Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit — but did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

for me, most definitely the body initially, I was trying to repair damage I had done from running to my back and knees — but the calming aspect came as an added bonus

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

it’s probably more in balance now – there has been a lot of change in my life in past two years, I have changed countries and jobs and it’s been a positive but not stress free change and yoga gives me space to release the physical and mental stress of the transition and focus on the joy of the change

How long have you been practicing yoga?

on and off twenty years, it is like an old friend that comes back into my life whenever I need it

How frequently do you practice yoga?

at the moment I am on a roll of about two to three times a week as I am trying to wrestle my body back from the jagged teeth of menopause — regular yoga is helping me feel back in control of a body that often does not feel like my own just now and often feels out of my control

For you, what are the benefits of classes at a studio or with a group vs practicing yoga at home?

I am inherently lazy so I prefer a class as I will challenge myself more if I am in a structured class but sometimes on a sat morning there is nothing nicer than having a coffee, lighting a candle, rolling out the mat and having a quiet stretch

You’re a psychology professor — is there much of a connection between your professional and scholarly interests and your yoga practice?

there isn’t a direct link between my academic research and my yoga practice in that I don’t research it as a topic but I am generally interested in well-being and human behaviour so there are parallels

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

all of it was hard, I am inflexible, have rubbish balance and a very, very busy mind but I like a challenge and I like the feeling of seeing the change in these as you practice, I still find the busy mind the hardest

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

greater flexibility and less pain, it keeps me well enough to run which I love but as I get older also the feeling of calm

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I need to be outside and need regular fixes of the sea — I find it so restorative being outside so I like to swim outdoors or run — that’s my meditation

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

yes, as above, I swim and I run – which all makes me sound fitter than I am – both I do slowly

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch?

in the office, I sit at the computer a lot so I will often stretch out my back after long time seated

You have a choice: join a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

always, always, always outdoors and even better if near water

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — yoga is a holistic experience for many. But did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

none of the above — I simply attended a class at my local health club because a good friend who moved away had loved yoga and I was missing her — it was love at first stretch as I realized it was what my body needed

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

I think those elements were in pretty good balance when I started, and the discipline of yoga has kept them that way, but the huge additional benefit I have from yoga is the pleasure and satisfaction I get from teaching it to others

How long have you been practicing yoga, and how frequently do you practice now?

I started practicing about 10 years ago and I practice (or teach) almost every day

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

only a couple of years — very soon after discovering how good yoga was for my aging body, I wanted to learn more and did a course of teacher training, never intending to teach, but just to get deeper into the practice — to my surprise, I loved the teaching side of it and began forging opportunities to teach people of my own age (seniors) — I think I have been on a mission ever since to show people my age and older how much they can benefit from the practice physically and mentally

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Hatha yoga has always been my favorite but I also love experimenting with all other styles

When you first took up yoga, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

the most challenging part for me is the yoga philosophy — as a scientist, I am always questioning, and sometimes have trouble accepting some of the spiritual concepts

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for seniors and what is more challenging?

in my experience teaching hatha and chair yoga to seniors, I find that the first challenge is always overcoming their tendency to feel they “cannot possibly do that” — once they realize nothing has to be done to perfection, each student seems to take away something different from the classes — to paraphrase a well known saying, it is sort of “trom each according to their ability; to each according to their need”

What are the more difficult poses for seniors to execute?

that is impossible to generalize because in the age group I mainly teach (65-90+ yrs), almost everyone has at least one physical limitation or another — I emphasize equanimity, balance, posture and strength and offer lots of modifications for any poses that might be difficult, while not being afraid to encourage the students to go deeper

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

certainly yoga provides me with a calmer mind and greater flexibility of mind and body — it is a great way to keep the body feeling young(er)

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

no

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose and where?

yes, often a balance pose, and any number of stretching poses

You have a choice: take a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

I love teaching classes outside and take my individual practice outside whenever I can — I have no problem with distractions and I find the sounds of birds and insects and the sight of trees in the breeze highly meditative — I would love to practice near the ocean to feel the rhythm of the waves echoing my breath and often use this imagery in my classes — feeling a part of nature and inhabiting your body in a mindful way are part of what yoga is all about for me

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — did one element or another first draw you to yoga? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

I can’t really explain what drew me to yoga other than it was an intense pull that I just had to start a yoga practice — but my physical body was what really needed it first before the other two followed

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

all three equally — it calms the mind, makes my body feels alive, and allows me to feels connected to source

How long have you been practicing yoga?

9 years

How frequently do you practice yoga?

everyday — even if it’s only for a few minutes

What are the benefits of classes at a studio vs practicing yoga at home?

practicing in a studio takes away all distractions — you have to be very disciplined to keep up with a consistent home practice, but studio classes are definitely worth it

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I have only practiced Hatha yoga and Vinyasa — I also incorporate a lot of Yin Yoga into my practice

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

the most challenging for me was getting the posture correct due to being very inflexible, but simply sticking with my practice cured that — the easiest for me was breathing because I was already a very experienced Meditator

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

physically, the greatest benefit is flexibility — overall, self acceptance and patience with myself

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I practice Meditation every day as well — I do both guided meditation, Vipassana meditation, and occasionally transcendental meditation

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

daily walking

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which poses and where?

always! — when my body is calling for it I stretch, do a yogi squat, downward dog, or child’s pose

If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

Costa Rica

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit. But did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

ha! I was 11 years old when I first began to dabble in yoga because I wanted to be cool like my older sister who was trying out Kareen Zebroff’s yoga on T.V. — in my early 20’s I was more serious and was equally interested in all aspects (body, mind, spirit), although to start I mostly focused on the body

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

for sure these elements are more in balance now … (and when they are out of balance, they are all out of balance together!)

How long have you been practicing yoga, and how frequently do you practice now?

if you included my dabbling in yoga, I have been practicing yoga for 50 years — for me, yoga is like brushing your teeth and for sure I practice some form of yoga every day

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

20 years (not including the dabbling)

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I have practiced many styles but what calls to me most are the slower, more gentle approaches to asana and pranayama (breathing) so that the practice becomes a moving meditation

When you first took up yoga, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

my greatest challenge in yoga (and life) has always been to learn not to try so hard — like many, I began the practice of yoga wanting to “rock the poses” and look amazing — with time and practice and steady, mindful breathing, I slowly began to learn not to push, or force, or strive but instead relax and soften and open and become less concerned with how I looked and more receptive to what the body (and life) was trying to show me — I think this was one of my reasons for wanting to teach — they say we should teach what we most want to learn — I wanted to feel more connected . . . with myself, with others and with the earth

From your experience sharing yoga with children, can you generalize about what comes easiest for young people and what is more challenging?

kids are such natural yogis — they are like little gurus — they have so much to teach us about being in the body and in the moment — of course, “every body’s different” and some kids are easily discouraged or distracted — sharing ways to focus energy, calm energy, release energy can be very powerful (and fun) and kids tend to latch onto this quite quickly — I always tell kids that being “good” at yoga doesn’t mean touching your toes or perfect balance, it means being good at listening to your body, listening to your feelings, listening to your heart

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

oh wow! I think the benefits are endless — yoga helped me through my teens and through my pregnancies and the births of my babies — it has helped me with confidence and patience and a stronger back and calmer mind — I “played” yoga with my children and that yoga became our lifeline through the storms of teens — (later, through university and professional careers, two of my daughters taught yoga and another shared yoga with children and other teachers in her school) — yoga helps to improve my health and my sleep and my relationships and truly touches every aspect of my life in a powerful and profound way — I believe yoga is a gift we give ourselves

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

yes, I practice pranayama, (breathing practice) meditation, (in different forms, walking, sitting, body scans, sound etc.) mantra and yoga nidra

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

absolutely, I often balance or practice a hip stretch while brushing my teeth, I’ve been known to squat while watching TV or sit in hero’s pose if I’m digesting a large meal, or tuck into tortoise pose during ads, and sometimes I will swing my legs up the wall while chatting with my sister on the phone

You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

as much as I love to connect with nature, if I am leading the class, I would choose the indoor space in order to better build and contain the energy

If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

Polynesia!

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

[note — this is part 2 of 2; here we focus on Lowitz’s experience as a yoga professional; part 1 is about her journey as a student of the practice]

As a yoga professional, what aspects — mind, body, spirit — do you pitch to someone who has never done yoga but is open to the possibility?

I have never in my life pitched yoga — people come when they are called

Do you have a particularly strong relationship with any teachings or text?

Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism

How long did you practice yoga before becoming a teacher?

five years

How long have you taught yoga?

30 years — I can’t believe it myself

When you’re teaching regularly, can you lead classes too often? How many times a week, and a day, might be too much?

when you feel tired, or that the inspiration is gone — everyone has a different limit and gives a different amount of energy — holding space for others can take a lot out of you but it can also feed you

Do you have a preferred yoga style? Do you teach others?

Hatha — Vinyasa Flow — Yin Yoga, Yin/Yang Yoga Mix, Restorative Yoga — Tibetan Heart Yoga, Yoga Nidra is the bomb

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

being in the moment is difficult for beginners and advanced practitioners — letting go of perfectionism/exhibitionism

What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?

Savasana — hands down — people find it incredibly difficult just to relax and let go

Apart from yoga, do you recommend other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

any kind of mindfulness or meditation is so liberating — watching the thoughts come and go, you learn that you are not your thoughts, which are ever-changing

Say you have a beginning student who has come to yoga for help with a bad back. They are already pretty chill, and you intuit they are only looking for the physical benefits from yoga. Do you leave it at that, or do you look for opportunities to promote the non-physical benefits?

yoga needs no promotion — if you are practicing yoga asana and the other limbs, it works on you in the ways that are needed

Do you have a favorite sutra or mantra or koan that you like to share with those in your classes?

Thich Nhat Hanh (1926 – 2022) taught a powerful simple mantra: “Breathing in, I calm my body — Breathing out, I smile — Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment” —  not wonderful in the sense that everything is great, but wonderful as in awe-inspiring — just to be alive — here — now

You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

nothing beats doing yoga outside, tuning in to the rhythms of nature — definitely overlooking the ocean — infinite space outside reflecting infinite inner space

—interview © Marshal Zeringue