Excerpt from article published in
BWY Spectrum
British Wheel of Yoga Autumn Issue 2013
Next time you are off to your Yoga session;
Think seriously...should you...
Walk, cycle, use public transport, or travel by car?
"
Hatha yoga pradipika 59-61 says the yogi “avoids long trips”. They’re tiring and use resources. Plus, like
me, millions are hurt travelling. Road
danger is a major public health issue – the new open sewers or smoking
epidemic. With a 1 in 200 chance of road
death and 80 classrooms of children per year killed or seriously injured on UK
roads, road crashes are the top preventable cause of child death. 1,754 fatalities, 23,039 seriously injured and
195,723 injured were recorded in the UK (2012).
Police STATS19 understate injury severity. At an emergency, police lack
the medical training to differentiate slight versus serious blows. Slight injuries often go unreported. The
Department for Transport put the true road toll for all casualties at 3.5 times
recorded incidents – approx 700,000 road injured p.a. from comparing police and
hospital data with the National Travel Survey’s collision question. Plus an extra 4-5 million non-injury crashes
p.a.
How many sufferers of road
injury do you know? Many of my students have
whiplash for instance from shunting crashes or suffer back pain related to excessive
car use or crashes. Plus those that are very seriously
injured or literally run over like yoga teacher S-C Peace – see her harrowing
film http://www.roadjustice.org.uk/Sarah-Charlotte and blog at http://peacecycling.blogspot.co.uk/ She campaigns for road justice and 20mph
limits for Oswestry, Prior to suffering serious physical and psychological
injuries she taught Yoga locally, actively encouraging students to cycle, walk or
car share to classes when possible. S-C would also ask students to bring their
own Yoga mats to each session and store class equipment at the venues to avoid
having to drive to transport equipment.
Road danger is linked to obesity, heart disease and joint stiffness from
not moving enough due to car commuting or where people are afraid to travel by
foot or cycle. Excessive sitting is a major disease factor a host of other
ailments too including poor mental
health. The New Scientist reports that exercise improves vagal tone (vagus
nerve health) which is linked to quicker recovery from stress and feeling more
socially connected.
Road danger’s costs are staggering – £570+ per capita p.a. in the UK
comprising £10bn in injury crashes, £10bn in non injury crashes and £16bn in
suppressed exercise. Even before disability or widow/widower benefits or
obesity effects. "Link to full article coming soon...
Peace Yoga is also supporting #getbritaincycling you can help too; http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/campaigning/article/cam20130718-Get-your-MP-to-debate-cycling-0
Join the The Peace Yoga Facebook group for more Yoga tips; https://www.facebook.com/groups/143380475725440/
