You’re Never Too Old for Yoga – Learning or Teaching It
Have you ever found yourself thinking you are getting too old to do something? I know I have. Recently, I was speaking with a friend who was considering taking up yoga nidra but was hesitant to do so. She was afraid that she was too old to mimic the yoga poses she had seen on TV.
My response was pretty straightforward: you are never too old for yoga. I don’t know what my friend thought about my words of wisdom, but I believe what I said. A person is never too old to learn or teach yoga. And in fact, reputable organizations like AARP actually recommend yoga to older Americans.
Yoga Poses for Every Age
It turns out there are a few things my friend needs to know about yoga before she gives up on it. First, yoga nidra is a somewhat unique form of yoga that does not involve all the complicated poses my friend sees on TV. Most yoga nidra sessions are conducted in the corpse pose, which is to say lying down flat on a bed or the floor. People can do that at any age.
That said, yoga nidra might not be what my friend is really after. If she is thinking more traditional yoga, a little research would reveal that there are yoga poses for every age. There’s even a great post on the AARP website demonstrating some of them. It turns out that poses don’t have to be physically strenuous to be helpful. Poses are designed to facilitate yoga, but they do not define it.
Why It’s Worth Looking Into
As long as we are talking about the AARP post, we might just as well stick with it in explaining why yogi is worth looking into at any age. The post discusses a number of benefits derived from yoga, benefits that are backed up by scientific study. Here some of them:
- Weight Management – Yoga not only offers opportunities to stay physically active, it also enhances willpower and helps shift the attention to wellbeing. Both can contribute to positive weight management as a person ages.
- Reducing Anxiety – Relaxation is a key component in every form of yoga. When a person learns to relax, they are also better able to manage anxiety. Less anxiety means a happier and longer life.
- Joint Protection – Yoga emphasizes both stretching and building strength through various poses. Even the most subtle poses can strengthen aging joints, and that could help a great deal with conditions like osteoarthritis.
- Improving Balance – Losing balance is pretty common as people age. But yoga’s combination of poses and strength exercises can change things. Yoga can actually help older people maintain good balance.
There are many more benefits that space simply will not allow me to write about. The reality is that scientific research supports embracing yoga, even at an older age. It is a good thing to embrace even if you cannot do some of the more complicated poses.
Teaching Yoga to Others
As an older person, you can also teach yoga to others. You are never too old to do so. Scott Moore, an international yoga educator and yoga nidra expert says that teaching is a fantastic way to carry your love of yoga into your golden years. Teaching others what you have learned offers them the benefits of yoga – the same benefits you have enjoyed for so long.
I suppose I will have to check in on my friend to see if she ever did decide to embrace yoga. I hope she did. Despite her age, I suspect yoga would be good for her.
