Heart Disease

I had a heart attack in 1985. Blood thinners were not as safe as now. I had it the old fashioned way--I went to the emergency room, they gave morphine. The doctors said I had been doing all of the right things, it was just in my genes. I thought, "Damn, if I had known that I would have been buying Gucci's or a better quality of Wranglers." My health improved with my aerobic exercise, but more when I started practicing hatha yoga in 1989 at the age of 67. My greatest improvement was when I started practicing Bikram yoga in 1994 with one of my best teachers, Patricia Gray.

The amazing thing to me was the changes in bone structure and body alignment and the increase in energy and the calming effect on my mind. I did not think these changes were possible at my age.

I became a firm believer in Bikram's 26 yoga postures. At the age of 77, I spent a lot of money and nine weeks in his torture chamber in Beverly Hills studio to become a certified teacher.
I owe Bikram for improving my health and for saving my life. In March of 2002 my heart beat increased to 200 beats per minute. The electrical current in my heart malfunctioned due to the scar tissue from my 1985 heart attack. My good health from practicing Bikram yoga kept me alive.  Read more...