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Fusa Motowaki
My name is Fusa. I was born in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaido, Japan in 1927. I was asked by the owners of the Redondo studio, to say a few words about myself and how I discovered and decided to approach this kind of yoga at the age of 80.
I came to this country in 1951. I lost my mother 6 years earlier and I told my grandma that I would go to America for a year to attend a beautician school and then return to Japan.
I came to Los Angeles to stay with my uncle and I started the beautician program. 5 years later I got married here in the U.S. and I have been here ever since.
By the time I decided to try this yoga, I had been taking medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol problems that had been with me since I was in my 40s. I told the teacher that I had a stroke in 1997 that I tried to recover from, by going to physical and massage therapy. I also told them that in 2005 I had a knee surgery.
From the late “80s to 1997, I used to go to ballroom dancing all the time. After the stroke, I stopped driving and I also dropped most of the physical activities. I was looking for something to do that was interesting to me and good for my health.
One day, in 2007, I saw an article in the Lighthouse magazine where Haru and Akemi were talking about this yoga that is done with the heat and they were saying that is good for the joints. I showed the article to my daughter Linda and she said: “This place is down the street. We’ll stop by to pick up some information”. I always liked being in the heat, either in a sauna or in a bathtub. It always made me feel good. I thought it could be good for my joints to move the body around in a heated room.
My first class was in Japanese on a Sunday morning and my first teacher was Haru.
That class was tough but when I went home, I took a bath and I felt really good. I told my daughter that I would like to go back again. Fortunately, my daughter also likes it, so, for more than a year now, we have been coming to class about three times a week together. They told me that I have taken about 150 classes so far.
In July 2008 I completed my first full year of practice. There are several things that I noticed as I took more and more classes. For example, my doctor decided to lower my blood pressure medication because the levels came down closer to a normal reading. My cholesterol levels got much better and the medication is now mild. I noticed a difference in my skin. I had a sort of a permanent pimple on my face. It had been there for years. After a few months, it went away. My skin is also smoother, more alive. My friend Keiko told me that I walk straighter now and I can keep up with her when we go for our walks. She told me that I have a longer stride. My sense of balance is much better than before. I also sleep better and my appetite is different. I am always hungry. Over all, I am happy about the decision I made to try this yoga. I would like to thank Haru and Akemi for taking care of me in my first class and all the other teachers for their help and for monitoring my progress. I would also like to thank my daughter Linda. Luckily for me, she likes this yoga too and she drives me to the studio 3 times a week.
Teacher's comments
Akemi
I was at the studio helping Haru with his Japanese class one Sunday morning. I saw her coming in and I thought she wanted some information. When she told me that she was there to take a class, it surprised me and actually I got a little concerned. Fortunately she came very early. I placed her mat close to her daughter and very close to the door and I went back to the front desk to talk to her. I wanted to tell her a couple of things about this yoga and see if she might change her mind. I explained the challenging side of the practice but she still said she wanted to try it. We never suggest students to leave the class but I told her that if it was too much, she could leave and wait for her daughter on the bench. I took Haru’s class with them and all through the class I was keeping an eye on her through the mirror, especially with the balancing postures. I thought at some point she was going to leave and wait outside but she never did. She stayed in for the whole class. When the class was over, we were in savasana with the low lights, I looked in her direction and I saw that she was trying to get up but she couldn’t. I went to her and with another student we helped her up and walked her out of the room. As we went through the corridor she was mumbling “this is not for me, this is not for me”. I told her to sit down for a few minutes on the bench to cool down. I went back inside to pick up my mat and when I came out she was gone. I thought that was her last class. The following Sunday we saw her coming in again and to our surprise she said that it was her 4th one. Now we see her every Sunday and she is approaching and attending the class like any other regular student. Haru and I are very happy and honored we had her in her first Bikram Yoga class.
Haru
After a few classes I asked her why she wanted to do this kind of yoga at 80y.old. She told me that she saw on TV a lady that was in her 70s saying that she was doing yoga for 10 years and she was able to do the splits. She said that she wanted to do the same.
Paola and Roberto
It is very rare to see an 80y old person doing yoga. Let alone an 80y old who starts at 80. There are dozens of yoga available in the United States and this one can be considered a challenging one at any age. We don’t suggest to every 80y old person to dive blindly into this practice. Perhaps, for most people of advanced age, a gentler and less demanding yoga or physical activity might be more appropriate. But, in Fusa’s case, there was a clear desire, resolution and, apparently, energy that made this type of yoga ideal for her. Her story is an inspiration. Not only and specifically for elderly students, but also for younger people who might prejudge Bikram Yoga as being “too hard” to practice. It might not be for everyone but, as we mention on this web site, it can be done by the vast majority of people. We see Fusa in class and she practices with the wisdom of her age. She understands her reality and her wisdom provides acceptance. Without resignation. She doesn’t try to compete with other students, she doesn’t try to impress anybody. And that’s why we are impressed. We think her practice offers an inspiration that goes well beyond the physical, as real yoga is intended. Thank you Fusa for coming to our studio and thank you for showing the way………………….. Paola and Roberto.
P.S. Another inspirational gem from this remarkable woman. During the summer of 2009, Fusa completed the 30 days Yoga Challenge we hosted at our studio. That is 30 days of Yoga in a row. Congratulation from the owners, the teachers and many of the students who saw you doing it, in amazement.
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