Have you ever thought about how an older person must feel when they can’t hear what you said, and you are accusing them of not paying attention? By the time an average person gets 80 years old, they have lost around 50% or more of their hearing capacity.
Have you ever thought about how and older person must feel when they want to speak or eat but can’t form the words or chew their food as well as before because their neurons misfire more frequently?
Have you ever thought about how an older person may trip and fall because their peripheral visual field is diminished by 20 to 30 degrees by the time they are around 70-80 years old and they may misjudge the height and distance of objects?
Have you ever thought about becoming this older person one day? Will you judge less? Will you have more patience? Will you be more in control? Is there a positive side to ageing? Is there anything you can do that will allow more quality in your life?
Yes, there is. Yoga research has shown that practicing Yoga has many benefits apart of Strengthening Bones & Joints it increases:
- Awareness
- Aids in Alignment Skills
- Improves Posture
- Expands Range of Motion
- Increases Strength
- Improves Coordination
- Stimulates Ratio of Nerves to Muscles
- Improves Sense of Balance
- Sharpens the Senses
- Provides Mental and Emotional Calm
What I love most about it is that it is literally never too late to start practicing. Certainly, we need to be more mindful at an advanced age and it may be wise to engage an experienced Yoga teacher or Yoga therapist. However there is a practice for anyone at any age. Although we may need to use props at first, I have seen astonishing progress in clients in their late 70is within a six months period.
So, when is the best time to start your Yoga Practice? Now! Whatever age, wherever you are don’t wait. I began my Yoga practice in my early 20-is. At the time I practiced modern and Indian classical dance, rode my bicycle everywhere, swam laps and jogged – Yoga gave me the balance I needed.
Now I practice a Yoga that is suited to my age, that helps me to counterbalance the tides of time. From around 35-40 years of age muscles start breaking down instead of building up. A regular Yoga practice helps to build muscles as Yoga poses exert gentle stress – necessary to build muscles and bones and to keep the spine and joints healthy.
Although Yoga is an amazing tool to stay and become more integrated in body and mind, ageing can be challenging in other ways. Our bodies are becoming more sensitive, e.g. our stomachs don’t produce as many enzymes and digestive juices to properly break down foods, which may result in malnutrition or sudden allergies never experienced before.
In Naturopathy we use herbal and nutritional supplements to support processes such as digestion, lack of energy, osteoporosis, arthritis and other chronic health issues and together with Yoga we will be able to continue an active and empowered life, no matter what age we are.
Written by Monika Ramasamy, 21.2.2020
