Yoga Workshop Reporter - NEW for 2021!

[KarenJo]

I have that book. Looks like I bought it last April. I should put it in my pile of books to be read soon.

Within the last ten years I have switched from one medical center to a different one when I moved. The first was doing a study on falls in those over 55 so I got asked every time I was there about falls within the last year. The second has just made it a practice to ask about falls in every primary physician visit. I'm 67 (and a half as of yesterday). I have found that doing yoga on my own currently and having done studio Pilates sessions for a couple of decades in the past does help develop the kind of awareness, strength and balance I need to catch myself and prevent a fall. More work on that is always a good thing. Thanks for the reminder.

[toaster]

Originally Posted by Leonana

Yikes! That's definitely motivating me to do more yoga.

I know, doesn't it?

Originally Posted by KarenJo

I have that book. Looks like I bought it last April. I should put it in my pile of books to be read soon.

KarenJo, the book is excellent, although the training really brought it alive for me. You can get more by viewing Baxter's YouTube videos and also following the YfHA blog.

RE falls, Baxter said that there hasn't yet been a study as to whether falls are decreased among yoga practitioners; I'd love to know! I agree that being able to "catch yourself" in a fall is a key skill.

ETA:
I forgot that Baxter also gave 3 things that are the main risk factors for falls: 1) muscle weakness, 2) being on 4+ prescription medications, and 3) poor balance. I was found to have osteopenia in my right hip this past April, but since I don't have any of those other risk factors, I'm not too worried about it.

[toaster]

I'll probably wind up sharing my thoughts about this training kind of piecemeal. I have access to recordings from the program for a few weeks; I'd like to go back and review some of the material if I get a chance.

The Yoga for Healthy Aging book focuses on these main aspects of healthy aging: strength, flexibility, balance, and agility. During the first weekend, we learned about all of these topics and did focused practices for each area. This weekend, we learned additionally about cardio health, immune support, and stress management, and we did practices in this additional areas as well. On both weekends, we also did some work on yoga philosophy and how it might relate to aging. We discussed ways equanimity can have a positive impact on aging, including accepting what comes, dropping the resistance, having a willingness not to manipulate outcomes, and keeping an open mind; we also talked about how having equanimity can help us to deal with the inevitable losses that occur with aging.

One of Baxter's tips for a strength practice was something he called "Slow Motion Outer Space," or slowing things down, just like the principle of a concentric/eccentric contraction. He also recommended an isometric contraction when holding the pose. For balance, his recommendations included doing poses/practices that are new to you (especially with adding props), adding in more variety, and having a non-judgmental/mindful attitude. For flexibility, he recommended dynamic movements and flows as well as stretching in different fascia plans (e.g., moving arms/legs apart from each other). For heart health, Baxter recommended including challenging standing poses, bearing weight on the arms, practicing dynamic flows, and doing both inverted (including partial) and restorative poses. We talked separately about brain health, but Baxter repeatedly emphasized that anything you do for your body is good for your brain!

Here is a final thing for today that really spoke to me. Baxter said that for healthy aging, Western medicine recommends the following: 1) managing chronic stress, 2) getting enough/good sleep, 3) engaging in learning, 4) staying connected with community, and 5) exercising. He emphasized that yoga provides ALL of these benefits plus adds 2 more skills, meditation and equanimity.

[Sollamyn]

Thanks for the reports, Beth! Like Leonana, this thread makes me want to get back into yoga, too.

I hadn't been doing much yoga (well, except for a few stretches here and there) because my balance is so terrible in my right (broken ankle) leg, as well right-ankle/foot flexibility, which makes so many poses difficult if not impossible. However, today I did a workout on the YT Fit and Silver channel that included yoga and I was actually able to do Warrior II without too much wobbling. That was really encouraging to me, so I decided to start trying more yoga and to use props if necessary for those "impossible" poses.

Donna