Written By Nancy McNichol, CYT

 The word yoga is classically translated as “union.”  It is a drawing together of heart, mind, and body that integrates all the parts of ourselves into a unified whole.  We are at our best when every part of ourselves is in alignment with every other part.  We are happiest when we are following our hearts and doing what we really love.  In essence, when we bring these three into alignment, we step into the flow of grace that is yoga.  The journey of yoga is an inward search to find the very best within us and then to learn to express that every day.  Anyone can benefit from the practice of yoga.  People of all ages, backgrounds, cultures and religions come to yoga.  Some are in great health; others come with injuries or physical limitations.  Seniors have limitations which can be greatly reduced by yoga.  Senior yoga is becoming very popular because of the many benefits it has to offer. 

Doctors are recommending yoga for seniors to help promote good health and to create greater flexibility which allows for an ease of movement.  The discipline of yoga provides guidance for a lifetime.  Yoga can be modified to suit all stages and conditions of life.  It is important to incorporate pranayama (breath control), gentle asana (posture movements) and meditation (relaxation) in every class for the active senior.  Using breath and movement together to warm up the body is referred to as ‘Vinyasa’.  A good breathing technique used in yoga is “Ujjayi Breath” which is performed when breathing in and out through the nose while slightly closing the glottis.  This technique helps the student concentrate on the breath which is very important in all the yoga postures.

There are several steps that should be followed in a Senior Yoga Program.  First you want to check to see if anyone has any spinal issues or heart problems or if they have high blood pressure.  Then you want to inform your students that they should not come to class with a full stomach.  They should eat a light meal an hour prior to the yoga session and make sure they wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing.  Teach proper spinal alignment along with leg/foot and arm/hand positioning for every pose to insure that no injures occur. 

Avoid poses that require forward spinal flexion, twists and lateral flexion for any client diagnosed or suspected of osteoporosis.  Advise your students to move gently through and while in each pose.  You NEVER want them to overextend themselves.  They should only take a pose as far as they comfortably can.  Every student has their own limits.  Let them know it is important to leave their ego at the door.  Don’t bring ‘EGO’ into the yoga classroom.  Remember to incorporate spinal stabilization in every class to protect the spine.  Include yoga mudras to develop fine motor conditioning in the hands.  A Mudra is a hand gesture, an asana for hands, and a muscular contraction to seal the prana (cosmic energy; life force; breath of life).  The most commonly recognized mudra is the “prayer” mudra, known to yogis as Anjali mudra.  Anjali means “offering’.  This mudra can represent offering to one’s self in service or in gratitude.  In India mudras became very important with the practice of yoga.  It is good to have the students set an intention to flow smoothly through their yoga session.  These are important steps to follow in order for the students to fully benefit from the class without getting injured. 

The serenity of mind that yoga engenders and the physical vitality and suppleness it creates are fundamental to young and old alike.  At first a person may be drawn to the postures as a way of staying fit or slim, but one quickly discovers the value from the breathing exercises or meditation when they enter a time of change.  The student may see a change in their strength, endurance, state of mind, etc….   Some call Yoga ageless.  It is very important to take care of yourself, physically, mentally and spiritually at any age.  The slow gentle movements of the yoga postures are ideal for the later years of life, helping both mind and body to stay young and active, while the breathing exercises increase the supply of oxygen to the brain. When properly performing the routines on a regular bases it helps to loosen up the muscles by stretching and toning them; it helps create joint freedom and strength putting less stress on the joints; it increases circulation; and can cause a reduction in inflammation creating an overall better sense of wellbeing making it easier for the seniors to move freely in their daily routines of life.  The benefits help improve flexibility, core strength and balance along with better breathing and relaxation.
  
This will aid the seniors in their sleeping and in their movement allowing them to move more freely and effortless.  It actually helps restore health to a more youthful state.  In addition, many problems that occur with age can be avoided altogether if a Senior Yoga Program is performed on a regular basis.  Just by regularly participating in yoga, the senior feels the benefits, which has them wanting to continue in their training.  Daily yoga classes are ideal. 

There are a variety of routines from floor, chair and standing postures.  The chair and standing routines are great for seniors or anybody that is unable to sit on the ground.  Before starting the yoga session it is very important to do some exercises to warm-up the body as to avoid injury.  The idea is to move every part of your body, easing any stiffness in the joints and improving circulation, especially to the extremities.  It is good to start any yoga session with Breath.  With the senior sitting comfortably in their chair, their feet firmly planted on the floor; start off with a round of Kapalabhati Breath. Kapalabhati breathing is a purification practice to help cleans the respiratory system.  This basic breathing format helps the yogi feel centered and allows them to ground themselves.  This is just one of the purification practices that make way for a fresh intake of oxygen-rich air which is how it cleanses the respiratory system.  This is a wonderfully invigorating exercise to begin your yoga session.  It helps clear the mind and improve concentration to prepare for the postures. 

Always make sure you warm up to limber the body.  Start standing with feet firmly planted on the floor and do arm rotations, elbow taps, hip circling, half squats and forward bends, then have the students sit back down in their chairs and do some neck rolls and shoulder lifts.  At this point you are able to move onto some modified postures.   Standing once again for the modified sun salutations, warrior I and II, forward and backward bends and side stretches then sitting back down on the chair doing a spinal twist, single leg raises, cat pose, ankle rotations, heart knot and greeting the heavens  are some good postures for the seniors.  By doing these yoga postures they will get a good, appropriate work-out while learning skills and information about postures and how their bodies work that will ultimately help them in their daily lives.  They also experience a real joy from working with body and breath. 

Senior Yoga is good for those who are stiff or flexible, and those with medical conditions, including arthritis.  Because there are contraindications, as stated earlier, such as high blood pressure, heart concerns or back problems, postures that are of any concern regarding these issues should never be used in a Senior Yoga Program.

Reaching beyond the physical benefits is what makes Senior Yoga Programs different and more beneficial then other senior health plans.  The relaxation that comes from Yoga is very important in retaining memory and improving brain function.  With its restful properties, yoga can restore many essential brain functions in those that need them most.  In addition to the many health benefits yoga has to offer our seniors, it also offers a healthy environment.  Because more and more seniors are remaining independent into their later years, it is important for them to be a part of a strong community.  There are Yoga centers all over the country that offer senior yoga.  This allows the seniors to engage socially while they improve their overall mental and physical health. 

To receive all of the benefits from senior yoga it is important to end each senior yoga program with a relaxation meditation.  Meditation helps establish superior levels of consciousness.  It also allows inner harmony within the body, soul and mind opening a path to inner peace.  All of this improves physical, emotional and mental health creating a tranquility of the mind contributing to the healing process.  Seniors find their health improves because they are aloud better movement. 

In meditation you have the person sit comfortably in an upright chair.  They may also lie down if that is more comfortable but they are more likely to fall asleep that way and sleep is not the purpose of meditation.  You then want to help calm the mind and body using a relaxation technique.  Start by asking them to relax their forehead down into their eyes, checks, jaw and neck then move down into the shoulders, arms and torso, then down through the hips, legs and out through the feet.  Ask them to totally release any stress or worries and let it melt away.  You might want to put on some soothing soft music. 

Also cover yourself with a blanket to make sure you are warm and comfortable.  You can’t relax if you are cold.  A meditation should last around five minutes after a yoga session.  The person then slowly comes out of their meditation by gently moving their fingers and toes then slowly opening their eyes.  They then want to roll to their side, if lying down before coming to a sitting position.  While sitting upright with their hands, palms up with the thumb to the forefinger they chant the mantra OM.  A mantra is a mystical sound, the aim being to utilize the power of sound vibration to influence modalities of consciousness.  OM means what was, what is and what shall be, which is a sacred syllable representing the absolute to indicate the vibrations of the universe.  Then ending with palms together at their heart, which is an Anjali Mudra.  They may offer Namaste which means the spirit in me salutes the same spirit in you.

It is best to perform yoga on a daily basis to feel the full effects that yoga can have on you.  You may find that you’re a little stiffer in the morning therefore some students like to have their yoga classes in the afternoon or evening.  You will find that you get a more restful sleep after an evening yoga session.  It is a very special way to end your day.

Nancy McNichol is a certified Yoga teacher.  She teaches classes in the Glenside, Pennsylvania area.

Tags: active senior, Senior Yoga, senior yoga is, senior yoga program, yoga for seniors

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 6:05 am and is filed under Guest Authors, yoga for seniors. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.