The Benefits of Yoga for Seniors & Prime Timers by Gianna Ragona Suarez Yoga isn’t just for the young and limber!! Many Prime Timers are turned off by yoga because they think they will not be able to do the poses fully or that they will not experience the benefits of it. But yoga is not about sweating and flinging yourself in and out of strange poses. Instead yoga is a noncompetitive, mindful practice and poses can be modified to meet each person’s individual needs. You may never be able to bend yourself into a pretzel, but you can still experience the benefits of yoga. Many of the symptoms we suffer from as we age can be alleviated by practicing yoga. The gentle postures of yoga, coupled with relaxation, breathing, mental focus, standing in balancing poses, all work to reduce stress, fatigue, and pain, while reducing the risk of fall related injuries. You will notice an Increase Flexibility and Stability: A major concern among seniors and care takers is the risk of falling. While there is no fool-proof way to completely prevent accidental slips, yoga can help avoid them. Regular yoga practice gently increases your flexibility helping to improve your stability, balance and joint strength. The more flexible and stable you are, the less likely you are to fall. No More Counting Sheep....Zzzzzzzs If you suffer from poor sleep, with yoga you will be able to catch more z’s. Instead of turning on the TV or grabbing your laptop, try a gentle yoga sequence to help you wind down and quiet your inner monologue. Yoga poses are designed to bring awareness inward, to relax your mind while stretching and relaxing your body. A relaxed mind and body will drift off into sleep more readily resulting in a more sound sleep. Improved sleep helps to reduce fatigue, crankiness and other related ailments. Mental Health, Inner Focus and Well Being: Stepping onto the mat is a time to focus on yourself....it is ME Time. It’s a time to forget about day-to-day worries, the global news, the grandkids and to pull your attention inwards. Focus on your breath and take note on how your body is feeling. Cherish this time from your day to focus on your inner-self, help yourself to identify sources of stress, and then let them go with BIG EXHALES ....Ahhhh. Feels better already. Oh...for Sighing Out Loud!!! In yoga classes, we always provide a few moments of Sighing out Loud as an excellent way to physically release stress through the Prana(life force). Doing this also during your day, when you are off the mat, is a great way to release subconscious stress that we dont even realize we are holding, as well as alleviating any stress you are outwardly experiencing. Alleviating stress will enhance your mood and your overall well-being and give a break to your auto-immune system. Ending OMmmm.... By ending classes with the Universal Vibrational Sound of Om, we seem to connect to an awareness of being at One with the Divine and the Source of All That Is. We realize, and are thankful, that we are part of this moment in time, in this very space, with these very people, in this very place. The ancient sound of Om (as in Ah-men) brings a gentle ending to our practice just as prayers end in a sign of Amen signaling a conclusion of moments, well spent in Divine Connection with what lives within us. Please Note The Side Effects of Yoga!! Your eyes will be shinier, you will radiate well-being, you will sleep/rest better, your friends will think you have had a vacation, your skin will be moist and glowing, your attention will improve, you will be more tuned in and alert....and you may even need less of your medication!! These are all things you may want to make note of before you sign up for Regular Yoga Practice. (Notice the key word here being Regular)....if you just do it once or every now and then you will not receive the stunning side effects! A regular practice of 2xs a week or more is recommended for healing and brightening your energy. Further Note: Just hanging onto the yoga brochure without practicing has none of the above benefits. Happy Returns!!! See you on the Mat! Gianna Suarez, Owner, GoYoga Amelia Island Basic Yoga every M,W & F 8:00am is recommended for Prime Timers. 3 xs a week of sheer goodness.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 15:14:34 +0000
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