HEALTH FITNESS

Speculated to have origins dating back to pre-Vedic India, yoga is a practice of physical, mental and emotional discipline. It offers health benefits that have been reported to change lives.

In a 2006 study conducted by the Department of Neurology and Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University, scientists determined a link between the practice of yoga and increased quality of life for seniors.

The many different styles of yoga allow people to find what works best for them. Stretches and poses are low-impact, and routines can be adjusted to suit each person’s abilities.

Local yoga studios and instructors offer everything from relaxed one-on-one sessions of restorative yoga to invigorating hot yoga classes.

Aurelio Larsen, 83 years old, has been involved in family sessions with local yoga instructor Erin Trapaga for the past three years. “It’s fun,” Larsen said after completing her morning routine.

Her weekly sessions are usually held on the front porch of her Candler Park home. Sometimes she meets up with her daughter Dawn Caldwell for their classes.

Initially, it was Caldwell who was getting private lessons, but her mother also wanted to participate. “I think she’s a lot

more limber than she would have been without yoga,” Caldwell said. “And Erin can teach anyone,” she said with a laugh.

Trapaga teaches yoga at places such as Fernbank Museum and Decatur Yoga & Pilates, and she

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Know Your Heart is a screening program designed to determine risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious conditions.

Each Know Your Heart participant receives a personalized report with test results, reviewed with a WellStar Medical Group, Cardiovascular Medicine provider. The consultation also includes risk factor education, diet, weight and exercise recommendations.

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PHOTOS BY ISADORA PENNINGTON has volunteered with the Central Presbyterian Men’s Shelter, as well as offering private lessons for families.

“I like to go really slow,” Trapaga said. “We go very gradually into poses, and then we deepen them

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Heart Screen – $99 or $149 per couple

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While yoga is a relatively safe form of exercise, it’s important to proceed with caution to prevent injuries caused by coming out of poses too quickly or overextending during a stretch. “Keeping students safe is the first priority,” said Trapaga.

During the lessons, Larsen gets individualized attention and socialization accompanied by a gentle hand and steady encouragement. Her daughter says she visibly glows after the sessions.

“It’s so inspiring to see older people discover things they never knew they could do,” Trapaga said.

Turning to Larsen, Trapaga teased her gently, “Like you; you’re full of surprises!” Larsen chuckled and patted her hand.

People who feel a bit more adventurous might consider hot yoga. This style incorporates elevated heat and is thought to increase flexibility and aid in flushing toxins. Temperatures can reach 104 degrees F, so it’s not for everyone. For some seniors, however, it’s the perfect improvement to traditional yoga.

Hot Yoga of Johns Creek offers Bikram hot yoga classes. Phil and Carol Houston of Alpharetta have been loyal participants since their first hot yoga class there 10 years ago.

“We can enjoy it together,” Phil said. “It’s a fun physical activity, and we have a yoga family now.” Phil, who recently turned 70, had been quite active previously, engaging in jogging and sports such as tennis. After several knee operations, those activities weren’t an option any longer.

Phil liked his first class so much that he told his wife, Carol, 67, that she had to experience it for herself.

“I was diagnosed with macular degeneration in one of my eyes, so I’ve lost some vision and depth perception,” Carol said. “I don’t want to have to worry about falling, and the class has helped my balance. Now if I trip, I can recover because I know where my center of balance is.”

Hot Yoga studio owner Jenny Matusevich leads students through the 90-minute classes, working on alignment, building core muscles and breathing. Each individual proceeds at their own pace.

“It’s the way people feel afterwards that convinces them to keep at it,” Matusevich said. “They stand taller, feel better and have a better day. The more good days you have, the better life you have.”

Do you want to improve your balance, gain flexibility and retain your mobility?

Consider taking up yoga. For info on Hot Yoga of Johns Creek, visit hotyogajc.com or call 678-834-9844. For more information about yoga lessons with Erin Trapaga, go to erintrapaga.com or email Erin at erintrapagayoga@gmail.com.

Life Care Center Of America

Birdfeeder Battles

I have a bit of a summertime routine. Each morning, as the humidity ripens and before it becomes oppressive, I go outside to my deck, drink a cup of coffee, wait for the internet to connect, drink a cup of coffee, wait for my email to update, drink a cup of coffee, try to think of something to write, drink another cup of coffee, and thus ease into my day, all the while serenaded by a cacophony of tweets and trills from the backyard birds in my backyard aviary and distracted by their flights of color.

They charm me.

I had outwitted the squirrels and chipmunks that used to shimmy over the hanging rod and squeeze inside the feeder; I had changed the feeder and the seed, and those pesky varmints were dining elsewhere. Since then, birds have gathered at my feeder like commuters at a Starbucks. I have been getting house finches and goldfinches, chickadees and towhees. Sometimes I even get bluebirds and, as we all know, bluebirds are special. Their indigo blue and cherry red colors punctuated in white and black inspire me to think of them as God’s rainbow, sent to me in the form of a winged creature—a fluttering promise that everything will be okay.

The birds were happy, I was happy, life was grand. And then…and then everything went terribly wrong.

I dashed to the wild bird store and started to explain:

“I was getting all kinds of songbirds—finches and cardinals, and even bluebirds, and then…”

“….and then the grackles came.” He finished the sentence for me, and I could hear ominous music swell up in the background.

If you have a birdfeeder, you know about grackles. If you don’t, I will tell you: They are large, beady-eyed, sinister looking birds the color of old oil that travel in swarms and look as if, at any minute, they will perch on my deck railings and start cackling, “Nevermore.”

I don’t like them one bit.

Not only do they creep the daylights out of me, but they frighten away my pretty birds and devour my birdseed faster than it takes to say “Poe.” Plus, they make a mess and they don’t clean up after themselves, so they’re kind of like flying teenagers.

I wanted God’s winged rainbows back, not God’s winged delinquents.

Birdseed Man said the best thing to do was to remove the seed until the dreaded grackles went away.

So I removed the seed, and the grackles would squawk and crow and swoop by and leave their droppings all over my outdoor furniture in revenge, while my timid songbirds would hop around in forlorn curiosity, wondering what happened to their free lunch.

Finally, after the grackles tired of their retaliatory bombings and moved along, I would put out the birdfeeder and the lovely red and purple and gold finches would return to charm me until the word spread through the grackle grapevine, and they’d be back again, in droves.

I finally appealed to the internet and discovered an entire community of bird-loving bloggers who were posting helpful suggestions under the headings, “bully birds,” “gangs of greedy grackles,” and, “unwanted birdfeeder pests.” We might love birds, but there is a limit to our birdseed benevolence. The truth is, grackles are no more welcome at our feeders than rats are at an animal shelter.

One blogging birder recommended using safflower seed because grackles don’t like it. So I tried that, and lo and behold, it is working. It has the same effect of announcing to my kids that we’re cleaning out the garage—it makes them disappear. This morning I’m on my deck drinking coffee, admiring my birdfeeder that is once again covered with finches and towhees and cardinals. And I’m waiting for bluebirds.

Nothing is sweeter than sugar, at least that’s what our featured pet of the week thinks! Meet Sugar, the sweetest cat ever. She is almost two years old and is an absolutely playful sweetie. Her interesting apricot and black coloring makes this kitty truly one of a kind. She’s lived with other cats before and loves to be held.

Sugar has been with the Atlanta Humane

Society (AHS) since January and is looking for her forever home. They’ve even waived her adoption fee! If you’re looking for a feline friend who will love you as much as you love her, meet her at the AHS Mansell Campus, 1565 Mansell Rd., Alpharetta 30009. You can view an up-to-date list of currently available pets at atlantahumane.org/ adopt.