The Yoga Loft Storybook: Steven Levy

Why/when/where did you start practicing yoga?

About 4 years ago at the suggestion of my Doctor. She said go everyday! I have had Parkinson's Disease for 5 years. My first Doctor said the disease progression was inevitable. My second doctor told me I have to do yoga every day. 

How has yoga changed or influenced your life?

Yoga reduces my Parkinson's Disease symptoms significantly. It helps with my shoulder which I injured last year. The Yoga Loft usually has three sessions a day. Usually I can find one to attend. I have been going for about a month. My wife says my posture is better. I am walking a little faster. The tremors are mostly gone. I am more flexible. If I miss a dose of Sinemet, my drug for Parkinson's Disease, I hardly notice it. 

What keeps you busy outside of the studio? 

Cooking, boxing, working in the environment, family, and politics.

Anything else you would like to share about your yoga journey? 

The instructors are helpful. They show me tips on how to modify exercises so I can do them.

If you want to learn more about the relationship between yoga and Parkinson's Disease, reference "Functional Improvements in Parkinson's Disease Following a Randomized Trial of Yoga" at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29967649/. “Overall this study demonstrated strong improvements in balance, gait, and freezing of gait for those in the yoga [study] group..."