How senior citizens can enjoy yoga in their golden years

A Senior's guide to practicing yoga and meditation

In the second inning of life, you have the freedom to choose what you want to do. If yoga is not on your list, it is time you should start doing it. The average life expectancy has increased over the years, and as you grow old, you must have good health and quality of life in your golden years. We are going to discuss how senior citizens can enjoy yoga.

Why should senior citizens do yoga?

  • It increases strength.
  • Help in easy breathing by improving lung function.
  • Lower blood sugar and reduce high blood pressure.
  • Increase energy and reduce stress levels.Now that you know the benefits, let’s see how it can be enjoyed:
  1. Know the right kind of yoga for you –There are different types of yoga you can do in your old age. However, you will only enjoy doing yoga if you are doing the right yoga. Depending on your age, medical condition, physical condition, fitness level, you should choose the type of yoga. Try different types of yoga to decide which is right for you and which you prefer doing.
  2. Join Yoga classes – You may find yoga classes online as well as hundreds of books on yoga. You should avoid learning and do through these mediums. It is always better to start by going to a class. You will not only learn the correct ways but also enjoy the company of others. If you have a yoga class for seniors in your neighborhood, then you should join.
  1. Don’t push yourself– Yes, there are yoga postures where you may have to push yourself. However, you should understand your limitation, and if you want to enjoy doing yoga, you should take things at your own pace. Start building the strength and flexibility, these will come with time. Don’t rush to achieve the result. Focus on the process, and you are surely going to enjoy your time in your yoga classes.
  1. Do when you feel like doing it – While the morning is the best time to do yoga but if you have to push yourself to get up early and find time is difficult, you can look for other time slots. You should attend your yoga classes with a calm mind and not carry thoughts from home – things you wanted to do but could not do before coming to yoga classes to enjoy yoga to the fullest and reap the maximum benefits.
  2. Avoid comparing yourself with others – Every person in their 50s or 60s has a different body and level of flexibility. If you want to enjoy yoga, you should not look at what others do in the yoga classes. Your focus should only be on the instructor and how best you can follow the instructions. Yoga is about you and no one else. Close your eyes and let go of comparison and judgments to enjoy it.Conclusion

We hope this article was insightful for all senior citizens doing or planning to do yoga. Yoga has a reputation of giving healing and calming experience, and one surely needs it in old age.

Anjanayoga provides yoga lessons based in North Carolina. Her philosophy is to find the root cause of disease before treating it. She has developed breathing techniques and learned to let go of what she cannot control through yoga. She imparts this wisdom to her students.