You’ve heard of the Kama Sutra, now discover the Yoga Sutra!
Although there is a lot of information out there regarding yoga, there still seems to be a general misconception among older people that they are too stiff to do yoga.
In reality, if you can breathe, you can practice yoga. But it has to be the right yoga for you. You need to talk with a teacher and decide on a program that is suitable for you and your level of fitness.
Yoga is often portrayed with svelte, leotard-clad people placed in amazingly contorted positions. Don’t be put off. Extreme poses are just for the very experienced. In reality, it is not necessary to do very complicated, strong poses to really enjoy the many benefits of yoga.
What is yoga, and when did it start?
Firstly the word yoga means to yoke, or come together, or unite. And the practice of yoga unites body, breath, mind and spirit.
The word sutra means threads—in this case the threads of the philosophy of yoga.
From earliest times, yoga had been passed from teacher to pupil with no written method. Sometime between 500 and 200 years BC the great Indian sage Patanjali gathered together all of the threads of yoga and put them together into a simple written form, the Yoga Sutra.
In this collection, Patanjali portrays all aspects of human life, including our relationships with others, our behaviour, our health, our breathing, and our meditation path.
What are the benefits of yoga?
Through the practice of yoga on the physical level we energise the body, tone the various body tissues, massage internal organs, and quiet the nervous system. On the psychological level, by focussing on the details of the postures, a connection between the mind and the body occurs. Concentration is improved as a result of this process, and one is fully present.
Your posture and breathing
Yoga is an almost limitless system but to keep it simple, I’ll describe just two aspects of yoga: breath and stance.
Improving these two areas, such seemingly basic things, can literally change your life.
Think of it, if your posture is good you look better. If your breathing is good you feel better. You can breathe better if you stand well. While focusing on the slow, rhythm of the breath is very calming. It’s amazing how powerfully it all works together.
As we age, gravity tends to take over, our joints stiffen and our shoulders may drop forward, our upper back rounds—events that are especially detrimental for our lungs and heart. When our breathing is restricted so is our heart, which pumps oxygenated blood around our bodies and delivers carbon dioxide back to our lungs for exhalation. The abdominal organs are also compressed making digestion and elimination less efficient. All these things can be improved by just standing correctly.
The first standing pose that is taught in a yoga class is ‘Tadasana’ (Mountain Pose). This is the basis for all of the other standing poses. Tadasana corrects bad posture by straightening the spine, improving one’s alignment and countering the degenerative effects of ageing on the spine, legs and feet.1
Following are the general instructions for Tadasana. Keep in mind though everyone’s body is different and a yoga teacher would adjust and advise you according to your individual make-up.
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
You may find a long mirror, or a friend, helpful in the following exercise to give you feedback.
First, imagine a mountain which has a very grounded base and a high peak; it is solid and stable.
Stand with your back to a wall and your feet a narrow hip-width apart. Have your feet parallel. Now lift and spread your toes and place them back down on the floor.
Be aware of where your weight falls on your feet. Does it tend to be more in the fore foot or the heel, or perhaps to the inner edge of the foot? Adjust your weight so that the weight is evenly distributed over the four corners of your feet—the base of the big toe, the base of the little toe and the bases of the inner and outer heel. This is your foundation—feel grounded here—imagine roots from your feet anchoring you, and the energy from the earth moving up your legs. Contract your thigh muscles into the bones, and lift the knees without locking them.
If you have a tendency to soften your knees and drop your buttocks, then shift the top of the thighbones back a little, then draw the tailbone down. If you over arch your lower back, make sure that your knees are not locked and draw the tailbone down.
Draw the lower abdomen in and up. Lift the sides of your floating ribs away from your hips, and, at the same time, keep your diaphragm relaxed. Roll the shoulders back and down, extend your fingertips towards the floor and lift through the crown of the head. Keep the chin parallel with the floor—not jutting out.
If you have a friend assisting you, they can look at you side on, noticing if the ear, the shoulder, the hip, knee and ankle are in line. With the natural, gentle curves of the neck, upper back and lower back in place.
Hold this position while taking a few long, slow, even breaths.
In any yoga pose you are looking for stability without tension, and comfort without dullness.
The breath
Now that you have considered your standing posture, let’s work on the breath in a reclining position.
Most of what we do during the day creates a kind of forward momentum. While driving, working on a computer, cooking or gardening, we are focused forward. The following ‘chest opener’ will assist in countering the effects of these routine movements and prepare you for the ‘full yogic breath’.
Take a bath towel, or small blanket and fold it so that you have a longish cylindrical shape and place it on the floor. Sit on the floor with your back to the roll. You are going to lie down on your back with the bolster beneath your shoulder blades (mid thoracic). Your shoulders should just come to the floor. Either straighten your legs, or, if it is more comfortable for your lower back, bend your knees.
Have your chin slightly lower than your forehead. If it is higher, either lower the height of your roll or put a low pillow under your head. Place your arms out to the side and draw your shoulders down. Relax and breathe into any parts of your body that are tense.
Stay in this position as long as you like. Roll to your right side to come out of the position. Take the roll away, and lie flat for another few breaths before coming up.
Notice how open you feel. Is your breath easier?
The ‘full yogic breath’ is best practiced with the chest lifted a little and open. Use your towel or small blanket and a low pillow and set yourself up.
Once you are lying down comfortably, simply watch the breath to begin with, breathing in and out through both nostrils. Notice whether the breath is in the top part of the chest or lower down, with the diaphragm contracting fully with each breath.
Next, place one hand over the navel and the other hand over the top part of the chest. Without creating any tension in the body, inhale into the lowest section of the lungs and feel the hand over your navel rise a little. Then, continuing the inhalation, feel the ribs expand and then the top hand rise. Then, exhale, draw the navel gently back to the spine, and empty the lungs from the bottom upwards. Continue in this way filling the lungs from the bottom up and emptying them from the bottom up. Keep the breath smooth and long, but stay relaxed. Commence with four or five of these breaths and gradually build up the number over time.
You are exercising your lungs and abdominal muscles. Your abdominal organs are being massaged gently, which in turn assists with digestion and elimination.
Stand in Tadasana whenever you think of it, for instance, those times while you’re waiting in the check-out queue, or at the bus stop, in fact any time you stand think about practising good posture. Look around you and, without passing any judgement, notice other people’s posture. Observing other people will help remind you of how important it is to stand well. Furthermore, you will feel a lot better for it, too.
How to find yoga
Most suburbs these days have a yoga school or two. To choose a class that is best suited to your needs, give one a call, or check it out on-line. Talk to the yoga teacher about your age and any health issues and ask if they have a class suitable for you. In my experience, if they don’t they will be more than happy to refer you to another school, or particular teacher. It is also worthwhile discussing your intention to attend yoga classes with your health practitioner with whom you can discuss any restrictions you might have. This information should then be passed on to the yoga teacher. You might also consider having a few private classes before joining a general class to build up your confidence.
Hopefully, after doing the exercises above, not only have your body and lungs been awakened, but your curiosity as well—enough to entice you to a yoga class. You will never regret it.
Reference: Important information was taken from the following source: B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health, published by Dorling Kindersley Limited, p. 49.
Jane Thomas, 60 years-old, teaches Hatha yoga with an emphasis on correct alignment. She uses yoga ‘props’ to help people adapt to poses that may otherwise be beyond them. Jane teaches at Simply Yoga in Crows Nest, Sydney. Her gentle class is particularly popular with older yoga participants. You can download Jane’s 20-minute yoga home practices from www.liveyogalife.com to do at home.
By Jane Thomas
Article from Retiree Magazine