AT 93, HE'S SANTA MONICA'S YOGA GURU

PEOPLE FLOCK TO SALOMON DELGADO'S CLASSES AT 24 HOUR FITNESS.

- BY DEBORAH VANKIN

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

He’s 93 years old.

What?

Let me reiterate: In a city obsessed with youth and brimming with lithe fitness instructors in Lululemon-wear and wireless headsets, a 24 Hour Fitness 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 typically packed.

Many of Delgado’s students will only do yoga with him; others have been attending his class for decades. And we're not talking about a niche studio here. This particular 24 Hour Fitness is a flagship location for the health club chain. Having opened in 1996 at Ocean Park Boulevard and 31st Street, it’s a central hub for Westside exercise enthusiasts, with about 15,000 members. And yoga is a key draw in its programming.

“He's been teaching and perfecting his craft since the '70s,” says Bilal El-Amin, the club’s general manager. “It’s made him very popular, almost like a yoga guru. You know you're going to get a teacher who's experienced and understands the dynamics of yoga. He brings a yoga culture not anyone off the street can bring.”

I stopped by Delgado’s class recently. Delgado, who goes by his yoga name, Raghavan Dass, was soft spoken and unpretentious, a gentle but authoritative presence. He did not demo the yoga moves, or even work out with us, but instead languidly wandered around the studio in an oversized black sweatshirt, loose black sweatpants and black sneakers, hands clasped under his belly and eyes scanning the floor, while giving verbal instructions.

“So good, feel that — you need that,” he cooed. “Straight to the heart.”

The class, as Delgado describes it, is a mix of basic sun salutations (a sequence of yoga postures), gentle stretches, balance and coordination exercises, breathwork and elements of meditation. He often reminds attendees to “keep it simple.