Salomon Delgado is one of the most popular yoga instructors in Santa Monica.
He is 93 years old.
That?
Let me reiterate: In a city obsessed with youth and filled with lithe fitness instructors clad in Lululemon and wireless headphones, a 24-hour gym has a secret weapon in Delgado. The nonagenarian yogi has been teaching there for 28 years and his class, which takes place every morning except Sunday, is usually full.
Participants relax at the end of Delgado's yoga class. Some of his students have studied with him for decades.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)
Many of Delgado's students will only do yoga with him; others have been attending his classes for decades. And we are not talking here about a specialized study. This particular 24-hour gym is a flagship location for the gym chain. Opened in 1996 at Ocean Park Boulevard and 31st Street, it is a central hub for West Side fitness enthusiasts, with about 15,000 members. And yoga is a key attraction in its programming.
“He has been teaching and perfecting his craft since the '70s,” says Bilal El-Amin, the club's general manager. “This has made him very popular, almost like a yoga guru. You know you are going to find a teacher with experience and who understands the dynamics of yoga. He brings a culture of yoga that no one on the street can bring.”
I stopped by Delgado's class recently. Delgado, who goes by his yoga name, Raghavan Dad, had a soft, unpretentious voice, a gentle but commanding presence. He didn't demonstrate yoga moves, or even work with us, but rather languidly wandered around the studio in an oversized black sweatshirt, baggy black sweatpants, and black sneakers, hands clasped under his belly, eyes scanning the floor, as he gave verbal instructions.
Delgado keeps an eye on her yoga class and often reminds students to “pay attention” to the present moment, among other nuggets of wisdom.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)
“Alright, feel that, you need it,” he whispered. “Straight to the heart.”
The class, as Delgado describes it, is a combination of basic sun salutations (a sequence of yoga poses), gentle stretches, balance and coordination exercises, breathing, and elements of meditation. He often reminds attendees to “keep things simple.” But while the movements may seem basic, the structure of the class is strategically thought out, Delgado says, moving from the floor to standing positions, then back to the floor and ending with a meditative “savasana,” or resting posture. It's as challenging as participants make it, depending on how deeply they bow or how long they hold their poses.
Delgado has also studied kinesthesiology, physiology and anatomy and has certifications in teaching Pilates, aerobics and exercise for seniors. On the day I attended, the class of about 30 students, of varying levels, was largely made up of women and most appeared to be of retirement age. But it was remarkably ethnically diverse. The atmosphere was relaxed and inclusive: PE class with your favorite teacher who's been at the school forever.
“He is inspiring, warm and very helpful,” says Erika Fabián, 85, who has studied with Delgado for more than 25 years. “He's a total expert on the different moves. If you're not good enough, he'll come and help you. He cares.”
But be careful. Rule number one in Delgado's class? “Pay attention.”
I learned this the hard way as I followed my mat, occasionally bending over to scribble notes; At one point, I caught the teacher's attention. Delgado respectfully asked me to leave the room, as I was not paying my full attention to the exercises. When I whispered to him that I was there as a journalist, he allowed me to stay. But the incident provided insight into Delgado's outlook on yoga and his worldview.
“If you're not paying attention to what you're doing, you're missing out on a lot; it's like you were never here,” he told the class at the time.
Several days later, over coffee, Delgado told me that “paying attention” is a fundamental principle in the way he lives his life.
Delgado's longevity tips include being a Pescatarian, meditating daily, hydrating properly, and making sure to move your body as much as possible every day.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)
“A focused and attentive person is a more relaxed person,” he said. “You have less stress. Stress destroys your nervous system and makes you sick.”
Imparting that wisdom during class is key to Delgado's vision as a yoga teacher.
“Every time I tell them a little bit,” he says. “Everything that comes to mind about diet and behavior. Everything I understand, I give it to you.”
Delgado grew up in Ecuador in the city of Guayaquil, the oldest of 10 children. He immigrated to Los Angeles with his aunt in 1959; He was 27 years old at the time.
About six years after arriving in Los Angeles she married and had a son, although she soon divorced. He worked for nearly a decade as a garde manger, a chef who prepares cold food, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, among other places. He continued his graphic design studies at LA City College and Santa Monica College before landing a job as a graphic designer at MGM Studios for many years. Ultimately, he and his second wife, the love of his life during a marriage of more than 50 years, opened a small health food store on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica called Healthy for You.
But Delgado's common thread, the one that gave her life a purpose, was yoga. He discovered exercise when he was around 30 years old.
“There was a girl I was very interested in and she liked yoga,” he says. “So I started studying at Larchmont, at Sivananda. [Yoga Vedanta] Center.” (It is now located in West Adams.) In 1972 he attended a teacher training course outside of Montreal and became certified as a yoga instructor. After that, he taught at a Sivananda Center in Hollywood. He then opened his own studio in Westwood.
“To get away from religious things, I called it 'scientific yoga,' your own mind and body together through breathing,” he says. “I loved it. My intention was to help people. At the same time, I was helping myself.”
Delgado says that yoga has been the common thread of her life. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
At first glance, Delgado, who has a network of deep smile lines emanating from his mouth and eyes, appears to be between 70 and 80 years old. It is shocking to know that he is over 90 years old. During our interview, he repeatedly appeared from the Starbucks table to demonstrate his favorite stretches and show off full-body squats.
Delgado says he is in very good health except for “bad eyesight” and high blood pressure (he also has a pacemaker). (He recently took a brief leave from work due to illness, but says he is doing well now.) He doesn't suffer from chronic pain or stiffness, he says. He still does yoga every day, although not as intensely or for as long as he did when he was younger; It's usually 25 minutes of gentle stretching.
So what are your secrets to longevity? Delgado attributes his health to the fact that he has been a Pescatarian for 45 years, with a predilection for salmon, avocado, quinoa and chickpeas, and that he prioritizes hydration. She also meditates daily and makes sure she does the right movement every day, in addition to yoga. Over the years, she has swam and biked recreationally, and enjoys walking and dancing at parties.
“It's very important: no matter how old you are, you have to move,” he says. “Or you become totally invalid. Even the little bones in your hands and feet. Move.”
To that end, Delgado has no plans to retire anytime soon. “I will stop teaching when I can't physically do it,” he says. “I need to teach my class. Can you imagine if I lose contact with these people? What am I going to do? Stay out there all day and wait for the hearse to come pick me up?”
The joy and purpose you gain from teaching yoga are also key factors in healthy aging, she says.
“It's very important to have something to do that you enjoy. I encourage my older retirees to join an organization to help others. Because that makes life important.”
Delgado concludes his yoga class. He says he has no plans to retire and will teach yoga until he can no longer physically do so.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)
Before concluding our interview, Delgado gives us one last piece of advice:
“Hug someone every day,” he says. “Huging changes your energy. It invigorates you.”
To illustrate, he puts his arms around me as if from “grandfather to grandson” and squeezes me gently, smiling.
He then raises his arms in the air, with his fingers extended and pointing to the sky before bending his body downwards and lightly brushing his fingers against the ground.
“See?” he says. “I can still touch my toes!”
