At 93, he's one of Santa Monica's hottest yoga instructors. What's his secret?

Salomon Delgado is 1 of Santa Monica’s hottest yoga instructors.

He’s 93 years old.

What?

Let maine reiterate: In a metropolis obsessed with younker and brimming with lithe fittingness instructors successful Lululemon-wear and wireless headsets, a 24 Hour Fitness gym has a concealed limb successful Delgado. The nonagenarian yogi has been teaching determination for 28 years and his people — which takes spot each greeting but Sunday — is typically packed.

Participants unbend astatine the extremity of Delgado’s yoga class. Some of his students person studied with him for decades.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Many of Delgado’s students volition lone bash yoga with him; others person been attending his people for decades. And we’re not talking astir a niche workplace here. This peculiar 24 Hour Fitness is simply a flagship determination for the wellness nine chain. Having opened successful 1996 astatine Ocean Park Boulevard and 31st Street, it’s a cardinal hub for Westside workout enthusiasts, with astir 15,000 members. And yoga is simply a cardinal gully successful its programming.

“He’s been teaching and perfecting his trade since the ‘70s,” says Bilal El-Amin, the club’s wide manager. “It’s made him precise popular, astir similar a yoga guru. You cognize you’re going to get a teacher who’s experienced and understands the dynamics of yoga. He brings a yoga civilization not anyone disconnected the thoroughfare tin bring.”

I stopped by Delgado’s people recently. Delgado, who goes by his yoga name, Raghavan Dass, was brushed spoken and unpretentious, a gentle but authoritative presence. He did not demo the yoga moves, oregon adjacent enactment retired with us, but alternatively languidly wandered astir the workplace successful an oversized achromatic sweatshirt, escaped achromatic sweatpants and achromatic sneakers, hands clasped nether his belly and eyes scanning the floor, portion giving verbal instructions.

Delgado watches implicit his yoga class, often reminding students to “pay attention” to the contiguous moment, among different nuggets of wisdom.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

“So good, consciousness that — you request that,” helium cooed. “Straight to the heart.”

The class, arsenic Delgado describes it, is simply a premix of basal prima salutations (a series of yoga postures), gentle stretches, equilibrium and coordination exercises, breathwork and elements of meditation. He often reminds attendees to “keep it simple.” But portion the moves whitethorn look basic, the operation of the people is strategically thought out, Delgado says, moving from the level to lasting positions, past backmost down to the level and ending with a meditative “savasana,” oregon resting pose. It’s arsenic challenging arsenic participants marque it, depending connected however heavy they thin into oregon however agelong they clasp their poses.

Delgado has besides studied kinesthesiology, physiology and anatomy and has certifications successful teaching Pilates, aerobics and workout for seniors. The time I attended, the people of astir 30 students, a premix of levels, was mostly composed of women and astir appeared to beryllium of retiree age. But it was noticeably ethnically diverse. The vibe was relaxed and inclusive: phys ed people with your favourite teacher who’s been astatine the schoolhouse forever.

“He’s inspiring, he’s lukewarm and he’s precise helpful,” says Erika Fabian, 85, who’s been studying with Delgado for much than 25 years. “He’s a full adept astatine the antithetic movements. If you’re not bully enough, he’ll travel implicit and assistance you out. He cares.”

Beware, however. Rule No. 1 successful Delgado’s class? “Pay attention.”

I learned this the hard mode portion pursuing on connected my mat, occasionally leaning implicit to scribble notes — astatine 1 point, I caught the teacher’s eye. Delgado respectfully asked maine to permission the room, arsenic I was not giving the exercises my afloat attention. When I whispered to him that I was determination arsenic a reporter, helium allowed maine to stay. But the incidental provided penetration into Delgado’s yoga position — and worldview.

“If you’re not paying attraction to what you’re doing, you’re missing a large deal; it’s similar you were ne'er here,” helium told the people astatine the time.

Over java respective days later, Delgado told maine that “paying attention” is simply a halfway main successful however helium lives his life.

Delgado’s longevity tips see being a pescatarian, meditating daily, decently hydrating and making definite to determination his assemblage arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable each day.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

“A focused, attentive idiosyncratic is simply a much relaxed person,” helium said. “You person little stress. Stress destroys your tense strategy and makes you sick.”

Imparting specified contented during people is cardinal to Delgado’s imaginativeness arsenic a yoga teacher.

“I archer them a small spot each time,” helium says. “Whatever comes to my caput regarding diet, behavior. Whatever I understand, I springiness to them.”

Delgado grew up successful Ecuador successful the metropolis of Guayaquil, the eldest of 10 children. He immigrated to Los Angeles with his aunt successful 1959 — helium was 27 astatine the time.

About six years aft arriving successful L.A. helium joined and had a son, though helium soon divorced. He worked for astir a decennary arsenic a garde manger, a cook who prepares acold food, astatine the Beverly Wilshire hotel, among different places. He went connected to survey graphic plan astatine L.A. City College and Santa Monica College earlier landing a occupation arsenic a graphic decorator astatine MGM Studios for galore years. Ultimately, helium and his 2nd woman — the emotion of his beingness implicit a much than 50-year matrimony — opened a tiny wellness nutrient store connected Wilshire Boulevard successful Santa Monica called Healthy for You.

But the done enactment for Delgado — 1 that gave his beingness intent — was yoga. He discovered the workout successful his mid-30s.

“There had been this miss I was precise funny in, and she was into yoga,” helium says. “So I started studying connected Larchmont, astatine the Sivananda [Yoga Vedanta] Center.” (It’s present located successful West Adams). In 1972 helium attended a teacher grooming people extracurricular of Montreal and became certified arsenic a yoga instructor. He taught astatine a Sivananda Center successful Hollywood aft that. Then helium opened his ain workplace successful Westwood.

“In bid to beryllium distant from spiritual stuff, I called it ‘scientific yoga,’ your ain caput and assemblage unneurotic done your breath,” helium says. “I loved it. My volition was to assistance people. At the aforesaid time, I helped myself.”

Delgado says that yoga has been the done enactment successful his life. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times)

At archetypal glance, Delgado, who has a web of heavy grin lines emanating from his rima and eyes, appears to beryllium successful his precocious 70s, possibly aboriginal 80s. It’s shocking to larn he’s successful his 90s. During our interview, helium repeatedly popped up from the Starbucks array to show his favourite stretches and amusement disconnected afloat assemblage squats.

Delgado says he’s successful precise bully wellness but for “bad eyesight” and precocious humor unit (he besides wears a pacemaker). (He precocious took a abbreviated permission from enactment owed to unwellness but says he’s good now.) He doesn’t endure from chronic symptom oregon stiffness, helium says. He inactive does yoga each day, though not arsenic vigorously oregon for arsenic agelong arsenic erstwhile helium was younger — usually it’s 25 minutes of gentle stretching.

So what are his secrets for longevity? Delgado chalks up his wellness to the information that he’s been a pescatarian for 45 years, with a penchant for salmon, avocados, quinoa and garbanzo beans, and that helium prioritizes hydration. He besides meditates regular and makes definite to get capable question each day, successful summation to yoga. Over the years, he’s swam and biked recreationally, and enjoys walking and dancing astatine parties.

“It’s precise important: nary substance however aged you are, you request to move,” helium says. “Or you go wholly an invalid. Even the small bones successful your hands and feet. Move.”

Towards that end, Delgado has nary plans to discontinue immoderate clip soon. “I volition halt teaching erstwhile I americium physically incapable to bash it,” helium says. “I request to thatch my class. Can you ideate if I suffer interaction with these people? What americium I going to do? Look retired determination each time and hold for the hearse to travel and prime maine up?”

The joyousness and intent helium gets from teaching yoga are besides cardinal factors successful steadfast aging, helium says.

“It’s precise important to person thing to bash that you enjoy. I promote my seniors who are retired to articulation an enactment to assistance others. Because that gives them value to living.”

Delgado concludes his yoga class. He says helium has nary plans to discontinue and volition thatch yoga until he’s physically incapable to bash truthful anymore.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Before we wrapper up our interview, Delgado imparts 1 past nugget of advice:

“Hug idiosyncratic each day,” helium says. “Hugging changes your energy. It invigorates you.”

To illustrate, helium wraps his arms astir maine successful a “grandfather to grandchild-like” way, and mildly squeezes, beaming.

Then helium throws his arms successful the air, fingers dispersed and aimed astatine the entity earlier folding his assemblage downward, his fingers lightly brushing the ground.

“See?” helium says. “I tin inactive interaction my toes!”