The New Yoga for People over 50

by Francina, Suza

• ISBN13: 9781558744530
• ISBN10: 1558744533
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-08-01
• Publisher: Hci

Summary

Many seniors are searching for ways to improve their quality of life and remain active as they enter midlife and later years. Nationwide, people are recognizing yoga for its ability to slow down and reverse the aging process. A complete health system, yoga not only restores vitality to the body, but also expands the mind and soul. Yoga transforms the years after 50 from a time of deterioration to one of increased perspective and illumination. In The New Yoga for People Over 50, readers will learn how the health of the spine and posture affect every sustem of the body, and how yoga positions and breathing exercises benefit the circulatory system, the heart and other vital organs, relieve menopausal symptoms, and remove stiffness and inertia from the body. In this comprehensive guide, Iyengar yoga expert Suza Francina describes and illustrates how to begin and maintain a yoga program through personal stories and over 100 easy-to-follow instructional photos of older teachers and students.

Author Biography

Suza Francina is a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor with over thirty years of experience. She is the author of several books and articles for AARP, Yoga Journal, LA Yoga, The Cleveland Clinic Arthritis Advisor, Prevention, Senior Life, and ELDR magazine. Her website is www.suzafrancina.com

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xv	(2)
Introduction: Welcome to the New Yoga for People Over 50!	xvii
How I Began Teaching Yoga
What You Will Find in This Book
Use Common Sense!
Frank White: Yoga, A Better Way to Spend the Autumn and Winter Years
1. Our Changing View of Aging: How Expectations Determine Outcome	1	(10)
With Yoga, the Body Remains Open and Flexible
Chronological vs. Biological Age
Health and Aging
Betty Eiler: After 50, Include Yoga in Your Lifestyle
2. How Yoga Slows Down and Reverses the Aging Process	11	(16)
Yoga: The Ideal Health System for People Over 50
What Is Hatha Yoga?
Yoga Prevents and Corrects the Most Visible Symptom of Aging--the Rounding of the Spine
Yoga: A Superior Form of Weight-Bearing Exercise for Preventing Osteoporosis
Keeping Your Joints Young
Inverted Poses: The Fountain of Youth
Reversing Gravity Reverses the Aging Process
Precautions on Practicing Inversions
Joyce Rudduck: No One Is Ever Too Old or Too Stiff to Do Yoga
3. In Praise of Props	27	(36)
How Common Household Objects Can Help You Improve Your Posture, Maintain Your Balance, and Stretch, Strengthen and Relax
Sitting Comfortably on the Floor
How Chairs Support Your Yoga Practice
Yoga Sitting on a Chair
Chair Twist
Chair Forward Bend
The Wall: Your Best At-Home Teacher
How to Practice Triangle Pose at a Wall
Props Help You to Balance
Tree Pose
Using Doorways to Improve Posture and Stretch Shoulders
Stretching Stiff Shoulders with Straps or Belts
Shoulder Stretch Practice
Stretching Stiff Leg Muscles with Straps or Belts
Lying-Down Leg Stretch with a Strap
Improving Your Posture and Breathing Using Bolsters and Blankets
How to Use a Bolster or Folded Blanket to Relax
Covering Your Eyes Enhances Relaxation
Props to Relieve Stress on the Head and Neck
The Backbending Bench
Back and Neck Pain
Exercising After Back Injury or Surgery
B.K.S. Iyengar on Using Props
Eric Small: Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and Other Problems Affecting Balance and Mobility
4. Key Yoga Postures for Reversing the Aging Process	63	(22)
Downward- and Upward-Facing Dog Pose
Downward-Facing Dog Pose with a Chair
Upward-Facing Dog Pose with a Chair
Downward-Facing Dog Pose from the Floor
Upward-Facing Dog Pose
Other Variations of Downward-Facing Dog: Downward-Facing Dog Hanging from a Rope or Strap
Restful Downward-Facing Dog with Chair Variation
Cautions for Downward Dog Pose Hanging from a Rope or Strap
Right-Angle Handstand with a Wall or Other Yoga Prop
How to Practice Right-Angle Handstand
Handstand in the Hallway or Doorway
Ruth Barati: Feeling Vital and Vibrant in Your 70s
Elizabeth T. Shuey, a student of Ruth Barati
5. Yoga for Feet and Knees Over 50	85	(24)
Healthy Feet and Knees Can Make the Difference Between Walking and a Wheelchair
Revitalizing and Stretching Your Feet
Fingers and Toes Entwind
Fingers and Toes Entwined While Seated
Fingers and Toes Entwined Lying Down
More Ways to Stretch the Toes
Foot Reflexology
Your Knees Need Yoga, Too
Practice the Hero (or Heroine) Pose for Healthy Knees
How to Practice Hero Pose
Ruth K. Lain at 82: Yoga Opens Doors to New Friends and Interests
6. Yoga: A Reliable Companion During Menopause	109	(42)
What Is Menopause?
How Culture Affects Our Responses to Menopause
Menopause As a Time for Reflection and Re-Direction
What Yoga Offers Women During Menopause
How Menopause Can Help Us to Expand Our Practice of Yoga
Yoga Postures to Relieve Hot Flashes, Night Sweats and Other Symptoms
Yoga for Easing Mood Swings and Depression
Forward Bends
Yoga to Balance Hormonal Changes
Inverted Poses to Alleviate Fatigue
Poses to Regulate the Menstrual Cycle
Yoga to Relieve Excessive Bleeding or Bleeding at Irregular Intervals
Yoga to Alleviate Pelvic Congestion
Upside Down Poses After the Menstrual Period
Standing Poses Also Help Relieve Menopausal Symptoms
Swollen Legs, Ankles and Varicose Veins
A Word on Starting Yoga Later in Life
Menopause Practice Guide
Standing Supported Forward Bend at the Wall (Wall Hang)
How to Practice Standing Supported Forward Bend at the Wall
Supporting Lying Down-Bound Angle Pose
How to Practice Supported Lying Down Bound-Angle Pose
Supported Bridge Pose
How to Practice Supported Bridge Pose
Child's Pose
How to Practice Child's Pose
Lying Down Bent-Knee Twist
How to Practice Lying Down Bent-Knee Twist
Yoga Breathing Practices and Menopause
Urinary Problems
Malchia Olshan: Hot Flashes Become Cool Breezes in Forward Bends
Felicity Green: Yoga Is Healing and Strengthening on Every Level
7. Weight-Bearing Yoga Postures Help Prevent Osteoporosis	151	(12)
How Exercise Strengthens Bones
Osteoporosis and Menopause
A Healthy Lifestyle Reduces Your Risk of Osteoporosis
Inactivity Leads to Bone Loss
Yoga Helps Prevent Height Loss
Yoga for Preventing and Counteracting Osteoporosis
Betsy Goodspeed: Yoga Is As Important to Me As Music
Jean Getchel: Yoga Is Simply a Joy to Do
8. Yoga Techniques to Prevent or Overcome Arthritis	163	(22)
Guidelines for a Yoga Program for Arthritis
Yoga for Arthritic Hips, Knees and Hands
Modified Hero's Pose
Yoga Stretching Position for the Hands
Namaste (Prayer) Position
One Student's Program for Arthritis in Knees and Hips
Nellie Eder: One Octogenarian Yoga Teacher's Experience with Yoga and Arthritis
Lolly Font: Aging People Respond Beautifully to Yoga
9. Opening the Heart with Yoga	185	(22)
Your Heart: Where Body, Mind and Spirit Converge
Dr. Dean Ornish's Prescription for Reversing Heart Disease
Chronic Tension and Heart Disease: The Fascinating Fight-or-Flight Response
Enlightenment: The Ultimate Safeguard Against Stress
Monday Morning Heart Attacks
How Posture Affects the Health of Your Heart
Breathing Freely, Relaxing Deeply Reduces Stress
Breathing to Calm the Mind and Reduce Stress
Some Facts About Breathing
Stress and the Immune System
Alice Stevens: Maturing at a More Satisfying Pace
Ina Marx: If Your Life Has Purpose You Can Never Grow Old
Robert Whiteside: Agile at 80, Nimble at 90
10. Backbends Open Posture, Lift Spirits and Expand Perspective	207	(14)
Bridge Pose to Strengthen the Back
Gentle Supported Backbends Create Breathing Space
BKS Iyengar: It Is Never Too Late to Practice Yoga
11. Restful Inversions: The Elixir of Life	221	(20)
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
How to Practice Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
Supported-Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
Supported Shoulderstand
How to Practice Supported Shoulderstand at the Wall
Supported Shoulderstand and Plow Pose with Chairs
Indra Devi: Yoga Defies Aging
12. Savasana, Pose of Deep Relaxation	241	(10)
The Art of Conscious Relaxation
Savasana Variation
Diana Clifton: Letting Go of Pain, Learning to Relax
13. Tips on Teaching and Hints for Home Practice	251	(14)
The Three Gifts of a Yoga Program for Seniors
Guidelines for Teachers of Older Beginners
Ten Important Tips for Teaching Older Students
Hints for Getting Down to and Up from the Floor
Practical Hints for Moving to and from the Floor
Barbara Uniker: I Do Not Accept the Stereotype of Old Age
Beatrice Wood: Age Is Only a Number
Appendix: Understanding the Anatomy of the Spine	265	(2)
Resources	267	(4)
Bibliography	271	(10)
Permissions (continued)	281	(2)
About the Author	283	(2)
Index of Poses	285

Excerpts

Chapter One Our Changing View of Aging: How Expectations Determine Outcome We need to change our idea of what aging is. If I know my biological potential is 130 years, then I donÆt consider myself middle-aged until IÆm 65. . . . One of the great principles of mind/body medicine is that expectancies determine outcome. If you expect to remain strong in old age, you will. —Deepak Chopra M.D., Ageless Body, Timeless MindAs a society and as individuals, we can expect that our notions of aging will continue to change dramatically in the years ahead. Leading pioneers in the field of mind/body medicine such as Deepak Chopra, M.D., an endocrinologist, bestselling author and internationally recognized authority on how our consciousness affects our health, urge us to consider the power that our beliefs about aging have over us. The latest research shows that how we age has more to do with our belief system and mindset about aging than any other factor. In the last several decades, gerontologists have proved that remaining active throughout life halts the loss of muscle and skeletal tissue. The news is spreading among older people that they should continue all the activities they enjoyed in earlier years—walking, hiking, bicycling, gardening, golf, tennis, karate, swimming, dancing, yoga—you name it. Not long ago, a wild, 100-year-old daredevil named S.L. Potter, defying age, common sense and the fears of his physician and children, made his first bungee jump from a 210-foot tower. Further evidence that we are redefining what is appropriate in old age were photographs in the news of two of AmericaÆs oldest sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth Delany, then ages 102 and 104—one practicing Shoulderstand, the other stretching in a yoga pose with one foot behind her head. What happens when we change our old expectations about aging? Gerontologists from Tufts University found out when they put a group of the frailest nursing home residents, ages 87 to 96, on a weight-training regimen. Traditionally doctors believed that this type of elderly person belonged in bed, in a rocker or wheelchair out on the porch or in front of the television. Exercise would exhaust or kill these fragile people. Instead, they thrived. Within eight weeks muscle tone improved by 300 percent. Coordination and balance improved as well. Most important, these elderly peopleÆs confidence in being active returned. Some of them who had not been able to walk unassisted could now get up and go to the bathroom by themselves—an act of reclaimed dignity and independence that cannot be underestimated. With Yoga, the Body Remains Open and FlexibleThe accepted view of the aging process has been one of stiffening, rigidity and closing down. Without proper exercise, the body contracts and we lose height, strength and flexibility. As a result, our natural free range of motion is restricted so daily activities become difficult and in some cases impossible. Yoga exercises reverse the aging process by

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Excerpted from The New Yoga for People Over 50: A Comprehensive Guide for Midlife and Older Beginners by Suza Francina
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