Going with the flow
Lodi’s Deb Marweg promotes therapeutic benefits of yoga
At Now and Zen yoga studio in Lodi, owner Deb Marweg has been helping students, including seniors, find therapeutic benefits through yoga for a variety of physical conditions since she opened the studio in 2003.
As a former triathlete and special education teacher, Marweg can empathize with being injured and also has an eye for her students’ individual needs.
Marweg tailors her classes to her students’ individual capabilities, and asks for a general health history before a student joins a class.
In an interview with the NewsSentinel, Marweg touched on all things yoga, including how it is beneficial for seniors.
What are the benefits of yoga for seniors?
The benefits of yoga for seniors are many. Not only does yoga build strength and increase mobility, but it helps with balance as well.
Another aspect that people often overlook is that yoga increases your proprioception, which is knowing where your body lives in space. This is important as we age to keep us from getting injured.
Yoga boosts the immune system and aides in keeping the digestive system healthy. Yoga keeps the bones strong and the connective tissue healthy. Because working with the breath is one of the main focuses of yoga, it wonderful for the respiratory system as well.
At Now and Zen Yoga, we always have the health of the spine in mind and work to strengthen the spine and open the chest to encourage deeper and easier breathing.
Is there a particular type of yoga that's especially helpful? What type is best for beginners?
Every studio is different in types of classes so I can only speak for my studio, but we have specific classes for beginners to help students learn proper alignment and any modifications they may need for their body.
If coming onto hands and knees is an issue, we offer Gentle Yoga classes that still work on strength, mobility, and balance, but we avoid coming onto our hands and knees.
We also have Therapeutic Yoga classes in which the use of chairs is offered, and these classes are only 45 minutes. I would stay away from classes that have the word Flow in the description because that means that there will be continuous movement with breath and an assumption that students know some yoga.
If someone is not yet able to get to a class, are there gentle stretches or exercises they can do safely at home until then?
Any gentle movement is better than nothing. Rolling bridge pose. Knees to chest. Reclined Cobblers Pose. Windshield wiper knees.
What precautions should someone take — aside from checking in with their doctor — before beginning a yoga or other exercise routine?
I would say to come with an open mind and a willingness to start slowly and learn how to do things with proper alignment so that you do not get injured. Every person is different, and they come in with different compensations and movement patterns so we will all look different in the poses. It is important to find what works for you and if you do the work from the ground up you will see and feel the benefits of yoga.
Sometimes people are worried about the religious background of yoga. Does the version taught in the U.S. include a lot of religious elements?
There can be a spiritual aspect to yoga, but it is not a religion. There are so many styles of yoga in the Unites States and some of them have no spiritual aspect to them and other have a lot.
At Now and Zen we make sure that any of the spiritual aspects of yoga discussed are universal teachings so as to not conflict with Christianity, Judaism or any religion. We do not use any mantras or mudras that relate to Hindu deities.
Many of our classes have not spiritual aspect to them and others may have an intent or thought that has students thinking deeper than just moving their bodies. The main goal of yoga is the bring mastery over the mind, we use the body and breath to start that process. For some students having a deeper meaning to their practice aides in that process as well so some of our teachers provide that as well.
Are there any health issues that might make someone want to avoid yoga?
Anyone can do yoga, but they need to find the right class to meet their needs. Sometimes a group class is not the right fit and a private session is best. It is important to let go of the pictures you see of people doing crazy yoga positions. Gentle movements with focus on the breath and a calm mind is the best kind of yoga.