Maryada's Yoga Interview


If you’ve ever wondered about what the "real deal" is concerning the benefits of yoga, then today is your lucky day.

We’re fortunate to be able to steal a few minutes and sit down with Marilyn "Maryada" Preston between the evening yoga courses she instructs. She’s the Director and principal force behind the Loving Care Nature Center organization, where yoga and other natural health techniques are taught and practiced. We’ll be picking her brain on the subject of yoga, so if you’ve ever wondered how a yoga exercise routine would benefit your life, please breath deep, relax and read on.


Loving Care (LC): Hello Maryada. It’s great to finally be sitting down with you. You’re a busy person. Maryada Preston (MP): This is true, so I guess we can consider this a nice "break" for me. LC: Everyone that knows you knows you’re a dedicated practitioner and proponent of many natural health technologies, and that you try to spread this knowledge widely. That’s the whole basis behind your Centers. I've noticed you've built your programs around a few central "cornerstones", yoga being one of them. Why yoga? MP: Well to begin with, yoga is a key that unlocks the door to your awareness of yourself, your environment and the world around you. It’s a piece of a puzzle that can give you perfect health, reveal your true purpose in life, and allow you to live your life in complete hormonal and mental clarity. It’s an ancient technology that helps brings balance to your glandular system and strengthens your nervous system. This allows you to utilize the energy that is in the mind and not be totally controlled by emotion. LC: This sounds like it could take some time. How long have you been doing Yoga? MP: I started practicing yoga over 30 years ago. When I became pregnant with my first child, I wanted to do every thing in my power to have a healthy child and a natural delivery. I had read that the doing yoga would bring flexibility to the body and this would greatly simplify the birthing process. The deep breathing involved helps both mother and child to relax. This has great advantages during childbirth. Now I have three daughters, and all were delivered naturally and almost painlessly. I loved the effect that yoga had on my body, mind and wellbeing so much, that I continued to practice and study under many masters. LC: 30 years ago? You must have had your first child when you were five years old. MP: [laughs] No. Actually, I’m a "tiny bit" older than that. Now I proudly tell people that I’m nearing my mid-fifties. LC: Well you must have a fountain of youth. I hope you tell us your secret [laughs]. So, with yoga, does age matter? MP: Definitely not. People can begin yoga at any age. What’s more important than age, is to do exercises that are appropriate for your age, level of health and flexibility. There are yogic exercises that are suited for every population group, even people in wheelchairs and those that are bedridden. For example, some yoga exercises deal mostly with breathing, and you can do them just by changing the way you breath. It’s not necessary to bend yourself into the shape of a pretzel. There are many different types of yoga. LC: Really? Have you always done the same type? MP: In the beginning, I practiced Hatha yoga. It’s one of the most popular forms in the United States. Hatha yoga has a greater focus on the physical aspects of the body, but it will still bring about mental and spiritual balance although at a slower rate than some other types of yoga. LC: You ‘re a certified instructor in Kundalini yoga. Why did you choose this type? MP: After studying many different forms of yoga, I found that although I love them all and I believe that they’ld lead to physical and spiritual evolvement, I preferred Kundalini. Mainly because it works the fastest. It’s intact because of the way it was handed down from the ancient masters who created it. For example, one unique thing I like is Kundalini yoga is always practiced in kriyas [a particular series of yoga positions, mantras and meditations, that are arranged to achieve a particular desired result or effect in the practitioner]. These kriyas are never changed. Many of the other yoga forms out there today, have been altered to accommodate people who did not appear to be ready to experience the full spectrum of what those forms had to offer. LC: So this sound like a high level technology. Why did you choose to teach it to beginners? Is it easy? MP: Yes. Kundalini is an excellent yoga to begin with. There are thousands of kriyas and most of them can be adapted slightly to work at different progress levels. I love to teach this yoga to beginners because they’ll feel results quickly, and this encourages them to go further. In addition, the yoga begins to immediately awakens their awareness of who they are and makes them very thirsty to develop into all they can be. LC: Do you teach other forms of yoga? MP: Yes I also teach the Hatha and Iyengar methods. Every now and then, if it’s appropriate, we’ll do a few of these positions in our classes. LC: I’m glad you mentioned your classes. Your courses usually have how many students? MP: I like to keep my classes small usually 6 to 10 students. Both men and women. LC: Characteristically, I would think there were more women then men interested in yoga. Do you find this to be true? MP: Over the years, I’ve found that the classes I’ve attended have been majority women. I have noticed that a lot more men are attracted to kundalini yoga than other forms. I find this interesting. LC: Maybe it’s easier for men to see the benefits with Kundalini. Are there any different or additional benefits for men over what we’ve already discussed? MP: I have spoken to men who have told me that their yoga practice has improved the sports that they play. Typically men aren't as flexible as women. Yoga gives their bodies the needed flexibility and strength that enhances their lives. Generally, they are more stressed from day to day and yoga also helps them deal with this stress so that they can better cope within our modern hectic lifestyles. And of course the positive affects on their mental state and spiritual growth are still there. LC: I would think, given the heart attack rate in men, that doctors would prescribe yoga more often. But this isn’t the case, Why not? MP: Doctors are trained to deal with people after they are already very sick. Although yoga can be used to help heal the body once sick, it’s really a form of preventive medicine and unfortunately preventive medicine is not practiced as much as it should be in this country. Very slowly we’re beginning to see doctors prescribe yoga treatments for certain types of patients. For example heart attack and migraine headache suffers. LC: You are a practitioner of many of the natural sciences. Do your students get a taste of these other sciences in your classes? MP: Yes, by all means. I love to share all of the natural technologies. I have been living naturally for a very long time and feel that this way of life is so abundantly healing and fundamental, that you can’t help but want to share every bit of it with as many people as possible. These are the technologies that will end so much of the pain and suffering that is so prevalent in our world. It’s my fountain of youth you referred to earlier, and I don’t want to keep it a secret. I am trained in herbology and have my Bachelors Degree in natural health. I’ve also been a vegetarian for over 30 years and I’m always sharing with my students information about healing foods and herbal combinations that will assist them with issues they may be having. LC: If a person is interested in beginning a yoga program, but they’re not local to your Center, what do you suggest they look for in a course? MP: They should look for a teacher that offers classes that last for at least 1-1/2 hours. Yoga is not just exercise, it requires more time to relax and allow the postures and meditations to integrate. I’m presently working on a set of yoga CDs for beginners that will take you through particular kriyas, just like in my classes. It’ll include all the mantras, meditations, music, instruction and even our gong exercise. Once you learn the positions, you can simply follow the instruction and know that you’re getting a full session. I can’t wait until my husband and I are able to finish them. LC: This is exciting. I’m invisioning an entire family being able to come together, put on the CD and exercise and meditate together in the comfort of their own living room. MP: Yes, this is the idea. And even the young children can join in. Yoga is wonderful for children. At the Gaithersburg, MD Center, we also operate a childcare center for children between the ages of 6 weeks to 6 years. We teach the 2-6 year olds yoga. They love it. It gives them structure without making them feel overly disciplined. The relaxation is so good for their minds and we find that the effects of the exercises stays with them throughout there day. They’re so proud at their accomplishment, that it’s really uplifting. LC: That sounds like a topic for a whole other interview. Maryada, thank you so very much. This has been really fun and now I’m looking forward to joining one of your yoga courses. How can we find out more about them? MP: You can email us at contactus@lovingcarecenter.com or keep checking the Coming Events section on our web site for upcoming classes. I’m sure there’s info there about how to enroll and on buying the CDs when they become available. LC: Thank you again. MP: My pleasure.


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