Sensual healing

Yoga is like sex.

“You can read about it, hear about it, and watch other
people do it, but until you experience it first hand, yourself, you
don’t really get it,” writes internationally renowned yoga
instructor and author Susan Winter Ward.

There are very seductive reasons why a yoga class has become the
best social gathering place since the Coffee Bean. 

Yoga instructors at the John Wooden Center have devised a system
to ease students into the art. This fall, the 28 class
sessions were filled with curious novices as well as fully
initiated students. As students advance, so do the poses that
further challenge their abilities.

Teachers combine various styles of yoga into their own unique
routines. Hatha Yoga concentrates on deepening each individual
stretch, while Power Yoga combines various movements in a flowing
ensemble of arms and legs. Gentle Yoga is an introductory
class, while Restorative Yoga employs deep relaxation for
rejuvenating effects.

Part-time instructor Ashley Karr likens yoga to
hiking. “It is mentally challenging in preparing for the
adventure and physically grueling on the trail,” she
said. “Overall, it is like an escape into the woods
without actually stepping outside.”Â 

The body seems to chant the alphabet, as shapes of O’s,
T’s, U’s and inverted V’s are formed to the beat
of drums and invigorating music. The Crow pose has some
students off the ground as the whole body is suspended with the
arms acting as stilts.

As bodies are pushed to the limit in a particularly challenging
pose, grunts and groans echo throughout the room. Beads of
sweat form necklaces of sacrificed Gatorade.

The Yogi’s voice coaxes kindly, but never hurriedly or
judgmentally. “Chin into shin”, “inhale butt
straight up into the sky”, and “bend knees behind the
ears” are common utterances of the Yogi.

“The instructor will demonstrate a near-impossible pose
and nobody cares how ridiculous you look when trying them,”
fifth-year engineering and Scandanavian studies student Andy
Lengyel said.

The stretching techniques provide a natural remedy to stiffness
and potentially reduce the risk of injury. Dr. Karlis Ullis of
the Arthur Ashe Sports Medicine Clinic highly recommends gentle
yoga to the student population. 

“For some, yoga may be the right path to recovery,”
he said.

Along with weight training and aerobics, “yoga provides
the stretching and relaxation techniques necessary for a balanced
workout regimen,” he said.

Many physicians recommend yoga to their stressed
patients. People suffering from insomnia or various other
ailments and looking for a natural remedy should consider yoga,
according to Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Chadwick Smith.

Smith notes that “the lower back is a common source for
weak or deteriorated muscles and many cases of whiplash and spinal
damage require strength training.”Â 

Yoga is a great alternative or compliment to power sports,
providing improvements in muscle tone while focusing on the mental
aspect of exercise. 

The foreign origins of yoga drew the attention of the American
public in the 1960s. Yogi Jack Verner, currently teaching yoga
classes at the John Wooden Center, grew up on an Indian Reservation
and at the age of seven was drawn to the open-minded
practice. 

It is the sense of freedom and exposure to new cultures that Mr.
Verner offers to his students. He stresses the importance of each
individual developing a sense of self at his or her own
pace. The communal atmosphere eliminates a lot of the fear and
anxiety students may have about trying a new form of
exercise. 

A swimmer for 13 years, Lengyel states that “yoga is a
superior upper body workout, helps my flexibility, and provides
great physical therapy.”Â He was surprised when he
received peace of mind along with the physical aspect.  After
totally clearing his mind, his smile tells it all. 

After the intense workout, fourth-year student Mara Altman
pointed out that the concluding relaxation and breathing exercises
are the “best 10 minutes of my week.”Â 

“Yoga re-energizes my body and I feel good,” she
said.  

Yogis have said that the age students start practicing is the
age that they will feel for the rest of their lives.

Yoga class is a time to rediscover one’s toes and good
posture, while leaving personal concerns at the door. A sense
of newfound bravery seems to radiate from the students’
glowing faces. 

The underlying philosophy of yoga is that, throughout the hour
of body manipulations and seemingly endless methods of lengthening
a calf muscle, the mind prevails and understands the body’s
potential.

Lying in rows, students slowly open their eyes and the slight
rustling of body parts signals the end of class. They are imagining
that they are moving for the first time. 

“I can come to class totally pissed off and leave with a
totally opposite mindset,” Lengyel said. 

As stressful situations or tragic events invade our lives, yoga
provides a lofty feeling without a shot of cafe latte or
double-dose of Viagra. 

Whatever gets the motor running.