Preserve and Protect What You Have: Yoga for Healthy Aging

 These days, a great many of us are thinking about how to preserve and protect what we have, and we worry about what will happen if we lose it.  That applies to our freedoms as well as to our freedom of movement and thought as we age.
 
At age 69, I think about my aging pretty much all the time.  “How is my balance today?  Do I feel strong?  Am I still flexible enough to get down on the floor with my granddaughter? Will I be able to get back up? How can I accept inevitable changes to my life with grace and evenness?” 
 
I do have a not-so-secret plan.  The yoga practice that I began at age 54 forms the foundation of my belief that I can take actions to protect and preserve what I have – physically, mentally and emotionally – and that I can continue to feel some agency over how I respond to what happens to me.
 
It’s my firm conviction that yoga can give you that foundation as well.
 
Yoga can help you build and maintain strength, balance, flexibility, mobility, and much more.  The practice of yoga can help you develop a clearer sense of who you are, your purpose, and the actions that will help you fulfill that purpose.  And it can help you develop skills to approach life’s highs and lows with equanimity. 
 
That’s a lot to get out of a practice that can be accessible, inexpensive, and designed to support you no matter what your physical condition.
 
In a recent summary of some scientific studies on yoga for healthy aging,  Mahivanan et al (2021) state that, “Yoga appears to have a wide range of benefits including increased mobility; reduced risk for slip and fall; protection against cognitive decline; increased flexibility, strength, and balance; and improved sleep and mental well-being.”
 
There is a growing body of scientific research indicating that yoga can benefit us and, if done wisely, can help us preserve and protect what we have, throughout our life span.
 
A lot of yoga “out there” may not be well-suited for supporting your healthy aging. There are many styles and many teachers; it can sometimes feel overwhelming to look at what’s available and choose what might suit you best, making you more anxious or less likely to try it at all. Or you try it and it’s too fast, or too hot, or it hurts, or it leaves you feeling achy or inadequate.  There’s hope, though, because there are yoga offerings out there that are geared toward supporting our skillful, healthy aging. 
 
One option that you might consider is chair-based yoga, which allows you to feel secure and supported whether you are seated or standing.  To get started, check out a short, free chair-based class here. 
 
If you’re interested in a live on-line chair yoga class,  I welcome your input as to days and times! Please complete this short, anonymous survey: Interest in Online Chair Yoga.

Preserve and protect your health and well-being!