Get Social – with Yoga

More and more older people are discovering the inner peace and flexibility yoga brings…and with it, the benefits of social interaction. 

Florida-based Joanna Rajendran has taught yoga for more than 30 years and credits her spiritual journey to her yoga mentor who practiced what she preached until the age of 101! An inspired Rajendran even penned her own book about her friendship with this master yogi, Tao Porchon-Lynch, titled, My Guru Wears Heels.

Rajendran reminds us that age is no barrier when practicing yoga, noting that her mentor continued her yoga, despite hip replacements. “Seniors can begin with chair yoga. That helps with posture and breathing, but without the need to stand or get on the floor,” she says.

“Yin Yoga is also excellent for beginners. This involves holding poses and using gravity to get a deeper release of tension, but it’s also restorative, especially for anyone recovering from an injury.”

Live and In Person

While some newcomers may prefer online classes to avoid stepping out of their comfort zones, Rajendran points out, “One thing you can’t replicate online is the Kula, the sense of community in yoga. It’s beautiful to breathe and feel present together.”

Feeling shy? Rajendran reminds us that yoga is a practice with no end goal or need for perfection; that the yoga community is by nature welcoming and accepting. “Most teachers will offer modifications, so you don’t have to worry, or try to keep up with the person next to you twisting into a pretzel.

“It’s said that ‘Every breath in yoga can add a year to your life,’ so why not give it a try and perhaps make a new friend?” she asks.

Where to Find a Class

There are tons of yoga classes and yoga studios in the US.  In fact, the Yoga Alliance, the largest nonprofit member association representing the global yoga community, offers a searchable database of yoga studios by location that you can check out here.

Other options

Yoga teacher Nicole Kalantzis offers free yoga classes at three libraries in New York City through Shape Up NYC, part of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Her website www.makeyogasimple.com offers articles and online classes for those too harried for in-person classes. But she is quick to stress the critical importance of social interaction. “This may become harder as we age so it’s important to make and keep connections if we can,” she says. “I teach all ages and it’s especially fun to see older people connect with the younger people in class,” she says.

“Also, the local community college, YMCA or gym is another good place to discover a class,” she says, adding that she’s noticed that the people who come in early are often looking for a social element. “People really connect when they are doing something they both like. I’ve even seen two women connect over arthritis in their trigger fingers!” she says with a chuckle

Getting Started

One way to meet your own inner Warrior is to take a free class. Check out your local library, senior center or parks department for beginner lessons to discover not just your inner and outer strength, but whether yoga is for you.  For many it’s a lifelong and enduring practice, a partner of sorts through life’s many ups and downs.

Benefits for Seniors

Author of two yoga books: Yoga Class: 8 Essential Yoga Lessons for Beginners and Yoga for Beginners: A Quick Start Guide to Practicing Yoga for Students, Ashville, NC-based yoga instructor Timothy Burgin founded YogaBasics.com – and which features a trove of illustrations of yoga poses and articles.  Need inspiration? Read his 12 Benefits of Yoga for Seniors.

“What’s attractive to seniors is that with yoga they can improve their posture, build strong bones and improve balance,” Burgin says. “The meditative aspect can boost memory and if there are issues with sleep, it can help one wind down.”

For those who would like to socialize while attending classes, Burgin suggests signing up for a 6-to-8-week class. “They’ll see the same people each week and get to know each other,” he says. “Even one regular class at the Y, or at a yoga studio, tends to be social by definition as people tend to gravitate towards their own tribe.”

Water Babies
Yes, you can really make a splash with yoga as you take it into the pool with you! Christa Fairbrother, award-winning author of Water Yoga, a teacher at the St. Pete Beach Community Center in Florida, emphasizes that aqua yoga incorporates all aspects of regular yoga but is “kinder” to your joints because of the support of the water. “It helps you improve your balance and gain strength while reducing swelling and pain through immersion. Plus, since it’s at the pool, it’s more social. Research has shown seniors are more likely to continue an exercise program on the water than on land, so aqua yoga won’t cause `waves’ for anyone who’s struggled in a land-based yoga class, she says.

Want an online introduction?  Check out Chair Yoga by Tina or our popular Morning Stretch classes, with movements and meditation inspired by yoga, offered daily at 10am EST. 

YOUR TURN

Have you tried yoga?  How did you like it? Share your experience in the comments!

Jennifer Juergens Thomas has a lifelong interest in how people get together.  As a former AP reporter she covered feature stories and later wrote about conventions from Anaheim to New  Zealand as editor of Meetings and Conventions magazine. She was a public relations consultant for clients like the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives focusing on how and why people need to get together. An Orlando resident, she continues to contribute to Meetings Today magazine among other ventures.