premise of yoga for low back pain flawed? Find out in this fantastic special guest article by the legendary Paul Ingraham.

Where should the shoulder blades be in down dog?

Down dog alignment: should the shoulder blades be protracted? Retracted? Elevated? Depressed? How is anyone to know when we hear all of these conflicting cues all the time? Cut through all the confusion with my 4-minute YouTube video on this topic!

I hope you enjoyed this yoga myth-busting year-in-review! :)

And don't forget that aside from cultivating all of this in-depth free content for our yoga community, you can also find me:

teaching yoga classes in my online class library (220+ classes and growing every month!)
teaching movement science-based workshops for yoga geeks in the many con education courses on my website! 🤓
designing your strength practice alongside exercise science professor Travis Pollen, PhD for our Strength for Yoga: Remote Group Training program. If you’re a yogi who’s interested in strength like Travis and I are, I think you’ll love it!

(BTW, all of the above offerings start with free 7-day trials so you can make sure they're a good fit!)

Thank you so much for being a part of this wonderful science-based, strength-based, myth-busting yoga community. I'm looking forward to much more of all of this in 2023!

Happy New Year!
-Jenni