John’s News and Articles

Recent Posts

• Can Yoga Wreck Your Body? March 13, 2012 The New York Times article "Can Yoga Wreck Your Body" raises many important issues: Who should do yoga? Just what IS yoga? What role does teacher training play in the possibility of injuries occurring? What is dangerous and what isn’t? Can yoga really wreck your body?
• Teaching yoga because you love it February 2, 2012 I chuckle at the idea that teaching yoga is an escape from stress. One of the things I tell prospective trainees and employees at Unity Woods is that yoga does indeed help you deal with stress, but it doesn’t make it disappear. Running a center is a full time job with all the demands of any business. We’re not just om-ing the day away.
• A Response to "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body" January 18, 2012 The recent New York Times article, “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body”, has certainly created quite a stir. My inbox had over forty emails on the subject. Some of the issues the article raises do warrant further examination and discussion.
• The Subjective Nature of Yoga Therapeutics December 7, 2011 When you get right down to it, there are some important things that make yoga therapeutic that really can’t be measured all that well. That is one of the reasons why I say that yoga therapy is subjective. Although in many ways it is a science – much about it CAN be predicted, repeated, and measured – yoga therapy is truly more an art.
• Iyengar Yoga's International Scope and the China-India Summit September 7, 2011 The truly international scope of Iyengar Yoga is one of its most remarkable aspects. A student from Unity Woods can go to over 70 countries around the world, from Anguilla to Zimbabwe, and find an Iyengar teacher. And because there is a clear, consistent method, that student will feel at home in a class. The same postures will be practiced, and since we use Sanskrit for the names of the poses (much to the dismay of some), even if you can’t understand the individual instructions, you will know what pose to do
• The Challenges of Marketing Unity Woods June 14, 2011 Yoga, by its very nature, is not competitive. The business of yoga is, however. While I trust the universe, I see no reason not to do what I can to grab its attention. Here are some of things we’ve done to catch the eye of the universe—and prospective yoga students.
• Studying with the Iyengars in Pune March 25, 2011 In December, I traveled to Pune, India for two weeks to see my teacher, B.K.S. Iyengar, and participate in the celebration of his 92nd birthday.
• John Schumacher on the Yoga of Teacher Trainings March 4, 2011 This month's featured offering at iHanuman is part of a series of discussions offered by our very own John Schumacher. Click here to listen to the featured audio, or click here for a comprehensive listing of John's interviews and writings at iHanuman.
• Yoga Injuries January 18, 2011 John Schumacher talks about yoga injuries today in the blog Well+Being, on the Washingtonian.com website. John Schumacher and Suzie Hurley discuss how to avoid yoga injuries and what to do if you should sustain one.
• Whys and Hows of Practice Over Time December 3, 2010 In my last newsletter I wrote (some called it a rant) about the state of yoga teacher training in the US. I grumbled about a few things, one being the short time that so many training programs require for certification. Another gripe had to do with the la...
• Important Considerations in Choosing a Teacher September 1, 2010 What kind of training has your yoga teacher had? I suspect that most folks don’t really know. My purpose in raising the question is to prompt you to think about the person(s) to whom you’re trusting some of the most important things in the world: you o...
• Answering America's Healthcare Dilemma: More Yoga July 12, 2010 Before the health care bill passed earlier in the year, the health care debate provided the primary topic of conversation around the country. Now that the bill has passed, the furor has faded a bit – for the moment. It will, like Gen. MacArthur, return, b...
• Yoga and Love: Remedying the Problems of the World March 5, 2010 Just like you, I get lots of stuff in my email from friends sending along videos they think are funny or shocking or very important. Honestly, I don’t have time to look at many of them, but every now and then, depending on who sent it and what it seems to...
• Reflections on Unity Woods' 30th Anniversary December 10, 2009 It’s such a cliché to remark on the speedy passage of time. Nonetheless, I have to trot out the “how time flies” line to comment on the arrival this year of Unity Woods’ 30th anniversary. To tell you the truth, things are tumbling by so fast, and there so...
• John Schumacher on the Business of Yoga October 13, 2009 Video from John's appearance on Washington Business Tonight. The host asked John about the changes he's seen in the yoga community since 1979.