Dahn Yoga in Arizona

Sun City Retirement Members Find Hope in Dahn Yoga Classes

Phil — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:36:26 +0000

Senior citizens are the largest age group in America, growing faster than the total population. With this group come problems such as depression, lack of energy, and stiffness, along with the growing fear of infirmity. But thanks to instructors like Jerrie Ganthe of the Glendale, Arizona Dahn Yoga Center, seniors are able to find a new life filled with strength, hope and peace through the practice of Dahn Yoga.

“Women in their 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s are discovering their true self, and their value to humanity,” shares Jerry. ”So many feel that they will never be free of pain, never sleep through the night again; will always be tired. It’s rewarding to see these people change!” These are only the physical issues; ”The emotional and spiritual growth is heartwarming!”

Jerry started teaching Dahn Yoga in Sun City West, a retirement community outside of Phoenix, a year ago. The group decided to continue Dahn Yoga after the initial 12-week course ‘In Full Bloom’ ended. This course used Ilchi Lee’s book In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging as a guideline. ”The oldest is 94″, Jerry revealed. Some commented on the positive changes in their lives.

“I am a grateful cancer survivor albeit I lived everyday in terror waiting for the disease to return,” says Pat Goldsberry. ”Through the mind-body-energy concept of Dahn Yoga, I have been able to find the peace I was searching for.” ”I always leave feeling relaxed and recharged”, says Donna Peel. ”We do great stretching and a Dahn Yoga meditation.”

“I lost my husband of 56 years; last summer was a very rough time for me,” confided Joy Kapsula, a yearlong member of Dahn Yoga. ”Weekly sessions with Jerrie helped me to relax and relieve stress and stiffness, and renew energy.

I plan to continue, and have convinced several of my friends and acquaintances to join me.” Friends like Martha, from Joy’s local church group. ”At first, the experience was confusing, it was very different from anything I’ve done before, like the body tapping”, said Martha about Dahn Yoga. ”It took a few sessions to realize it was very beneficial.” It helped relieve stress and give her more energy, and “My aura migraines disappeared and my digestion is much improved.”

Martha has incorporated some Dahn Yoga exercises in her senior exercise class in Surprise, AZ. The Dahn Yoga Community continues to open up new community services in Senior centers and retirement communities across the country, to help people who have lost hope to realize that they can take control of their lives and their future.

“One lady said, ‘I had no idea! I thought I was alone in how I felt! Thank you for showing me how to meet with Me!’” revealed Jerrie Gathe. ”She still thanks me every week…I leave each class filled with love and gratitude!”

Dahn Yoga Center members join Earth Day Project sponsored by the cities of Glendale and Peoria, Arizona

Phil — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:07:41 +0000

When colleagues in the Phoenix area aren’t teaching Dahn Yoga classes, you might find them cleaning up your countryside. These Dahn Yoga Community members, fueled by a common appreciation of the Earth, are taking action by volunteering.

That’s why ten members of the Glendale and Tempe Dahn Yoga centers joined with people from the City of Peoria, the City of Glendale, the Salt River Project electric company and various other groups who share a respect for the earth helped clean up trash in and around dried river beds.

Despite the largest Arizona fire in history last year, workers were most shocked by how many cigarette butts lie by the road. One Dahn Yoga member was amazed by how many cigarette butts she could pile up without moving her feet, just turning 360 degrees. Starting at 7a.m., they dragged trash from under trees and alongside roads, quickly filling up 33-gallon trash bags.

Glendale Dahn Yoga Center manager Yewon Hwang showed Earth spirit to all the people she and the volunteers met and shared the Meditate and Make a Difference! Message. “Not just picking up the trash,” explained Yewon, “but awakening people to the importance of protecting Mother Earth, and how, when we learn to breathe and meditate, we can truly make a difference. We are hoping to have the opportunity of volunteering again.”

Susan Gerace of Tempe Dahn Yoga is reminded of the part in the book The Call of Sedona when Ilchi Lee cleaned out the riverbed in his hometown. “He carried all the trash up a hill behind his home and used the trash pile to plant pumpkins for the people in his town! It was the first time he realized his value! It felt good to be able to do our part!” Keep up the good work, Dahn Yoga members, our earth and its inhabitants thank you!

Stretching exercises for seniors can improve their golf swing

Phil — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:53:36 +0000

Arizona yoga studios offer stretches that cover all sorts of physiological territory. Classes often teach yoga for headaches, backaches, joint pain or low mood. There are stretching exercises for seniors, cyclists, runners and swimmers. And believe it or not, you can often find classes that will help you with your golf swing.

Just ask Katherine Roberts, who recently started a program called Yoga for Golfers. As she told ABC News 15 Phoenix, holistic exercises are particularly good for people who spend a lot of time on the fairway – since, as she believes, golf is "90 percent mental."

The same could be said of yoga. After all, the regimen focuses on strengthening the connection between the mind and the body. For this reason, more than a few fitness authorities have recommended meditating and doing holistic stretches before hitting the green.

For instance, Men's Health released a whole chart of yoga poses that are good for golfers. For the most part, these positions improve flexibility, boost arm strength and prevent pulled muscles.

Even meditation can help, since deep, relaxed breathing is essential to the ability to be "in the moment" during a difficult drive or putt.

In spring, Dahn Yoga for health can channel your energy

Phil — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:33:21 +0000

Spring has sprung. Flowers are in bloom, the days are warmer, the sun is up longer and everything is green. If you're like most Americans, springtime entails some mixed emotions – on the one hand, you're delighted to see the seasons change, and, on the other, you have the overwhelming urge to get away from your cubicle and into the sun. Rather than playing hookey, though, consider doing Dahn Yoga for your health.

Online magazine Feelgood Style recently addressed the antsiness that comes with warmer weather. The news source called the feeling "spring fever" and explained that it's more than a feeling – it's a primal force.

Essentially, your body is attuned to nature. Though we're social, civilized creatures, we're also still animals. The restlessness you feel at your desk each day is your brain stem and your ki energy telling you to GET OUTSIDE!

Unfortunately, this isn't an urge you can indulge very often. Most people need to maintain a regular work schedule, or else risk losing their position. So instead of pulling up stakes and going on a yoga retreat in Arizona (you can save that for your vacation), take a few minutes at work to do Dahn Yoga. Even if you simply meditate at your desk, you'll be able to internalize and redirect all your extra energy into something constructive.

Medicare now covers yoga for health problems

Phil — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:32:16 +0000

As a sport, a hobby, a pastime and a way of life, yoga is becoming more and more prominent. From kids to the elderly, everyone loves the holistic health system! In fact, seniors seem particularly taken with it – and the federal government has picked up on this. Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services decided that Medicare will now cover some yoga for health problems.

According to CNN, the federal social insurance program will now reserve funds for certain yoga regimens, like that provided by the Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease. On average, these clinically tested stretching exercises for seniors cost $70 per hour. Patients 65 and older may get as many as 72 hours of therapeutic yoga covered by Medicare, the news source stated.

Supporters of the new law noted that while these prices may sound steep, they are still dwarfed by the cost of surgeries for heart disease or stroke.

In terms of preventative medicine, yoga has officially joined the ranks of effective, federally sanctioned techniques for maintaining health during old age.

The mind-body routine is already popular among seniors. According to a survey conducted by the Yoga Journal, of the 16 million Americans who practice yoga, one in five is 55 or older.

Book promotes stretching exercises for seniors

Phil — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:02:54 +0000

Doing yoga isn't just good for your joints and muscles, and it doesn't just improve your stress levels. On the contrary, the holistic system is so good for your body and mind that it can help keep you healthy well into your golden years. That's the conclusion of a newly published book about yoga for healthy aging.

Called Yoga For Age 60+: A Guide to a New Journey of Safe Yoga Practice at Home, the text has just appeared on shelves. According to the Houston Chronicle, its explanations of the benefits of stretching exercises for seniors are simple and easy to follow.

Author Meena Vad told the news source that she wrote the book in part as an encomium for elderly Americans, who do so much for others while rarely thinking of themselves.

"As we live healthier and happier lives by practicing yoga, we have the potential to make important contributions to society in later years," she explained. "The senior generation is the foundation of any society in any nation. It is our responsibility to keep this foundation strong and stable."

The one asterisk we might add to this wonderful statement is that, when a person reaches retirement age, it is often better to practice yoga in the company of others, rather than alone at home.

Yoga retreat centers offer bliss

Phil — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:05:08 +0000

If you've been hearing about the many delights offered at yoga retreats in Sedona, you may be wondering why the area's holistic community is so popular. After all, there are plenty of yoga retreat centers worldwide that offer a comfy, cozy environment in which to do yoga, right? What makes Sedona unique?

For one thing, the region has the Red Rocks, a sandstone formation that is truly stunning to behold. These ancient pillars, spires and cathedrals of stone have beguiled the residents of Sedona for centuries.

Likewise, the area's climate is quite mild, offering snowy winters and warm, dry summers. The seasons are more moderate in Sedona than they are in other regions that are supposedly renowned for their mildness!

Just as important are the city's energy vortices. These points of convergence – most notably, at Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon – mark the spots at which many of the world's natural forces align.

By practicing yoga or meditation in Sedona retreats, it is quite possible that a dedicated enthusiast can boost the body's ki energy merely by situating himself near a soaring rock formation or energy crux.

Drew Barrymore goes to a yoga retreat center in Paris

Phil — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:05:17 +0000

Do you like yoga? What is it about the holistic mind-body regimen that you just can't get enough of? Do you really dig its deep breathing exercises, its calming stretches and its benefits for everyone from kids to adults to expectant mothers? If so, you can lump yourself in with actress Drew Barrymore, who was recently spotted leaving a yoga retreat center in Paris!

The Huffington Post reported that the starlet was caught on film after a rigorous yoga workout. Rumors have abounded that the 37-year-old actress and her fiance, Will Kopelman, are expecting a child.

While it's unclear from the photos whether this is true, the news source certainly speculated that Barrymore may be taking yoga for a healthy back as a way to ease the aches of early pregnancy.

Since she has also been recently spotted eating saltines and leaving a doctor's office holding what appeared to a be a sonogram image, the rumor mill is currently churning.

However, regardless of whether she and Kopelman are expecting a baby or not, it's clear that her holistic exercise regimen will encourage her continued health and wellness.

Dr. Oz explains the value of taking yoga classes in Arizona

Phil — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:59:21 +0000

While everyone already seems to know how well-suited yoga is for health problems, it never hurts to have the occasional reminder. Recently, surgeon and daytime television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared on a Phoenix news channel to promote taking yoga classes in Arizona.

Dr. Oz has long been a fan of the holistic mind-body regimen, and he spent plenty of time singing its praises. While on KTVK Phoenix's Good Morning America, he even showed hosts Scott Pasmore and Kaley O'Kelley how to perform a few simple yoga poses.

Oz noted that, as many other health experts have pointed out, stretching, posing, breathing deeply and meditating can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, especially when combined with a healthy diet and plenty of sleep.

That's one reason why Dahn Yoga offers so many different classes, from beginner's basics to instruction for even the most advanced enthusiast.

If you've felt stressed, overtired, sluggish, frazzled or fatigued lately, isn't it about time that you tried a little complementary and alternative healing? Consider popping into your local Dahn Yoga community center and asking if they're currently offering any membership deals.

Arizona yoga studios are springing up all over

Phil — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:53:31 +0000

Why are yoga classes in Arizona so popular these days? If you take holistic health classes in the Grand Canyon State, then you've probably noticed that Dahn Yoga studios have been popping up seemingly everywhere. To what can we attribute this nice little trend?

Aaron Goldberg, the owner of a couple of Arizona yoga studios, says that it's due to the mind-body regimen's durability.

He told KTAR Radio Phoenix that yoga is one of the only businesses that has actually grown during the current economic recession. So why are enthusiasts all too happy to cut other hobbies, even as they sign up for more yoga classes?

"This [routine] is good for my emotional state, this is good to de-stress, this is good for my emotional growth, I feel more empowered when I do it," Goldberg told the radio station. He added that holistic exercise is particularly enticing for the over-30 crowd, many of whom want an experience that's more calming and relaxing than a day at the gym.

Dahn Yoga community centers help the residents of towns like Sedona and Scottsdale learn to unwind and reconnect. Why not try a class today?

Dahn Yoga in Arizona

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