BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Yoga Yoga and your age!

I think your body will tell you if you have to make adjustments, but so far (age 76) I haven't had to pull back any.
Mainly, not all bodies are put together the same way, and poses that are no problem for one person can take years to master, if ever, for another. It took me quite a few years to get anything resembling a forward fold, my hips are so tight, and I'm still working on it. I can't help but feel a little envious when I see someone drop into a deep forward bend with no trouble, but that's the body I was born with and I just have to keep plugging away at it.

Claybird - I think you're so right! We all have different bodies and are at different stages with them. I see elderly yoga practitioners do amazing poses that the younger ones can't even begin to attempt. It's all about what your body can do. I think watching the elderly practitioners is quite inspiring - if they can do that at their age, so can I!

I have people in my yoga class in their 70's and 80's. Not sure how long they've been doing yoga but they do what they can with the challenging poses.

My instructor is nearly 60 and she certainly doesn't have to make adjustment. I think it depends how much time and effort you put into having a daily practice.

One of my instructors when I used to attend studios was in her 60's and certain poses were easier for her mainly because she had more experience but I think also it has to do with what how far you choose to take it.

I know I could not have done in my 20's what I do now in my 40's mainly because I didn't have the same focus or interest then as I do now.

Here's a 91 year old woman who actively teaches yoga!

91 year old yoga instructor

This is such a great questions with awesome responses! I agree with all the points that have been made and I'd like to offer some insight.

Purely in terms of the ability of the physical body, I think age becomes a factor mostly around when it is that a body begins practicing yoga. Those lively yogis and yoginis that are redefining what it means to age gracefully have most likely developed their bodies over several decades if not most of their lifetimes. Because their bodies have been conditioned within the yoga postures and they likely have brought yoga into their lives as a habit that is practiced probably as often as the teeth are brushed, they have been able to prevent the effects of aging that otherwise would have kept them from practicing.

Anyone can practice yoga, no matter what the current condition of the body is, because the field provides so many different ways to access practicing yoga, i.e. pranayama practice, meditation, mudras, bhakti yoga, karma yoga, etc. However, the ability to practice yoga asanas can be likened to learning a foreign language. Once you learn it you have it. But if you don't practice it you will lose it and will have to relearn it again in your current condition. Yet, because you had it once, it will come back to you as soon as you ask it to

One of the many things I love about yoga is that it is always there and will always be there for us no matter our age or condition.

Hi Angela!

I would suggest making adjustments based on what your body is asking of you, and that can vary from day to day and season to season, much less year to year. Pay close attention to how your muscles, joints and connective tissues feel and let them guide you as to what postures or forms to do and what to modify or even discontinue doing.

Practicing yoga has been known to reverse the aging process. For me personally, I'm 35 years old and I look much younger than I did six years ago when I got out of the Marine Corps. I've been practicing faithfully for 3 years and my body is in better condition than it was the entire 9 years I served in the Corps. People find it hard to believe that I have two children ages 7 & 9 saying that I don't look old enough for all that. I completely credit my yoga practice for this phenomenon!

For this to even occur, I had to accept myself where I was at when I started practicing. I had no idea I would literally cause my body to get younger. So, it is possible and the number of your age does not always have to be what dictates the extent of your practice. Above all, be gentle and nurturing to yourself

These are just some thoughts, I hope they help

Deborah

I do love that yoga can be done by any person in any situation. I've been reading several reports of yoga being brought into a nursing home and the residents gaining great mobility and health as a result.