Yoga heals old wounds

     Once a fad in the 1980s, yoga has taken on a medical side during Debra Symons' clinical yoga class at Del Webb Sun City Anthem.

      Unlike conventional yoga, Symons is in tune with the medical needs of her students. To keep her students in touch with their bodies, she uses biological terms in class such as peritoneum to describe the abdominal wall; rotator cuff, in reference to the muscles which support the head, upper arm and shoulder; and arteries, or the elastic tubes that carry blood from the heart throughout the body.

      Symons guides her class through stretches, breathing techniques and guided imagery, and explains what her students' bodies are accomplishing, as well as how their muscles, bones and organs should react to the activity.

      Many of her pupils have maladies such as fibromyalgia -- a chronic condition that causes achy, flu-like symptoms -- osteoporosis and arthritis, as well as those recovering from accidents.

      "I think it's valuable for them to know their anatomy," Symons said. "It gives them a better handle on the healing process."

      Once a hematologist -- a doctor specializing in diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs -- Symons became discouraged with the medical field. A naturalist, Symons believes in using nature to heal the body through alternatives such as herbal teas and yoga.

      "I decided there had to be a better way," Symons said. "There's a lot of pain and a lot of suffering out there, and we're not curing everything."

      However, she is not opposed to prescribed medications or indulging your taste buds with sweets or hamburgers.

      "You have to live in this culture, this time, this environment," Symons said. "You have to learn to get along. Everything in moderation is a good thing and is good for our bodies."

      Pat Graeff, a Los Angeles transplant and former water-skier, participated in yoga when the craze began 20 years ago. Now recovering from accidents and major surgery where bone from her hip was placed in her lower right arm, Graeff has been making small steps toward total mobility since beginning the class with Symons in February.

      "I'm like a different body now," Graeff said. "It has made so much difference. I don't have the bendability I once had, but it's helping everything."

      Unstable balance was a result of Graeff's surgeries and, at one time, kept her from riding escalators.

      "I feel so proud of myself," Graeff said. "I can get on that escalator, and (Symons) has got me doing things."

      For Teddy Fields, an osteoporosis sufferer, feeling good enough to swim after class is the prime benefit.

      "I feel much better after I do this (class)," she said. "It gives me energy."

      Symons teaches classes at Anthem Center in Sun City on Monday, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Thursday, from 11 a.m. to noon. The Monday class is by instructor admission only. She also teaches at St. Rose Women's Care Center on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

      Sessions are $5 per class at Anthem; $3 per class at St. Rose.

      Those interested can call Symons at 616-4012.