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Yoga devotees take to the mat to feel younger and healthier.
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At Paoli’s DiBella Yoga, woven blankets are folded neatly in the corner of a studio adorned with a Ganesha sculpture, an angel figurine, and other spiritual images from Eastern and Western culture. This simple space is meant to serve as an escape from the rigors of daily life—stresses that take a toll on the body and mind, accelerating the aging process.
Combining physical poses of varying difficulty with meditation and breathing exercises, yoga has become an increasingly popular way for mature Main Liners to fuse body, mind and spirit, with the ultimate—and highly ambitious—goal of finding eternal bliss. Experts contend that yoga may well be the best form of exercise to combat aging. And most of us have heard stories of Indian yogis living well into their 90s and even 100s.
Yoga is a lifelong practice that can be started at any age, be it early childhood or late in life. As it’s evolved, various types of yoga have emerged—some physically rigorous, some gentle. Others contain a significant spiritual element, and still others focus more on general physical and mental well-being.
DiBella Yoga’s Polly DiBella is a living, breathing testament to the practice’s anti-aging benefits. She first took up yoga in the mid-70s, when she was in her 20s. And though she may have a few lines on her face and some gray hair, her face glows and her body is fit and flexible.
DiBella has seen yoga improve the quality of life for people of all ages. “I have clients in their 80s who started practicing in their 60s,” says DiBella, adding that her students see improved flexibility and posture, sleep better, and enjoy better overall health. “What’s happening is not a mystery to me. With yoga, you release tension in your muscles. You get better circulation and blood flow into your muscles, so you’re stronger, healthier and more resilient.”
Dr. M. Susan Burke, an internist and specialist in geriatric medicine at Lankenau Hospital, sees yoga’s multiple benefits as reason enough to recommend a gentle form to her elderly patients. Aside from increased flexibility, yoga helps with posture, balance and strength, which can aid in both preventing falls and recovering from them. “It’s an excellent way to stay as young and healthy as possible,” says Burke. “It does have clear medical benefits.”
Yoga classes in varying styles are available throughout the Main Line, and many supplement what they do in the studio with practice at home, which can be done with little or no special equipment. Mats, blankets, bands, blocks and bolsters can all be purchased at reasonable cost.
DiBella specializes in Svaroopa yoga, a gentle therapeutic style that uses blankets and blocks to help relieve tension in the body. It’s ideal for older people and those recovering from injury. Some studios and nursing homes offer an even gentler form called chair yoga.
For those looking for a workout, Dana Hot Yoga in Bala Cynwyd offers a physically intense experience in a heated studio to induce sweating and promote detoxification. “Yoga has a way of opening up the capillaries so the oxygen is really flowing through your body,” says Dana Hot co-owner Lisa Mitchell. “It really has a cleansing element to it.”
