communityspotlight
began teaching in the community and
sharing what she had learned. While
lilias Folan
teaching, one of her students, the wife
of a television producer at PBS affi liate
WCET in Cincinnati, told her husband
he should create a yoga show for Folan.
Not long after, her television series Lilias!
Yoga and You, debuted on PBS stations
across the nation. The series aired from
1972-1992 and introduced millions of
people to yoga and Folan’s warm, car-
ing, down-to-earth style of teaching.
Folan found that teaching to the red
light of a camera could sometimes be
diffi cult. “As teachers, we often depend
on the energy exchange between stu-
dents,” she says. “Eventually, my spiritual
heart began to connect with my unseen
class beyond the red light.” Because she
could not see her students, their comfort
and safety in poses were always a con-
cern. Going slowly through the postures,
pulling them apart and being clear about
the details and alignment became a style
of teaching. It is still aired on PBS sta-
tions throughout the country and can be
seen in Canada.
“I recognized that not everyone
could do some of the more diffi cult pos-
es, or they had areas that were weaker
than others and needed built up,” notes
Folan. “It was always very natural for me
Cincinnati’s Own
to say, ‘If you can’t do it this way, try the
posture that way.’” Her style of creatively
“First Lady of Yoga”
teaching to different levels continues
today.
Folan’s focus began with the study
K
nown as the “First Lady of Yoga”
energy and a “vague gloom cloud,” led
of Hatha Yoga and she has seen many
since her groundbreaking series
her to be diagnosed with a “general
changes over the years. “Yoga means to
Lilias! Yoga and You, Lilias Folan
case of the blahs.” Her doctor suggested
join—the unifi cation of two things. For
has been regarded as one of America’s
trying a system of simple stretching and
some, this means joining hands to toes
most knowledgeable and respected yoga
breathing techniques to help relieve her
in a forward bend. Others understand it
gurus. Through her television shows,
ailments.
to mean joining the human heart with
books, audio tapes, videos, workshops
She took her fi rst yoga class at the
the heart of a divine power. Either way
and seminars, she has spent nearly 40
local YWCA and noticed results im-
is correct. It is a process, whether you’re
years helping people learn about the
mediately. Over the next 10 weeks, she
touching hands to feet or reaching for
benefi ts of yoga for the body, mind and
began sleeping better and after three
God, there must be movement. This
spirit, and has inspired thousands of
months, her back improved. Yoga had
movement is Yoga,” Folan explains.
practitioners and other instructors with
given her a renewed vitality and energy.
The physical, mental and spiritual
her graceful, approachable yoga rou-
Even the cloud of gloom began to dis-
benefi ts of yoga are well documented.
tines.
solve. With this increased enthusiasm,
Hatha Yoga is practiced in Buddhist
Folan fi rst became involved with
she continued her yoga practice in New
and Christian monasteries and convents
yoga at the age of 30 while living in
York City, where she studied and taught
around the world. It is also a vital part
Stanford, Connecticut. A visit with her
with some of the fi nest teachers from
of the New York Times best-selling book,
family physician, where she complained
Europe, India and America.
Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Revers-
of back pain, sleeping problems, low
After a move to Cincinnati, Lilias
ing Heart Disease. Dr. Ornish is founder
10
Greater Cincinnati Edition / nacincin.com
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