Yesterday was Grandparents’ Day, and in honor of grandparents everywhere I wrote a post for Inner Fire about supporting graceful aging through yoga. I’ve been teaching various forms of movement to seniors for over ten years. When I first started (with aquatic fitness), I encouraged students to keep chatter to a minimum so they could focus on their exercise. Through experience, I came to recognize that forming a kula, community, is part of the practice, not a distraction from it:
5. Community. We don’t always think of the group dynamic of a yoga class as a part of our practice, but the social aspect of yoga may profoundly affect health. Studies show that strong social ties improve immunity and increase longevity. Start a conversation with another student before or after your next class!
Now, as a teacher, I try to foster connection, conversation, and community in my seniors’ class even if it means starting the structured part of class a couple minutes late (i.e. softening my type A personality) or allowing other voices to be part of the yoga class experience rather than expecting to be the star of the show (i.e. letting go of my ego).
Read the rest of the article over at Inner Fire>>
Please visit my public classes page to see my current schedule of seniors-friendly classes or contact me about private sessions for a personalized class tailored to your specific needs.