More questions with... Susan LeVine

The longtime Wichitan talks about how she evolved from bodybuilder to yoga teacher

BY KAREN SHIDELER

The Wichita Eagle

Susan LeVine, 64, has a degree in English, three grown daughters and a yoga and meditation center --Yoga for You at the Art Park, 7230 E. 29th St.

1. Why do yoga?

Yoga is the most profound path of self-growth and transformation, and yet it is completely practical. We live in a crazy world and need tools to navigate through it and keep our sanity.

2. What's your favorite pose?

Half moon pose because it makes my back feel so good, and it feels so expansive.

3. What's the most difficult pose for you?

Sitting still in my meditation position (half lotus). My mind throws up all kinds of resistance, my hips hurt sometimes, and I want just to lie down! Thoughts drift to what to eat next!

4. What benefits do you get from yoga?

How many years do you have?! Seriously, yoga affects all systems of the body and helps to calm and center the mind. The greatest benefit is more peace and happiness and less suffering, both physical and mental. More information is available at www.creativeyogasolutions.com

5. Why did you start yoga?

I fell in love with it because of my wonderful first teacher, Dana Riffel, who teaches from her heart.

I tried it because I wanted to be the oldest living woman to do the splits in a bodybuilding competition. But I never did it in competition. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stand up again!

6. How did you get into bodybuilding?

My mother died, and I was in a really inward state of mind. I went into the weight room because it was quieter than the aerobic room. One of the guys said, 'Do you want to learn to do that the right way?' I said, 'Sure.' Then he suggested I do a contest. I thought he was crazy but pretended to train for it to make him be quiet.

In the end I did it because I wanted to see how good I could be. I ended up competing for seven years, and winning or placing in all 14 contests I did.

7. Can you be a bodybuilder and still have clothes fit well?

Absolutely! Of course it depends on how you train. I recommend training with a really good personal trainer.

8. Did you have huge muscles?

No, because I was a natural bodybuilder. I was smaller than a lot of the women on the competitive stage, but I tried my best to be symmetrical and lean.

9. When were you in better shape -- while doing yoga or while bodybuilding?

It depends on what you mean by "in shape." Physically, I was leaner when I was bodybuilding, but now I am a more normal weight, more flexible, and mentally more calm, centered and happy.

10. What do you love doing when you're not doing yoga?
 

Reading, knitting, going to my drawing class. The Monart School of Art really can teach anyone to draw, and I am the evidence! It brings me so much joy. I feel parts of my brain opening up where I didn't even know I had parts.

There's more

Read LeVine's answers to additional questions we asked her, including why she gave up bodybuilding and what's next in her life.

To find them, visit Kansas.com and click on the WichiTalk logo.

How long have you been doing yoga?

I started in 1993.

What kind of yoga do you teach?

I teach yoga with an inner focus. I teach a combination of Hatha yoga and meditation. I include the eight aspects or "limbs" of classical yoga -- not just the physical postures. Concentration, focus, breathing and meditation are taught in all classes. Learning to open and access the energy in the body, mind and spirit is the real reason we do yoga. People can find out more at my Web site: www.creativeyogasolutions.com

What's the easiest pose for a beginner to try?

Lying down knees to chest pose.

How many sessions does it take for someone new to feel somewhat at ease with yoga?

It varies so much from person to person. I think it makes a difference if you have a caring and experienced teacher to help you modify poses individually for you, and also to explain a little about the framework of yoga, so that it makes sense to you.

Why did you decide to teach it?

At the time I was still working as a personal trainer, but I could see the great benefits of yoga. The facility where I worked asked me to teach. I really didn't feel ready, but decided to try my best, and just keep on learning whenever I could. A good teacher is always continuing to learn more.

Why did you give up bodybuilding?

I had a sense of completion about it, and also I sensed that there was more to life than lifting weights and dieting. After my mother died, I didn't want to put off anything really important anymore. It then fell to me to discover what was really important. That took a while.

Have you always been active?

No. In high school I was too busy studying. I didn't get active until my 40s.

Which is harder -- being a mom or being a bodybuilder or doing yoga?

Doing yoga, which is essentially the path of transformation and self-awareness, is definitely the most challenging and the most rewarding. One of my teachers, Judith Lasater, said once that yoga is "the conscious choice of the difficult." I think that bodybuilding for me was a great beginning because it made me aware of my strength, and now I have faith in my ability to work through difficult things.

You've gone from aerobics to bodybuilding to yoga -- what's next?

In the fall, I will begin my yoga teacher training program, with a schedule to accommodate working people who want to become certified. I will have a Yoga Alliance-accredited teacher training program through the Shambhava School of Yoga in Rollinsville, Co. It will have a unique focus on inner focus and meditation, as well as the study of the yogic philosophy, breathing practices, and the physical poses (asana). I have been meditating for 16 years now, twice a day, and have seen the amazing changes in my life, and I just want to share this with other people now.

Reach Karen Shideler at 316-268-6674 or kshideler@wichitaeagle.com.