Yoga for all ages

More and more American seniors are taking up yoga than ever before. The reasons for the surge are many. For starters, in a culture that worships youth, yoga honors the aging process: Poses can be modified to every body type and level of ability, making classes accessible to anyone willing to step onto the mat. And the philosophy of the practice encourages witnessing and accepting what is happening in the present moment.

Yoga is also empowering: Regular practice boosts energy, increases flexibility, decreases aches and pains, all of which leads to feeling—and even looking—younger and more vital. Finally, a growing body of research is showing that a regular practice offers tangible health benefits. It has been shown to lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol; help keep weight gain and depression at bay; and ease chronic conditions like back pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. In short, doing yoga defends against some major killers—heart disease, stroke, and diabetes—and the aches that make aging a real pain.

With so many older yoga students on the mat, it's becoming easier to find classes tailored to seniors, as well as more teachers skilled in leading them. The poses in a 55-and-older class will probably focus on those key skills of sure-footedness, strength, and flexibility.
For many new to yoga, simply venturing into a yoga class is an act of courage. They often are worried about injuring themselves, embarrassing themselves, or just trying something that's new and foreign.

In the end, what makes for a meaningful, enduring yoga practice, one that will sustain you year in and year out, doesn't change over the decades. It's about self-acceptance, seeing yourself as ageless and timeless.