About Chair Yoga After 65
Are we ever too old to start practicing Hatha Yoga? What is the definition of old? Are we old when we get stale in our thinking? Are we old when we are 50, 65, 80, or 95 years of age? There are many myths about life after 65, and the state of retirement.
Some people never retire because they love what they do, or they simply cannot afford to exist on a fixed income.
There is also a myth that Yoga is only for the young.
People who think, "I am too old to practice Yoga," have been misinformed.
Photographs of young pretzel bodies doing a "mission impossible" pose are splashed over the covers of every Yoga and wellness magazine.
When was the last time you saw a picture of someone, over 65 years old, practicing a Yoga posture on the cover of a magazine? The public image of Yoga can be discouraging to the average person who is over 65, even though Yoga is an activity for people of all ages.
Seniors often remark how Hatha Yoga makes life worth living.
They feel healthier, expand their knowledge, and open the flood gates to Yogic consciousness.
Hatha Yoga is a balanced activity, which can be modified for people who have difficulty getting up-and-down from the floor.
In fact, Chair Yoga classes accommodate people of all ages, who have difficulty with mobility.
Those students, who are wheelchair bound, appreciate the finer points of Yoga practice.
Many of them are interested in the deeper healing aspects, such as - Pranayama, Meditation, Relaxation, Mudras, and Mantras.
Seniors often remark that some of their peers are much more mobile than the rest.
This usually depends on a person's track record of mobility.
For example: If you have been used to going to the floor and getting up without any difficulty, you will not have much difficulty in a regular Hatha Yoga class.
On the other hand, if you have run into circumstances, which changed your mobility, such as - trauma, illness, or you have not been on the floor in years, you are likely to have more difficulty getting up from the floor, than you would have going down to the floor.
The old saying, "If you don't use it - you lose it.
" applies to any of us, who have neglected our mobility.
In the case of trauma, illness, or being wheelchair bound, life can throw us a few curves that just can't be avoided.
One of many examples is a person who is in their car, stopped at an intersection, waiting for the light to change, and suddenly, gets rear-ended.
There are so many possible injuries that change one's life in an instant.
Nevertheless, Chair Yoga has become extraordinarily popular.
The benefits go far beyond the many physical improvements that students initially notice.
It only makes sense that anyone, who is new to any form of Yoga practice, will feel the physical benefits first.
Stimulating the mind gives one a reason to be alive.
With that said, the emotional benefits that students experience, gives them a feeling of self-worth.
As one ages, and friends pass on, it is easy to feel alone.
Being part of a group that pursues a positive activity is bound to result in a more balanced emotional state.
© Copyright 2010 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Some people never retire because they love what they do, or they simply cannot afford to exist on a fixed income.
There is also a myth that Yoga is only for the young.
People who think, "I am too old to practice Yoga," have been misinformed.
Photographs of young pretzel bodies doing a "mission impossible" pose are splashed over the covers of every Yoga and wellness magazine.
When was the last time you saw a picture of someone, over 65 years old, practicing a Yoga posture on the cover of a magazine? The public image of Yoga can be discouraging to the average person who is over 65, even though Yoga is an activity for people of all ages.
Seniors often remark how Hatha Yoga makes life worth living.
They feel healthier, expand their knowledge, and open the flood gates to Yogic consciousness.
Hatha Yoga is a balanced activity, which can be modified for people who have difficulty getting up-and-down from the floor.
In fact, Chair Yoga classes accommodate people of all ages, who have difficulty with mobility.
Those students, who are wheelchair bound, appreciate the finer points of Yoga practice.
Many of them are interested in the deeper healing aspects, such as - Pranayama, Meditation, Relaxation, Mudras, and Mantras.
Seniors often remark that some of their peers are much more mobile than the rest.
This usually depends on a person's track record of mobility.
For example: If you have been used to going to the floor and getting up without any difficulty, you will not have much difficulty in a regular Hatha Yoga class.
On the other hand, if you have run into circumstances, which changed your mobility, such as - trauma, illness, or you have not been on the floor in years, you are likely to have more difficulty getting up from the floor, than you would have going down to the floor.
The old saying, "If you don't use it - you lose it.
" applies to any of us, who have neglected our mobility.
In the case of trauma, illness, or being wheelchair bound, life can throw us a few curves that just can't be avoided.
One of many examples is a person who is in their car, stopped at an intersection, waiting for the light to change, and suddenly, gets rear-ended.
There are so many possible injuries that change one's life in an instant.
Nevertheless, Chair Yoga has become extraordinarily popular.
The benefits go far beyond the many physical improvements that students initially notice.
It only makes sense that anyone, who is new to any form of Yoga practice, will feel the physical benefits first.
Stimulating the mind gives one a reason to be alive.
With that said, the emotional benefits that students experience, gives them a feeling of self-worth.
As one ages, and friends pass on, it is easy to feel alone.
Being part of a group that pursues a positive activity is bound to result in a more balanced emotional state.
© Copyright 2010 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
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