Felix Ivanov

I came to yoga late, at fifty two, after years at a desk as a civil engineer with a stiff back to show for it. A Saturday class in Maplewood changed my mornings, and eventually I trained to teach. Most of my students are around my age or older, so I know firsthand what a creaky hip or a tight shoulder feels like.

Every pose I teach can be done from a chair or holding the back of one. We move slowly, breathe a lot, and I give you a small printed sequence so you can practice between visits. I also play a mean game of gin rummy and pinochle, and some students like to finish with a few hands. It turns out a relaxed body makes for a better card player.

My wife and I have lived in South Orange for thirty years. On warm days I teach a free class by the duck pond at Meadowland Park, and I am still trying to get the ducks to sit still.