Maintain or Regain Mobility and Health through Yoga!

15 Real World Benefits of a Regular Yoga Practice for People in Their 50s, 60s, and Beyond

* Your chances of taking a fall are reduced when you improve your balance through yoga.

* You can get up off the floor if you do happen to fall.

* You can get down on the floor to play with your grandchildren or puppy.

* Reversing out of a parking space is safer when you utilize a full twisting movement to see behind you.

* Your increased strength will help you lift and carry small children and groceries.

* Your increased flexibility will assist you in reaching things from high shelves.

* Endurance is enhanced, so you can join in on those family outings to the city without having to rest on every bench you pass.

* You can trim and polish your own toenails!

* No Velcro sneakers because you will be able to bend over and tie the laces.

* You can accept a ride in your grandson’s red roadster, because you are able to hoist yourself in and out with a modicum of grace.

* You will easily bend over to pick up stuff you’ve dropped.

*You will easily bend over to pick up that $5 bill that just blew across the sidewalk.

* You can finish that crossword or Jumble more quickly because of the increased blood flow to the brain during down dogs.

* You can stay in your two-story home because stairs are not an issue.

* You enjoy a good night’s sleep, plus increased energy during the day.

So get on it! Retain your health, vitality and independence through yoga!

See my website BalanceYourYoga.com . Yoga is a great way to maintain or regain health of body, mind and spirit. With a regular practice you'll simply feel better! 

Assist

When is the last time you tried a handstand? Handstands look scary -- you're upside down and supporting yourself with your arms -- those same arms with the waving wings (if you have these you know what I'm talking about!) and no discernible biceps! Plus to get there you have to swing your uncoordinated legs from the ground to up over your head. What's that I hear? No thanks, you say? What about a little help from a friend?

Handstands are a regular feature in many yoga classes, and a good (experienced, compassionate) teacher can get most students to fly into the pose for at least a second or two by offering something we all want: control.

After the preliminaries, when a student is ready for the main event, the teacher stands against the wall to brace herself. As the student mindfully flings her legs into the air, the one thing the teacher does not do is grab those flying legs. As the student's torso moves toward the wall, the teacher will take hold of the hips and guide the student into an upright upside down pose. Yay! Being supported by the hips gives the hand-stander a feeling of security in two ways: Being held, guided and supported; and having legs free to come back to earth at any time without restraint.

And therein lies the secret: Having the freedom to fly up when you are ready, and the freedom to return to earth in your own time. Imagine being in a handstand with someone holding your legs while your arms feel about to give way. That would be a panicky moment fueled by a lack of control.

So next time you are ready to try something a little scary, ask for a little assist. Find someone you know won't try to control your efforts by grabbing your metaphorical legs, but who will guide you toward where you want to go when you are ready, and allow you to decide how far, how long, and when to step back. The choice is not whether to go it alone or to ask for help; the choice is in asking for the appropriate kind of help. An assist, a leg up, a helping hand.

And it's okay if you don't always get all the way up, it's still fun to try!

Peaceful Intention

Modern Life: A series of events we struggle to get to, rush to finish, and despair of ever completing. Our frenzy feeds on competition as we race to see who can get the craziest without actually having to be checked into the hospital for nervous exhaustion!

  

We cannot remove all stressors from our lives, of course: Whatever would we do with all those loose kids? As we pass through each stage of life there are things we simply must deal with, and that is part of the School of Life here on Earth. The trick is to counteract the moments of crazy with moments of peacefulness, and then to enhance the whole enchilada with pops of joy, awe, excitement, and wonder.

Yoga, meditation, whole foods and holistic medicine can invigorate and heal your inner and outer bodies. Become aware of what makes your physical body feel and look great, and do more of that. Notice what allows your emotional and mental bodies to relax and rejuvenate. See what lets your spirit soar, and keep it up!

Peaceful intention: I move through this beautiful, bountiful life with equanimity and love, with joy and care, with the intent to increase these peaceful feelings and the knowledge that these emotions will spread to those around me.

Peaceful Movement

Moving the body is a joy not to be overlooked.

Flowing through yoga poses, walking through the woods, and sharing qi gong or tai chi can bring peace to your body, and so to your mind and spirit. Some people find joy in running, some in team sports; others fancy a Zumba class! Joyful movement awakens you to the miracle of the body. Muscles stretch and strengthen, knees lose their aches, tension eases out of the back. Happiness suffuses you.

Peaceful movement brings ease and joy to your life. Not only will your body rejoice every morning as it springs out of bed, but your spirit will be lighter and your mind will be clear.

Dance.

Peaceful Breath

The first time I sat in a yoga class, legs crossed on a sticky mat, and was told to breathe, I couldn’t resist opening one eye to see what the others were doing. Duh, I’ve been breathing my whole life, so what was the deal with breathing in this class?

Then more direction came from the teacher. I followed along, filling my body from seat to crown with air, then emptying out. It was both calming and energizing. As time passed, I learned that I was not only inhaling air, but also prana, or life force energy. I was not just filling my lungs, but my entire being. Each exhale was a release of whatever I had no use for at that moment; but if I changed my mind I could just breathe it back in, no questions asked!

Oh, yeah, in that first yoga class we learned some poses, too. That was fun.