Yoga for Seniors -- again

Downward Facing Dog Pose with Chair Support

I was recently asked if I could write a guest post for the blog Life After 60 - Living Life With Joy, by Joan Adams.   She is another writer on Squidoo and Wizzley, where I've also written some articles (some on yoga -- see the sidebar to the right).

Joan had seen my article Yoga for Seniors - Aging Well With Yoga, and thought her readers would be interested in reading more about how the practice of yoga can help us stay healthier as we age.

Of course I was happy to oblige! If you know me, you know I love "talking yoga". 

The post is Yoga for Seniors - Keeping Our Bodies Healthier in Our 60s and Beyond.  

Sign Up for the Midwest Regional Iyengar Yoga Conference - September 15 - 18

Yoga From the Heartland Sept. 15 - 18, 2011

Most of you who attend classes at Harmony Yoga of Ann Arbor have heard me talk about the upcoming Regional Iyengar Yoga Conference, Yoga From the Heartland, to be held in downtown Chicago, September 15 - 18.

If you're still undecided about going, read this excerpt of an email I received from IYNAUS (Iyengar Yoga  National Association of the U.S.) relating the experience of someone who attended the Regional Conference in Providence, RI  October 2009:

Sophia Anastos, a yoga student from Chicago writes:
"My husband and I went to the conference in Providence with modest expectations. We hoped to learn things that we could bring to our practice while enjoying a new setting and making friends in the Iyengar Yoga community. Our experience far exceeded our expectations. We had a blast, and we learned so much from a diverse group of accomplished instructors. It was amazing to witness such rich and varied perspectives, temperaments, and sensibilities give voice to the rigor and objective orientation of Iyengar Yoga. Teachers were spontaneous, direct, authentic, and funny. We experienced quite personally the results of years of disciplined and loving practice. It was an unforgettable weekend, and we are grateful for all that was so freely and joyfully shared."  

The email continues:
IYAMW's "Yoga From the Heartland" regional conference will continue to extend that warm embrace, and we invite all students from all paths of yoga to attend. The weekend will offer opportunities for having fun and networking with acquaintances old and new. Festivities will include a keynote speech held at the Chicago Cultural Center. Screenings of films about Iyengar Yoga, chanting the Sutras, dinner circles offering excursions around the city, and "Union", an art exhibit featuring Midwest artists, will also be a part of the event. the conference location is within walking distance of world-class museums, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, our gorgeous outdoor town square, Millennium Park, and countless theater and music venues. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago as we explore, both on and off the mat, the wealth of Iyengar Yoga.

Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana

A few weeks ago, some of you had the opportunity to try the standing pose Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana. I mentioned that I had come across a photo that showed a woman in high heels doing the same pose. Here it is!

She's doing the full pose, with an arm reaching around her back to hold on to her lifted foot. We did the pose with both hands on the floor (or a chair or blocks).

Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana -
   "Ardha" = "half" (here, one leg is in a padmasana position, thus the "half")
   "Baddha" = "bound"
   "Padma" = "lotus"
   "Uttanasana" ="intense stretch" (here as in a standing forward bend)

The seated version is Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana
"Paschima" = "west" (refers to the back of the body)

Both poses are useful for preparing the legs and hips for Padmasana, or lotus pose.

Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana
Allposters.com

If you come across other interesting yoga photos, I'd love to see them!

Yoga for Seniors (Aging and Yoga)

Yoga for Seniors - Aging Well

 As the Baby-boomer and the Silent (Great Depression and WW2) generations age, there are more yoga classes that are suitable for seniors than ever before. 

My Gentle Class at Harmony Yoga, comprised mostly of students over age 60 (okay, I know a few are a little younger!), is currently my largest class, and overall has the most stable student base of all of my classes.   People who attend have discovered that the practice of yoga, done in a slow-paced, mindful way, has helped them remain healthier as they get older.

Many of my students in that class have mentioned that their joints feel better, they're stronger and more flexible, and feel better overall from attending yoga classes regularly.

If you're a Baby-boomer or older, and are looking for a way to keep your body and mind healthier as you age, consider trying out a class specifically with your age range in mind.

Class names might include:

• Gentle Yoga
• Seniors Yoga
• Ageless Yoga
• Chair Yoga

If you're already healthy and relatively fit, a general Beginning Level class may be fine for you as well.

Read Yoga for Seniors - Aging Well for benefits of yoga in seniors, tips for choosing a class, and suggested resources.

We Have a Rope Wall Now

Rope-supported Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This is the third week that we've had our ropes up at Harmony Yoga, and for the most part, people are enjoying their use.

As you can see in the photo to the left, a rope-supported downward facing dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) allows these students to more easily extend through their upper backs.

Suza Francina (not from Harmony Yoga!)

The photo of the woman (Suza Francina, an Iyengar Yoga teacher from California, who has written many good books and articles on yoga and aging) shows another great use for the ropes.  Hanging forward as she is doing is an excellent way to open the chest and create more mobility in the shoulders.

We don't start in such an extreme position until our shoulders are ready for it.  Most people have been starting much further away from the wall, to begin with, for a less intense stretch.

We've also used the ropes for extra stability while doing Utthita trikonasana (Triangle Pose) and Parivrrta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose).   We've discovered that besides given extra stability in both poses, the body comes into better alignment much more easily.

Register Now for "Yoga From the Heartland" Regional Iyengar Yoga Conference

Register soon for the Regional Iyengar Yoga Conference, "Yoga From the Heartland", September 15 - 18, 2011, in downtown Chicago.

This conference is not just about taking another yoga class or yoga workshop, but it is also a celebration of the practice of yoga with other like-minded people.

Of course you'll take a few yoga classes during this 4-day event in Chicago, IL, but there's much more happening than that.

Read the recent email from 2011 IYNAUS Regional Conference:

Can you imagine downtown Chicago mobbed with the wellness vibe of Iyengar Yoga? Join us September 15-18 at the Palmer House Hilton and the Chicago Cultural Center. We still have space for you, but don't wait long to register. 

Listen to the blissful devotional music of Devi 2000 on opening night, for a reception with light fare. Reunite with your yoga friends here and make new friends. Then we will walk a few blocks to the Cultural Center for a live cello performance by Alicia Rowe, featuring a film of BKS Iyengar, and an inspiring keynote by Matthew Sanford. 

Your morning workshops with Senior Teachers will certainly be profound and memorable, and the afternoon workshops with Intermediate Junior Teachers insightful and useful. During lunch breaks, chant the yoga sutras, partake of our Movie House, and stock up on the highest quality yoga props. Enjoy culinary Chicago and good company with Dinner Circles in the evenings.

We welcome all experience levels and students of all styles of yoga. Nourish your yoga practice, and nourish the yoga community with your presence.

Namaste,

IYAMW and IYNAUS

Yoga Poses Support the Body's Detox Functions

I've written before about how yoga can help our bodies with the detoxification process in Yoga Poses for Detoxing the Body.

In a nutshell:

• Yoga twists "squeeze and soak" the abdominal organs, like wringing out a dirty wash cloth and then rinsing it with clean water.
• Forward bending poses compress the abdominal organs, and stimulate the digestive system, making the elimination process more effective.
• Inverted poses help to drain accumulated lymph fluid from the legs, making it available to circulate through the rest of the body.   Also inverted poses help to reduce mental and emotional stress, making it easier for us to choose healthier behaviors that naturally lead to eliminating toxic materials from our bodies.

I found another recent blog entry that goes into a little more detail about how yoga twists help the body to detox more effectively - Yoga for Detox /The Real Dish blog.

The author of that post says to twist to the left to massage the liver, and twist to the right to massage the spleen.   Both of these organs need to be healthy to help eliminate toxic materials.

As she explains, the liver is, "constantly making decisions on what to do about your digestion, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and detoxification" and the spleen, "also processes lymph. Lymph carries waste from the blood so squeezing the spleen can get that waste into the blood again to be processed and cleared".