“Lies” We Were Told — and Why It’s Always Time for Smarter Yoga

I’ve just started reading a book that I suspect will spark a lot of underlining — Lies I Taught in Medical School 2024, by Robert Lufkin, MD. He’s a seasoned radiologist who’s spent decades teaching conventional medicine at some of America’s top medical schools — until a personal health crisis forced him to realize he’d been passing along mainstream teaching that wasn’t just outdated — it was often dead wrong.

Lies I Taught is not a rant. It’s a wake-up call.

From nutrition myths to misunderstandings about obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, heart disease and cancer, Dr. Lufkin shows how much of our “standard” health advice hasn’t caught up with modern science - or is being steered away from truth by powerful food and pharmaceutical industries. And how hard it is, culturally and institutionally, to let go of long-held beliefs — even when the evidence is right in front of us.

It reminded me of why I wrote The New Yoga: From Cult and Dogma to Science and Sanity in 2020. After decades of teaching, I’d seen too many good people — especially older students — doing poses or following rules that were more about tradition and dogma than biomechanics and physiology. They trusted the system. And sometimes, that trust led to injury and disappointment.

In both medicine and yoga, we’re waking up to a simple truth: science evolves — and we must stay vigilant in separating evidence from dogma.

Here’s one example from Lufkin: for years, doctors advised people to avoid all forms of saturated fat — even those from whole, natural foods like eggs or coconuts. But current research shows that some saturated fats are not only harmless but may even support metabolic and cardiovascular health in the right context.

Likewise in yoga, one of the “lies” I taught early in my career was the idea that the knee must always stay directly above the ankle in Warrior II. That cue was never based in anatomy — it came from a desire to make the pose look like a perfect square. In reality, that rigid alignment doesn’t work for most bodies and can actually strain the knee. Function, not form, should guide our practice.

Another dangerous myth I have heard taught in the past year is that everyone should be able to do Lotus pose with enough practice. Many an ambitious yogi has damaged their knees attempting Padmasana (Lotus Pose).

So in this Wednesday’s class, after my being a month away, we can continue the pursuit of function over dogma — more strength, smarter mobility, and a deep respect for what your body actually needs. Whether you’ve practiced with me for years or, like me, are returning after a break, hopefully you will appreciate this shared theme.

Let’s keep asking better questions. Let’s keep moving toward the ever-evolving truth, in yoga, in medicine . . . . in life!

See you on the mat soon,
Rob