DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Laurie "Momi" Chee strikes a Pincha Mayurasana position. Notice that the words on her "Got Yoga" top are printed so they appear right-side up when she's upside down. The Lily Lotus Top is her own design.
Power to heal
Yoga finds a fresh pool
of enthusiasts among those
looking to relieve stress
and chronic pain
ori Hill has bulging discs in her neck and back from a car accident. Susan Pestama is almost entirely paralyzed on her right side. Joe Cucchiella suffered from acute vertigo so bad he couldn't sleep well for three years.
And the only thing that's helped them hasn't been painkillers or surgery. All three have become believers in the healing power of yoga.
"I know it sounds unbelievable," said Cucchiella, whose back pain disappeared after three classes, "but it's true. I'll do yoga for the rest of my life now."
Yoga, an ancient form of meditation and exercise, has resurfaced in recent years as the latest workout craze among today's Starbucks-drinking, "Survivor"-watching mainstream. Celebrities such as Madonna and Cameron Diaz swear by it. Designers and chain clothing stores have unveiled yoga lines, labeling sweat pants as "yoga pants" in the spirit of the times.
Even the exercise itself has changed, adapting to a culture more likely to embrace road rage before meditation. There are power yoga, prenatal yoga, even hip-hop yoga.
But the one aspect that has stayed constant is yoga's ability to heal.
"More people are using it to rehabilitate," said Rupali Embrey, co-founder of Yoga Hawaii in Kaimuki and a yoga instructor for 18 years. "They're trying to re-balance areas of injuries -- because what yoga does on both an emotional and physical level is help with balance. Yoga is something that keeps you steady and centered."
More than 20 million Americans practice yoga, according to the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, the largest retreat center for yoga and holistic living in the United States. And many of them are using yoga to heal their minds and bodies.
"I was looking for something more," said Susan Stern, a 38-year-old full-time mom from Manoa who had previously done aerobics and weights. "I wanted something that helped my mind and body, something to pull it all together."
In the year Stern has been practicing yoga, she has noticed physical and emotional changes. Not only is she stronger and leaner, but she says she feels less anxious and more compassionate.
"It's changed my life," Stern said, adding that she gets "chills" when she realizes how much time she had been wasting on unimportant things.
A number of studies have shown that yoga may have specific health benefits for people with insomnia, joint pain, high levels of stress, high blood pressure, even certain lung diseases. A recent study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health recently noted its benefits in people with multiple sclerosis.
Yoga can improve coordination, flexibility, range of motion, concentration, sleep and digestion. And while it is not a cure, it has often been used as supplementary therapy for diabetes, cancer, arthritis, asthma, migraines and AIDS.
Many exercises in physical therapy are adopted from yoga movements, especially for treating back pain.
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Melissa May, left, and Chee strike a Trikonasana pose.
According to the NCCAM, back problems are among the most prevalent conditions affecting adults and are among leading reasons people turn to complementary or alternative medical therapies.
SINCE A CAR accident five years ago, Hill has been living with pain in her lower back and neck. Nothing, including visits to a chiropractor, helped. The muscles in her neck were so tight she couldn't turn her head.
But after a month of yoga, she has noticed an improvement in her range of motion.
"It's really helped to loosen me up," said the 40-year-old customer service manager at Gold's Gym. She takes yoga three days a week at the gym. "I couldn't do even half a backbend (a month ago)."
Cucchiella injured his lower back from 30 years of tennis. When he first starting taking yoga classes more than three years ago, he couldn't bend his back. Not only has his tennis game improved -- he said yoga has made him stronger and faster -- but he lost 30 pounds. And the back pain is gone.
"It's basically beyond belief," said Cucchiella, a 48-year-old businessman from Nuuanu. "It doesn't sound true, but believe me, it is."
James Figueira, yoga instructor at Gold's Gym and former gymnastics coach, said he has noticed more people using yoga to recover from injuries. But he believes the benefits of yoga go beyond strength and flexibility.
"It's about paying attention to your body and what it needs," he said. "It's training for life."
Yoga can also be preventative, advocates say, as its exercises strengthen muscles and increase flexibility while teaching useful breathing techniques to ensure amply oxygen movement through the body.
For 17 years Tania Ingrahm was a competitive triathlete and runner who suffered from injuries and pain from years of training. She turned to yoga more than 10 years ago to supplement her regimen and found the results beneficial. Now yoga is her primary workout.
"It helped my back immensely," said the former triathlon coach and co-owner of Yoga Hawaii. "The benefits can be pretty immediate."
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Melissa May, wearing an Ipanema outfit, strikes a Marichyasana pose.
Louisa DiGrazia, who has been teaching yoga for 30 years, has seen more athletes participate in yoga to supplement their training, realizing it helps with balance, stamina, breathing and flexibility.
"It's a really important aspect of yoga that it's preventative as well as healing," said DiGrazia, director of the Yoga School of Kailua. "Someone who's athletic, who gets into yoga earlier in their career, will recover a lot more quickly. They know their body better. The more you do it, the more you recognize your own body."
Yoga has transcended stereotypes that persisted for decades, such as that it's a religion, it's easy, it's only for hippies and vegetarians.
"People are surprised when they come to class and see that they're challenged," Ingrahm said.
Instead of loud techno music and a screaming instructor, yoga offers a quiet environment and careful instruction that appeals to people fed up with the high stress of today's lifestyle.
But some people aren't convinced that yoga can provide physical benefits without pain and a pulsating pace.
"People want to feel a certain amount of pain and sweat to think they're doing something," Figueira said. "But that's not true. Everything helps, even a walk around the block."
The notion of yoga as a "girly" sort of activity has kept men from trying it -- something that has been changing in the past few years.
"Guys are more skeptical," Figueira said. "They don't see the value in it. They come for a while, and they realize it's harder than they thought."
DiGrazia's husband, Tom, remembers when he was the only guy in yoga class more than 25 years ago.
"They think it's just stretching, and that can be hard for men," said Tom DiGrazia, 58, whose yoga classes are sometimes half-filled with other men, mostly surfers and athletes. "Yoga could give them a rude awakening. It's calling for a whole different approach to physicality. Men are initially perplexed by that."
But those -- men or women -- who stick with yoga, advocates say, will reap rewards beyond being able to just reach their toes. And the learning is endless.
"You can never learn all there is to know about yoga," Lousia DiGrazia said. "It's a process of life unfolding, and you are learning something new all the time. That's the beauty of it."
These locations are among places to find yoga classes: Yoga Hawaii Kaimuki, 1152 Koko Head Ave. Suite 203, 739-YOGA (9642), www.yoga-hawaii.com.; Yoga Hawaii Aiea, 98-025 Hekaha St., Unit 2-F (Oahu Tae Kwon-Do Center), 739-YOGA (9642); Purple Yoga Hawaii, University Square, 2615 S. King St., 485-0230; Yoga School of Kailua, 292-9642.
Tips for beginners
Be realistic: Yoga is not magic, but long-term benefits can include increased self-esteem and weight loss. "Before, I worried about little inconsequential things," said Susan Stern, who has been practicing yoga for about a year. "Now I'm more comfortable with myself. I have a better perspective on what's important in my life."Be smart: Pick a class or style that works for you. If you like vigorous workouts, take ashtanga. For something more gentle, try kripalu. And finding a teacher you like will keep you coming back. "You've got to have a connection with someone who understands your needs," said instructor James Figueira.
Be patient: As with any workout, it takes time to see the physical and emotional benefits. "You have to unwind all the tension in your body from a lifetime," said instructor Tania Ingrahm, "and that takes time."
More information
The American Yoga Association: www.americanyogaassociation.orgNational Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Clearinghouse: nccam.nih.gov, 888-644-6226 or 301-589-5367
Yoga Research and Education Center: www.yrec.org
BACK TO TOP |
Yoga inspires eco-friendly
Kaimuki boutique
The way Vanessa Beaton executes a headstand -- with patience and extreme concentration -- it is difficult to believe she ever needed something like yoga to find focus.
But that's what yoga has done for the former triathlete.
What began as a supplement her triathlon training became a focal point in her life.
"I just did yoga to help in my training, but it became much more important to me," said Beaton, a 35-year-old mother. "The triathlon became secondary to yoga. And yoga became the foundation for me for everything else."
In July she opened Off the Mat in Kaimuki, the only yoga boutique in Hawaii.
Her store features yoga-inspired fashion, from women's workout ensembles to men's surf shorts. It's a one-stop shop for everything yoga -- mats, microfiber towels, books, DVDs, meditation zafus -- all carefully chosen by Beaton.
She is proud of clothing lines such as Wildlife Works, dedicated to the conservation and protection of endangered animals. "I picked companies that were trying to make a difference, that tried to empower people to think beyond themselves."
And the clothing in her store is very boutique-worthy: Trendy OM Girl, fashionable lululemon athletica and the hot-item Mari Dade. The store also features the locally designed Lily Lotus.
Off the Mat also carries Korres Natural Products, an organic beauty line from Greece that has become the hot item at the store. Mint tea body milks and vanilla cinnamon shower gels are the most popular.
"I wanted to bring them all together in one place," she said.
And being a yoga devotee, Beaton knew what would appeal to her spirit- and body-conscious clientele.
"There's a difference when everything's made by people inspired by yoga," Beaton said. "Their mission is more in line with the yoga lifestyle, and that was important to me."
BEATON TOOK HER first yoga class years ago to lose weight. She instantly liked it. Her spirits lifted, and she started to feel more optimistic about life.
But after four months her focus shifted, and she began training instead for triathlons and marathons.
That took a serious toll on her body. She began experiencing lower back pain, aggravated by stress and continued activity. Her coach, Tania Ingrahm, encouraged Beaton to take yoga for the physical benefits, but Beaton found that yoga helped her emotionally as well.
"It was much more important to me for my emotional well-being," said Beaton, who has been practicing yoga regularly for more than five years now. "I have a tendency to get overwhelmed. Yoga has become my lifeline."
With the stress of owning her own store, Beaton admits she often falls back into old habits of feeling tense and anxious. Now that just becomes a reminder to get to the next ashtanga class.
"I always get a better sense of well-being," Beaton said. "Whenever those reactions come back, yoga helps me ground myself. The benefits are so much greater."
Off the Mat is located at 1127 12th Ave. Call 735-5450 or e-mail offthemat@mac.com.
Click for online
calendars and events.
