A STUDENT sits cross-legged on a table, reading a magazine. A LEARNING COACH walks over to join her.
LEARNING COACH: Whoa! Look at you. What are you reading?
STUDENT: I’m reading a really good article on yoga. Apparently, I should try it.
LEARNING COACH: I’ve never tried but it sounds great. My friends say that it’ll solve my lower back issues which I’m not convinced about.
STUDENT: The benefits they lay out are amazing. I’m convinced.
LEARNING COACH: Is that right? Let’s hear some of their evidence.
STUDENT: Well, they say that 90% of people who do yoga, like it.
LEARNING COACH: Yeah, but those people who don’t like it probably don’t do yoga so that doesn’t seem like a representative sample. That means the group of people surveyed doesn’t represent people as a whole.
STUDENT: Okay, how about this. People who do yoga are healthier and live longer than people who don’t exercise.
LEARNING COACH: That tells us that yoga is better than no exercise but does it tell us that it’s the best form of exercise? It’s not sufficient, or enough, evidence to support the claim.
STUDENT: And the owner of a yoga studio says that yoga can transform your life.
LEARNING COACH: Oh, of course, the owner of a yoga studio would say that. They’re trying to get more customers.
STUDENT: Hmm, you’re a tough sell. Ok, it says that doing a Google search for yoga brings up more than 2 billion results.
LEARNING COACH: That hardly proves it’s a great exercise. It’s not relevant information. It doesn’t relate to the claim that yoga is the best exercise.
STUDENT: Okay, how about this? Studies show that yoga improves your strength, aerobic capacity and lung function, and it brings less risk of injury compared to other forms of exercise, like running or hockey.
LEARNING COACH: Now, that sounds like evidence that is relevant and sufficient but I do like hockey.
STUDENT: You can give it a break. You should give yoga a shot.
LEARNING COACH: Okay, I’ll give it a shot.
The LEARNING COACH moves into a yoga pose then takes a deep breath. The STUDENT copies.
LEARNING COACH: Like this?
STUDENT: Yeah.
LEARNING COACH: Okay.
summarize video