Yoga for elderly
There is a difference between growing old and aging. Growing old is predictable. Aging, however, has its own laws and depends partly on physical and partly on mental factors. One person may age too early, while another seems to stay young for ever. In other words — aging is a relative concept. The process of growing older can be speeded up or slowed down, and there is even a possibility of certain rejuvenation.
Yoga for elderly aims at the preservation of one’s personality and independence. This is mainly a question of the sustenance of the vital functions, the most important of which is thinking. Then follow breathing, digestion, circulation and sleep. To the immediate target belongs also the persistent effort to keep limbs and spine flexible. The daily relaxation is meant to lead to physical and mental experiences which bring enjoyment into the life of the elderly.
Yoga for mature people consists of the same three disciplines -breathing, posture, relaxation – though in a more selective way. The elderly who has done his daily exercises for a number of years knows from experience that he can’t do everything a much younger person is able to deal with. He or she finds that after an accident his spine is much less flexible than before or that his knees are stiffer. Some old scars begin to hurt in certain postures, not to mention occasional twinges of arthritis or sciatica, should he suffer from either.
Yet there should be no difficulty to find exercises suitable for them. The Yogi should not grieve about his or her limited possibilities but should enjoy the fact that they can substitute a valuable contribution by precision and concentration on the finer details.
Whereas the Oriental tends to frown upon any fixed method, most Western readers are only able to utilize a large amount of information when it is put together systematically. Nobody need do all the exercises listed or even stick to the times given for them. A closer examination of the various series of exercises will show that there are a number of pauses inserted which must not be omitted. If one cannot do the Shoulder stand twice, one does it once. Furthermore, nobody should worry if he cannot do one or another exercise perfectly or not at all.
The efficiency of Yoga does not lie in the perfection of an exercise nor in one’s failure to acquire perfect flexibility, but in the quiet, patient and purposeful practice. If one’s body is too stiff in the morning, there is no reason why one should not do the exercises in the late afternoon. One should always practice with leisure, in a positive frame of mind and by keeping sufficiently long pauses. It also is part of the rejuvenation program to weigh oneself once a week. To get rid of the first few pounds is most difficult of all, but with practice one will be rewarded with a definite rejuvenation demonstrated by a loss of weight.