Monday, March 01, 1999

In yoga's embrace

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Lilias Folan continues to reach out with a gentle message

BY REON CARTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Lilias Folan continues to reach out with a gentle message. | ZOOM |

        A simple plan to banish the blahs became an enduring love affair between a housewife and her new hobby.

        Lilias Folan and yoga. The two are as synonymous today as they were when her popular PBS series Lilias, Yoga and You debuted all over the country in 1972. (Reruns titled Lilias! air 7 a.m. Saturdays on Channel 48).

        Her earthy good looks and soothing, warm-honey voice is credited with making what was once dismissed as mystical mumbo-jumbo more palatable to a mainstream audience.

        As Mrs. Folan celebrates her 35th anniversary with yoga in her life, she glows with contentment. She is most proud, she says, of her family. She's been married to Robert Folan for 40 years. They have two adult sons, Michael and Matthew, two grandchildren and two more on the way.

        Mrs. Folan continues to reach new audiences through books, CDs, videotapes and a touring schedule that takes her away from her Indian Hill home once a month. She's taught in England, Germany, Mexico, Australia and Russia. She's studying Italian to prepare for a yoga retreat in Assisi, Italy, May 23-June 2.

VIDEOS, NEWSLETTER

Lilias Folan's yoga videos can be found at stores where exercise videos are sold or through Collage Video, (800) 433-6769.   Get her free newsletter at www.liliasyoga.com or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Lilias Folan, P.O. Box 43101, Cincinnati 45243.

        Last week, we joined Mrs. Folan, 63, at the yoga class she teaches at Courtyard East Fitness Center in Fairfax.

        She often espouses the virtues of striving for the “inner smile,” but she has plenty of outer smiles to warm those who eagerly file into the chilly aerobics room with yoga mats in hand. While the class draws a range of ages and fitness levels, she calls it her “gentle yoga” class for those with bad backs, problem knees and bodies that have tightened with time and neglect.

        She greets each newcomer and asks, “Any special physical problems I need to know about?” Then she listens intently, not to put anyone on the spot, but to determine whether the day's session requires modification.

        When new age music fills the room, Mrs. Folan, in black tights and green T-shirt, removes her glasses and takes her place up front.

        “Listen to your body,” she says softly, as she begins leading the class through a slow warm-up, breathing exercises, stretching and postures. “It's a life-long journey, a life-long process.” She lives by her own advice.

        Her body and mind were crying out for something different when she discovered a yoga class at a Stamford, Conn., YWCA 35 years ago. Before yoga, she was a smoker who suffered from backaches and many nights of fitful sleep. Yoga made her feel better — physically and mentally. “Center yourself, pull into yourself to that quiet spot,” she tells the class. “Mentally, let the morning go. Quiet things down in the brain.”

        Yoga has provided Mrs. Folan a route inward to learn who she is as a woman and spiritual being. While her religious background is in Christianity, she respects all religions. Because yoga is the science of the study of self, she believes there's great wisdom to be found in it spiritually, no matter your personal beliefs. “Watch your breath as it pulls in and blows out ... effortlessly. Watch the rhythm of the the wave as it flows in.... then flows out. Feel the energy flow through you.”

        Teaching those who are discovering yoga in their 60s, 70s and 80s is rewarding, Mrs. Folan says. She targeted older adults with her latest videos — Lilias! The Silver Yoga Series. Older people, who have the approval of their doctors to stretch with a competent instructor, shouldn't be afraid, she says. Results can be dramatic: stronger bone mass and increased flexibility and muscle tone.

        “Relax all efforts and rest. To rest is to heal.”

        She chooses this gentle approach, and Mrs. Folan is not bothered by celebrities such as Madonna and Woody Harrelson, who publicly embrace yoga's trendier, more athletic forms, including Ashtanga, better known as “power yoga.” Because more people prefer the slow and gentle, she remains true to her emphasis on relaxation and meditation.

        Yoga is not about standing on your head or bending yourself into pretzels. If you can still blink, you can do something, she says. In that vein she considers Christopher Reeve, the actor paralyzed after an equestrian accident in 1995, a great yogi because he's an inspiration to millions.

        “Remember, this is the moment. The moment is ... now.”

        Mrs. Folan keeps her yoga fresh through continuous study. This means taking off for New York occasionally for a few days to take sessions from some of the best teachers in the world. The practice of yoga is thousands of years old, so there's always something new to learn.

        She loves teaching as much today as when she began. Some students have been with her 25 years.

        She has maintained her interest by experimenting with various moves. She believes part of being a good instructor is giving yourself permission to be creative.

        Mrs. Folan also has broadened her personal wellness program by hiring a personal trainer, adding regular weight training to her schedule and following a more healthful low-fat diet, which has helped her shed 20 pounds. The weight began to creep up two years ago after a trip to Australia, where, she says, she enjoyed too many fried potatoes.

        “Once in your quiet place, your centered place...be sure you stay connected...”

        After 35 years, Mrs. Folan's mission hasn't changed. Yoga should be a normal, comfortable and beneficial experience to everyday people, she says. She's committed and challenged by thinking of ways to keep building that bridge to understanding.

       

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