Age Vibrantly by Adding Yogic Breathing and Movement to Your Routine

Practicing yoga makes you more aware of how your breath and body work together, it gives you the power to intentionally age with ease and vitality.

You know the old saying- you can’t teach an old dog new tricks…but it doesn’t have to be your reality.

As we age we want to remain physically vibrant and continue to be able to contribute to our families and communities.

Yoga is a tool that can help you accomplish your goals at any age, even in your seventies and eighties. While much of what we see in the media promotes yoga to the young and limber, the traditional application of yoga has different methods that help balance us at different stages of life.

Those in their twenties are building their bodies and minds, needing a more physically vigorous practice to balance that energy. Whereas in the later third of our lives we’re doing less building and seeking more peace of mind and spirit. At this later stage, we can do yoga practices that support stabilizing our bodies and give us a deeper connection to our own wisdom.

One of the reasons yoga is so powerful, no matter your age, is that it teaches you to sync the movement of your body with your breath.

The benefits of this aren’t just about coordination. In fact, voluntarily shaping the breath is the fastest way to impact our physiology and our mental activity. The nervous system responds to breathwork within just a minute or two. By learning how to shift our nervous systems from the sympathetic, fight or flight state, to the parasympathetic, rest and digest state, we have more control over our physical and mental health. 

Yoga Techniques for Seniors

Try this breath practice to help you slow down and shift your nervous system to the rest and digest mode. Make your exhalations longer than your inhalations.

• Begin by inhaling through your nose for three seconds, then exhaling through your nose for six seconds.
  • Once you feel comfortable and confident that you are not straining your breath in anyway, you can increase the count by the same 1:2 ration. For example, inhaling for four seconds and exhaling for eight seconds. 

• After practicing the extended exhalation breathing technique, you can graduate to moving your body in sync with your breath. Here is a short video with simple arm and head movements that are in sync with a version of the extended exhalation technique. This is a great place to start and is designed to be done seated in a chair. 

Ready to start your day with a sun salutation, but find it difficult to get up and down from the floor?

This soft sun salutation sequence is excellent for those who want a simple sequence that is easily accessible to most people.

While this post was first written to emphasize the value of this practice in the summer months, it can be practiced any time of year and can even be modified for those who want to do it seated in a chair. Many yoga teachers are adept at helping you modify postures based on your body and goals.

When beginning a yoga class, take time to arrive early and speak with the yoga teacher to share information about any mobility limitations. Above all, pay attention to the cues your body is giving you about whether you need to modify a posture or gradually deepen into the posture. 

Finally, lean into the support of your community. While the pandemic distanced us physically, consider other ways to connect. Consider bringing friends together virtually or by phone who want to bring yoga practices into their daily routine. Knowing that someone else is also gradually building a yoga practice can be a great source of connection and motivation. 

Reap the Benefits of Yoga as you age to sync body movement and breath

Much of the disease in our modern society is caused by inflammation. There are many factors that contribute to inflammation such as diet, mindset, and external stressors. Yoga can help us balance our bodies more frequently, even when we aren’t on the yoga mat. Making us more aware of when we are out of balance and perpetuating choices that create inflammation rather than reduce it.

Naturally, yoga isn’t a panacea or cure all. It is a tool you can add to your toolbox to help you navigate the challenges of aging gracefully and with more resilience. 

Practical Benefits of Yoga as You Age + the Research

• Helps maintain balance and manage osteoarthritis 
• Improves psychological health
• Creates greater levels of mobility 
• Improves cognition
• Strengthens memory 
• Improves sleep