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 Photo Pam Walatka/Special To The Town CrierOne of my yoga teachers, Barbara Shewfelt at Foothill College, demonstrates the Rolling Like a Ball move in this double exposure.
Yoga, the oldest health-improvement practice in the world, has survived because it works. Millions of people over thousands of years have practiced yoga. The key word here is “practiced,” because yoga does not offer instant relief – it promises health improvement over a period of time as a result of continued effort. Individual results may vary (as they say on TV), but overall, if you maintain a yoga regimen, you can expect health benefits.
One of the core ideas of yoga is that you can improve your health by working on it. If you prefer to think of poor health as something that befalls you even though you don’t deserve it – “Why does everything happen to me?” – then yoga is not for you. On the other hand, if you take a proactive approach to your own health, you could find that yoga helps.
Los Altos Hills resident Eve Bennett-Wood suffers from multiple sclerosis and finds that yoga provides mind and body benefits.
“I am more flexible, have better balance, and am stronger from my one-class-a-week yoga practice,” she said. “Even my doctors noticed that I was in better condition after just a few months. The concentration and meditation practice in class helps bring better peace of mind and has motivated me to take other healthy steps.”
I’ve practiced yoga since 1967 and taught yoga for the Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation Department since 2005. I hear yoga credited with ameliorating backaches, menopause symptoms, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, sleep disorders, trouble concentrating and other ailments – but you have to try it yourself to determine whether it is right for you, and what it can do.
Keep in mind that yoga is not a quick fix. If you have a terrible backache and try a few yoga poses, chances are you will feel no improvement. Yoga is meant to be practiced on a regular basis for many years.
Andi Bruno, owner of Yoga of Los Altos, said she has seen vast improvement in clients with chronic back pain due to spinal stenosis, disc problems or sciatica. Some of her clients, she said, practice yoga to lower their blood pressure while they undergo chemotherapy.
“Yoga implies health,” she said. “Yoga can help in many areas where Western medicine leaves off.”
Bruno said that yoga can improve stress management and is an ideal way to reduce anxiety, balancing mental benefits with the physical.
“Being physically and mentally fit and flexible is a great way to age gracefully,” she said.
Dr. Vivien D’Andrea, an internist at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, said she recommends yoga to her patients regularly, especially patients who are middle-aged or older.
“Muscles and tendons tend to tighten up. Being flexible will decrease the chance of back strain, neck problems and so on,” said D’Andrea, who added that yoga is a good stress reliever as it teaches you to breathe deeply and be more centered. “Some patients worry that they will be asked to do contortions, but there is plenty of yoga geared to what you can handle.”
Dr. Dominick Curatola, medical director of the Heart and Vascular Institute at El Camino Hospital, has come to think the regular practice of yoga will improve an individual’s well-being.
“I have been a longtime believer and observer of the powerful connection between the mind, body and spirit,” Curatola said. “Yoga is a powerful tool that has the potential to support, if not strengthen, all three of these dimensions to our being. I never felt better than the years when I participated in yoga classes regularly.”
People can sometimes sustain injuries while practicing yoga. It’s like going to the gym when you haven’t been for a long while – if you try to copy what others are doing, you could hurt yourself. One of the most important things to master in yoga is how to work at your own pace, to recognize and respect the messages coming from your body. When your knee says “stop,” you should stop.
Given the variety of yoga teachers in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View, picking an instructor is highly personal and subjective. Even after you have reviewed the different types of yoga and the levels of challenge, you still need to find someone who suits you. Your friend may find his or her teacher to be absolutely perfect, but you may find the same teacher to be absolutely annoying.
For more information about Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation yoga classes, visit www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/activity-guide or call 941-7222. Enrollment is open for the next session, which begins April 8. Contact Pam Walatka at
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