Above and right: Dan Fernandez practices yoga poses at Princeton Yoga & Wellness in Skillman.

An Ancient Practice That Benefits Every Body

By Sarah Teo | Portraits by Jeffrey E. Tryon

Dan Fernandez, a local resident, wasn’t feeling well physically or mentally, but he didn’t know why. For two years, odd symptoms came and went: double vision, fatigue, confusion, and areas of numbness throughout his entire body. Then in December 2005, everything hit at once and a diagnosis in the hospital finally surfaced — multiple sclerosis (MS), the chronic autoimmune condition that causes a breakdown in the protective myelin sheath covering nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Nerve signals are disrupted, and symptoms surface. 

“I was shaken and felt completely out of control,” he recalls. “My only real awareness of MS before that came from a childhood memory of seeing a man in his early twenties using leg and arm braces.”

That vivid memory and fear of paralysis drove Fernandez to seek therapy beyond the MS medication, and he returned to a one-time, pre-hospital experience that helped him feel better after just one class: yoga.

According to recent National Health Interview Survey data, one in six Americans practice yoga regularly. Many others who might be interested in the purported benefits are intimidated, thinking they aren’t flexible enough, or young enough, or comfortable enough with their own thoughts to start. But as shared in a recent conversation with Andrea Sacchetti, a yoga instructor certified with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) and owner of Princeton Yoga & Wellness in Skillman, “Yoga is meant to meet each person where they are.”

Elle Belcheff in the aerial studio at Honor Yoga in Pennington.

A SUPPORT FOR CHRONIC CONDITIONS

Classical yoga is not just a physical exercise, but a philosophy. It includes eight components; among them are breathwork, meditation, and — what most people associate with the word “yoga” — the poses, or asana. Sacchetti herself sought and found relief through this type of therapeutic yoga for several health issues, including early rheumatoid arthritis.

“I felt so much better in my body, because of the joint relief, and also mentally felt that full reset you can experience after a good yoga class. Over time, the severity of the symptoms lessened,” she says.

Sacchetti now helps others bring their body into balance through yoga, explaining that the yogic approach focuses on health, not the disease. “If you have a tree that’s been through a drought, the overall health of the tree has been compromised,” she says, and therefore needs extra support. The same is true for humans, she points out: “When the overall health of the body’s organs and tissues are lifted, many issues fall away.”

“Yoga is one of the premier practices for lowering inflammation,” Sacchetti continues, a statement supported by yogic philosophy and Western science alike. Sacchetti explains the belief that every aspect of classical yoga (the physical poses, the breathwork, the meditation) helps to optimize the flow of prana in the body, the universal force that permeates all of life. In this point of view, balanced pranic flow removes energy blockages, relieving physical stiffness, fatigue, and chronic pain. Lab research provides support for yoga’s healing benefits as well: in a 2017 study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, researchers found that participants in a yoga retreat came away with increased anti-inflammatory markers, decreased pro-inflammatory markers, and — an added bonus — their brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels had tripled. BDNF is a protein that acts as a growth factor for neurons, often described as “fertilizer” for the brain.

Like Sacchetti, Fernandez also experienced yoga’s healing power over time. During his first 10 years of managing MS, he stuck to all the prescribed medication — but also integrated regular yoga, which helped him “relearn how to breathe, how to move, and how to sit with my mind,” he says.

Over the last 10 years, he’s been able to cut down medication use, and MRIs have shown stable or dormant lesions. He also became a yoga teacher himself. “I still experience MS symptoms that come and go, but no matter how I feel going into a class, I consistently feel symptom-free during and after practice,” he says. “For me, it’s simple: the more consistently I practice, the better I feel.”

“After this hour of stretching and breathwork, my pain was noticeably lighter. It doesn’t always last forever, but that’s why you do it consistently.” —Elle Belcheff

Elle Belcheff, another local resident, committed to yoga after traditional medicine, specialists, and surgeries all failed to completely address the extreme, debilitating pain of endometriosis, a condition that throughout her younger years caused her to miss everything from her sorority initiation to college finals. “At the time I realized, ‘I might need to reset my entire nervous system. I don’t think I’m addressing the root of the issue,’” she says.

A few weeks into regular practice, she noticed a difference. “After this hour of stretching and breathwork, my pain was noticeably lighter,” Belcheff says. “It doesn’t always last forever, but that’s why you do it consistently. Where other methods haven’t worked, this has worked just as well, if not better.” 

Belcheff has slowly worked up to aerial yoga. “You have to put a lot of trust in that silk!” she jokes, but says she loves the specific myofascial release it provides. 

Yoga isn’t a cure outright for chronic conditions. “I always recommend that people be under a doctor’s care,” says Sacchetti. “Working with a yoga therapist is not ‘instead of.’” She also emphasizes how important it is to find a teacher that can accommodate the student’s needs and ability, whatever their current health status. But as each of these individuals would attest, yoga offers a beautiful adaptability: if symptoms flare, the practice can be scaled back.

For others who suffer from long-term, painful health issues, Belcheff offers, “When you’ve been dealing with an illness for so long, what do you have to lose if something could make you feel better? You’ll also grow community if you go to a class regularly, which can really help with your sense of purpose.”

Gemma Farrell in her Princeton studio. (Photo courtesy of Gemma Farrell)

A BALANCE FOR MODERN LIFE’S INTENSITY

I spoke to Gemma Farrell of Gratitude Yoga in Princeton about how yoga can benefit a more driven, “always on” person — likely carrying a lot of day-to-day stress. In some cases, she notes, the invitation to slow down and be present with themselves might actually be what they most want to hear, because they know they need it.

“Sometimes it really resonates with people to say, ‘Take a quiet moment for yourself and be here in this moment; the present moment is really all that we have,’” Farrell says.

Yoga uses breathwork to keep that presence — that mindfulness — intact throughout the session. For example, during meditative periods, Farrell might provide guidance: “When your thoughts come in, acknowledge them and then return to the breath again,” she says. “Doing that time and again is such a novel experience for people who are always thinking of the next thing.” 

Reflecting on mindfulness itself, Farrell notes, “The practice of mindfulness is so powerful and critical; it’s like a gateway. At any point in your day, if you can just bring a breath and a willingness to look inside, you can be more present in that moment. All of these things become a habit if you do them regularly.”

She continues, “If the yoga practice is more true to the yoga tradition, breath is essential. Just the experience of having the breath with you, throughout everything you’re doing that day, is so helpful. Breath is there, like a true and trusted friend. It’s also true that the brain and parasympathetic system respond to longer, extended breaths. It has a very precise physical effect.”

For those who really value efficiency and “maximum impact” in their wellness routines, Farrell might point out the more physical aspect of yoga practice, noting how good it is for the cardiovascular and neurological systems. Plus, in some yoga classes, “It’s much more physically challenging than people tend to think! So, for some people, that’s a way in.” She notes that “Many have said, ‘I came for the exercise, but I’m having these spiritual awakenings, and my mind is changing.’”

Yoga supports self-compassion and acceptance, rare commodities in our fast-paced world. “We can be so hard on ourselves because of the demands coming at us, if we feel we’re not measuring up,” Farrell says.

She also often calls in the practice of loving-kindness during a class, “which I think is so amazing; just taking a moment to send well wishes to someone in your personal life, because that’s what our hearts are made for,” she says. “We long to love and be loved — I believe that’s what we are at our essence. Extending loving-kindness is a beautiful practice of moving beyond your separate self and into the self that is connected with everyone around you.”

Physical therapist Dr. Gianna Bigliani, a regular guest instructor with Princeton Yoga & Wellness, works with a student. (Photo courtesy of Andrea Sacchetti)

A VEHICLE FOR LIFELONG VITALITY

Several rows of chairs are scattered across a simple multipurpose room; I count around 27 seated participants. Easy listening music fills the air as their instructor, Krystal Loughlin, offers gentle guidance through several modified yoga poses, sprinkled with encouragement — “If you can’t do eight, do four” — and sometimes adds a little humor: “Let’s do big or small ankle circles, depending on how cranky our hips are today.”

Most of the class is spent sitting, though there’s also some modified standing poses using the chair — mountain pose, downward dog, and Warrior 2. As with many yoga classes, positive affirmations are also included, such as “Plant those seeds of intention for things you might want to accomplish this month.”

 Amazingly, this local class is offered free to adults 65-plus through Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton’s Better Health Program, a complimentary VIP membership featuring health and wellness, physician-led lectures, movement classes, social activities, events, valuable resources, and more. According to Joyce Cantalice, program manager, “Our mantra is rediscovering your body, mind, and spirit in retirement, so our monthly calendar of events has classes addressing all aspects of well-being for older adults.”

Chair yoga is offered four times a month alongside a traditional yoga class and dedicated meditation sessions — and demand is so high that classes fill almost immediately after registration opens. “There’s truly a race to get in,” says Cantalice.

Chair yoga offers the ability to stretch deeply and safely. (Shutterstock.com)

Loughlin fell in love with chair yoga during her teacher training. “We had a module revolving around it, and it was such an inspiration to me,” she says. She saw a real need for more adaptive yoga classes tailored to those who don’t feel comfortable getting up and down off the ground (or simply can’t). She’s taught a diverse population: seniors, cancer patients, and even her uncle’s amputee support group. 

Loughlin cites some long-term benefits of adaptive yoga for the aging body, including “improved awareness and strength, which helps improve balance — key to preventing injuries and falls. It also increases the joint range of motion and helps counteract thoracic kyphosis (natural rounding of the spine).”

A 2015 study, “Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Routine Reverses Osteoporatic Bone Loss,” chronicled on health.harvard.edu, also supports the bone benefits of yoga: after regular practice, study participants showed significant increases in spine bone density, with some moderate increases in hip bone density. 

Following a seated shavasana, with the option to receive a few drops of cedar wood oil from Loughlin (rubbed into the palms), the chair yoga session closes with a gentle chime. Participant Patricia immediately comes forward with feedback: “I’m going to be 78 next month, and I just feel so wonderful afterwards.” Debbie, who has been doing chair yoga for a few years, also reflects, “Crystal’s voice and the music are so relaxing — you can’t replicate this at home. And I’ll sleep better tonight.”

A PATH FORWARD

Whoever you are, and wherever you are in life, yoga can provide a more steady path forward. Most studios offer entry specials, and classes are sometimes held at outdoor locations, such as those seasonally offered in Princeton by Gratitude Yoga, or at the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, Pa. Your local YMCA or recreation department would also be a good place to start; seniors might find resources through their health care system, whether in person or online. And some places offer classes for children and adolescents with special needs, such as those available through Adaptive Yoga Resource (adaptiveyogaresource.com), a recent offering at Princeton Yoga & Wellness.

To find a certified yoga therapist near you, visit the IAYT website at iayt.org.