Yoga for Healthy Aging: Our Philosophy and Our Tools

by Nina

Philosopher in Meditation by Rembrandt

I always tell everyone, including Brad, that my husband is my worst employee. I mean, how long has it been since Brad has even written a single post for this blog? I don’t even want to know. But the reason I don’t just fire Brad—besides the fact that writing for our blog isn’t really a job and no one gets paid for their work anyway—is that when he does write a post, it is always really outstanding.

I’m bringing this up today because I just went and reread Brad’s very first post for the blog Full Disclosure because I’ve been thinking about how to express our basic intentions for teaching yoga for healthy aging. Just last week, Baxter and I discussed what we meant by “yoga for healthy aging”, and we agreed that “yoga for healthy aging” was both a set of yogic tools and a basic attitude or philosophy. You know, we said, that thing Brad wrote about the first week of our blog about acceptance and active engagement. 

And lo and behold! When I went back to see what he wrote, I found he expressed our basic philosophy so well, there was no reason even to rewrite it in any way.

So as a scientist who studies the biology of aging and the many diseases that are associated with aging, I have come to my own personal conclusions on the importance of practicing a mind/body discipline like yoga. And as I approach my 59th birthday, the immediate realities of physical and mental loss become more apparent. And I am not one of those people who think I can avoid this. I do believe, however, that we have the capacity to regain some of theses age-related losses, and if not, at least slow down their progression. Regaining or maintaining a higher level of balance, physical dexterity, and cognitive function and resolution is therefore something that is attainable and has the capacity to make huge impacts on the quality of our lives. The aging component that works against all this and drives these declines, however, is scientifically and mechanistically poorly understood. This is what makes my scientific life and work so interesting. But as far as I can tell, the basic processes underlying human aging are largely inescapable, at least as we currently understand them. That doesn’t mean we can’t intervene or we have to give up, nor that some of the losses we associate with aging can’t be mitigated. We probably need to practice both acceptance and active engagement as we confront our own aging—part of the underlying philosophy of yoga that I am still struggling with. In any case, it can’t hurt to strive to feel better and think more clearly. There are few things that I would consider more important.

At the time, I felt what Brad had said was very important, so I went ahead and expanded on the yoga philosophy he alluded to in his phrase “part of the underlying philosophy of yoga.” In my post Acceptance, Active Engagement, and the Bhagavad Gita, I explained that the main message of the Bhagavad Gita—one of the most important of the yoga scriptures—was about the benefits of acceptance along with the need for action. This is what is meant by when Krishna tells Arjuna to work “not for a reward” or, as in another translation, without being “attached to the fruits of your actions.”

Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.

Work not for a reward; but never cease to do thy work.

Do thy work in the peace of Yoga and, free from selfish desires, be not moved in success or failure.

Yoga is evenness of mind—a peace that is ever the same. — trans. by Juan Mascaro

Krishna explains to Arjuna that work is a necessary part of human existence, so the only way to attain equanimity is to do your work without any thoughts of results, remaining open to success or failure. And that this approach—this letting of all results, whether good or bad, and focusing on the action alone—is the essence of yoga. 

But how does this yogic attitude relate to healthy aging? Although we recommend that you practice yoga regularly with the goal of attaining a longer health span and maintaining your independence (see What is Healthy Aging, Anyway?, Yoga for Healthy Aging is Not Science Fiction, and A Declaration of Independence), we also believe it is important to keep in mind results are never guaranteed. As Brad said, the basic processes underlying human aging are largely inescapable, at least as we currently understand them. So we feel that at the same time that you work toward staying healthy by using the tools in your yoga toolbox you should try to let go of all thoughts of success or failure and simply focus on your practice. Then no matter what happens, you’ll be prepared to handle it. (See Acceptance, Active Engagement, and the Bhagavad Gita for background information about the Bhagavad Gita and its basic message.)

In my post Opening Your Yoga Toolbox I provided an overview of the basic tools in our yoga toolbox, saying we had divided them into three groups.

1. Physical health tools for body and brain
2. Stress management tools
3. Equanimity tools

All of these tools—including asana, pranayama, meditation, and yoga philosophy—are exactly what you will use to do to do your daily work, which is your yoga practice. And this set of yogic tools plus a basic attitude of acceptance combined with active engagement is what yoga for healthy aging is all about.

In this wisdom, a man goes beyond what is well done and what is not well done.

Go thou therefore to wisdom:

Yoga is wisdom in work. —trans. by Juan Mascaro

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Balance Pose of the Week: A Test

Although I posted this last Saturday, the email version produced an error when readers tried to view the video from the email message. This has been a problem recently. So I'm trying an experiment with this post, and am creating it in a different way, hoping this will resolve the problem. Please let me know if I have succeeded (or not)! —Nina 

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Making Yoga Accessible

by Nina

I like to think that Baxter and I have a pretty good idea of the range of physical abilities that yoga practitioners have in the real world. We’ve seen some pretty fancy stuff in person, such as crazy arm balances and impossible-looking backbends. But we also know that that the average person, especially the average middle-aged or older person, isn’t able to do the fancy stuff and sometimes even the classic stuff, such as Triangle pose (Trikonasana) with the bottom hand on the floor. In fact, even Baxter uses a block in that pose (and see how happy he looks!).

And because our blog is pragmatic, rather than inspirational or aspirational, we are committed to making sure the poses and sequences we describe are actually accessible to most people, if not all. (The exception would be some of our challenging sequences, such as the Challenging Agility Practice.) This is why recently Baxter and I have been working together on choosing a basic set of essential yoga asanas (you’ve been seeing some of those in our recent Featured Pose posts) with four different versions for each pose. 

The first version is always the classic version (done without props) of the pose. Then we provide three other more accessible versions. Sometimes the accessible versions use props, which help make the pose safer, more comfortable, or just plain doable for people (see 7 Reasons Why You Should Love Yoga Props). For example, this version of Upward Plank pose (Purvottanasana) with chair makes the pose accessible to people who can’t do the classic version without major straining or discomfort.

Other times, when a prop can’t really help, we simply change up the pose. An example of this is Side Plank pose (Vasithasana). In our post Featured Pose: Side Plank Pose, the first two variations of the classic pose, don’t use props but instead a slightly different shape to the pose (the first with a different foot position and the second with a different arm position): 

The final version reorients the pose completely, so you’re standing upright instead of balancing on the edge of your feet. 

Now you might be wondering why, if we’re so committed to being “accessible,” we don’t include chair versions of every single pose, such as Side Plank pose, so that people who can’t stand unaided, such as seniors and disabilities, can do all the poses. We do think that the chair versions of standing poses are truly wonderful and not necessarily for wimps (see In Praise of Chair Yoga). Here’s a good example of Warrior 2 done in a chair by the great teacher Eric Small:

Although in the future, we will include chair versions of some of the classic standing poses, we have decided not to include chair variations of every single pose because our blog is aimed at a different audience. Our intended audience is both middle aged and older people who want to use their yoga practice to foster healthy aging (see What is Healthy Aging, Anyway?). So we assume that you (or your students) can stand unaided, can get up and down from the floor, and are relatively healthy or are in recovery from illness. 

This is why even though many of our poses and practices can be used by people who cannot stand unaided and need to practice in chairs or wheelchairs (office yoga poses and some chair poses, breath practices, meditation practices, yoga philosophy), we don’t have specific instructions for these groups. Of course, we do think that yoga can provide great benefits to those populations, but that’s just not our target audience. But rest assured that are many great resources out there for these groups, whether that is Sam Dworkis’ book Recovery Yoga, Eric Small’s book on Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis (which has great photographs of chair and wheelchair yoga), or Timothy McCall’s Yoga As Medicine (which includes some excellent poses for people who cannot stand unaided). 

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SOLD OUT!

by Nina

Yes, we just heard that our first-every Yoga for Healthy Aging intensive (see Yoga for Healthy Aging Summer Intensive) is sold out. We’re letting you know this because Namaste Berkeley, the studio that is hosting the intensive, has started a waiting list. So if you’ve been seriously considering attending, you might want to get your name on the wait list as soon as possible. It is very likely that some people who signed up early might cancel, so there’s still a good chance you can sneak in.

To get on the wait list, you must phone the studio that is hosting the intensive, Namaste Berkeley, directly. Call 510-665-4300.

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5 Simple Home Workouts to Lose Weight

It is very difficult to go outside of your house to the nearest gym during peak summers or winters. Fortunately, there are many exercises, equally effective, which can be performed at home in order to lose your weight and maintain a fit body.

Most of the exercises performed at home only require your body and no special equipment, but other might require some kind of equipment. However, in comparison to gym equipment, the equipment for home exercises are affordable. Be sure that you are comfortably dressed during the exercises and have the right motivation throughout your schedule.

Feel free to use the information of the following described exercises and use them to create your own personalized workout schedule or incorporate them in your present schedule if you haven’t:

1 – Circuit training and Calisthenics

With the help of circuit training, your entire body can be worked out without the help of any equipment. Don’t take it as a light exercise routine since the interval training can be quite intensive and help you lose weight quickly.

2 – Yoga workouts

Yoga is one of the healthiest form of exercises that one can perform to improve their overall fitness. However, it is essential to learn the proper forms and methods of yoga to create an effective routine for yourself. It is best practiced in the morning. Ashtanga yoga is considered as one of the most valuable form of yoga which helps you in a full body routine.

3 – Weight training

Weight training involves the use of manageable equipment such as dumb bells and weight bands.

4 – Running and jogging

These two exercises not only help in keeping your heart healthy but also improve the tone and strength of your lower body. They are the most convenient exercises which can be performed anywhere.

5 – Exercise machines at Home

Some expensive but effective cardio machines can bring utility and convenience right into your home.

If you can afford them you can buy some cardio machines that you can use to work out at home and there are four main types of home machines that you can use to exercise:

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Awesome Upper Body Muscle Building Exercises

The reason a lot of people focus on upper body muscle building is because that is the first part of the body we usually see when looking in the mirror. Upper body muscle building also signals a lot of things to society, such as strength, power, health and confidence, to name a few.

We will in this article look into some essential upper body muscle building exercises that you can apply to your workout routine and enjoy the results with the consistent work you are putting into it.

Chest Area:
The first exercise for upper body muscle building will be the bench press. You can choose to do it with an incline bench or with a flat bench. The bench press is an excellent upper body muscle building exercise as it not only targets the chest, but also your shoulders and triceps.

I recommend that you do bench press for one week and the next week work with dumbbells to switch your exercises up and keep them exciting.

Another great exercise for your chest is the flyer exercise. Grab two dumbbells and with them straight over your head, slowly lower your hands to side of your body and push them back up again

 Back Area:
For the back upper body muscle building you can do the dead lift. The dead lift exercise is great for building core mass, but it should be performed correctly.

Another effective exercise when focusing on the back is the seated row. Sit on the seated row bench and keep your elbows close to your body and sit in a 90 degree angle and pull it towards you.

 Arms:
The first exercise for arm upper body muscle building will be for your biceps. It is the incline dumbbell curls. Sit on an incline bench and with your elbows firm and back, curl your biceps in a slow movement and return to the starting position.

You can also make use of the pull up bar for your biceps upper body muscle building. Grab the bar and pull yourself up in a slow motion and return.

The following upper body muscle building exercise for your triceps is a great muscle builder. Lie on a bench and take a close grip on the bar and perform the same motion as with the bench press for your chest workout.

You can also use the dip bar for the triceps upper body muscle building.

As you have probably found out by now, there are tons of ways of working on exercises for upper body muscle building. The above mentioned are just some that a lot of bodybuilders prefer because of their effectiveness.

If you just include a couple of the exercises mentioned in this article, you will soon start to see results that are worth showing off for.

Are you tired of not being able to wear the clothes you want, not feeling comfortable in your body, not liking what you see in the mirror and not being able to go to the beach?

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Choosing A Gym – 10 Things To Look Out For

Now you’ve built your motivation for you to start a working out program, the next thing is to decide what gymnasium that you feel relaxed. In case this isn’t, then chances are you aren’t gonna keep with any sort of a plan all of which will sooner end up totally. You’ll know if the gymnasium is for you, you must help yourself and think ahead for your goals in realizing your fitness and health.

Bear in mind if the gymnasium isn’t for you, you can surely build your home gymnasium which you could find comprehensive exercises privately in your area. There are many home fitness devices around which include the many tools you’ll want to consider the many essential lifts that you can make into just about any work out program.

1. Place

Who needs to waste time driving just to get into a gymnasium in order to start your workout? From a long time work anyone doesn’t want to spend good hours on a traffic, yet another hours doing exercises, then after that another thirty minutes traveling to your home. Take into consideration in selecting a gymnasium that may be based closer to your home or maybe along way travel to or from work. This is would be great selection considering that if you can pass by that place daily, you’ll always be reminded that the you have to be doing exercises if you opt to miss it.

2. Membership Charge

Gymnasium subscriptions will surely have different fees so it’s recommended that you search around before you ended up for your final decision. In addition check how long you’ll be signing a contract for this could be different too. A lot of health fitness love to string anyone for a year and if your not satisfied it’ll become a long-term arrangement, maybe it would be better to find for short-term.

Moreover, if you possibly could wait until late summertime as well as end of calendar to subscribe, you can find a lot of health clubs that have special offers occurring right now.

3. Membership Market

Yet another component to take into consideration will be the membership market that goes to a fitness center. A number of girls will certainly like to go the all-ladies gymnasium mainly because it improves her convenience. While other people, the gymnasium will be the excellent option since 50 % of the reason why they’re going to the gym is to get friends or perhaps to find someone to stick around.

No matter what the needs you have, be sure to check into this specifically and take for consideration.

4. Extra Benefits

You may inquire if the gymnasium gives any extra services as well as benefits that goes along with your membership and if there’s an extra price for these. This sort of cases can be daycare solutions, physiotherapy, therapeutic massage, nutritionary therapy, and fitness examination.

5. Time of Operation

Often to check the operation time of the gymnasium. As a day exerciser you’ll want to make certain that they be able to serve this specific choice. Moreover ask about thier holiday guidelines. A lot of people feel more relaxed from doing exercises during holidays since it is just a tranquil day to get an excellent exercise. I you get too excited about this you might find the gymnasium closed. In the same manner there are many folks who like doing exercises in the evening consequently you’ll need to be sure that this can be a scenario which possible to do.

6. Fitness Services

Just having the right, good quality fitness trainers is very important who can assist you to understand your full physical fitness prospective. Although you may usually great along with your system today, take into consideration in which in the whole year you could be more stable and needing any ‘check-up’ likewise on your existing program.

Getting to choose a knowledge staff is greatly not enough.Several fitness gyms just employ anyone who is not well in fitness, just make sure you check into their particular qualification for these kind of instructors they holding.

7. Group Physical Fitness Lessons

Make sure you inquire about the group physical fitness lessons that’s available on the health club you are looking for. Usually, when getting bored goes in to your exercise program, this is merely the best thing you can go on again.

Today you can find nearly a thousands of different physical fitness courses you can choose from, this will surely you can find something the might fit your needs.

Any time examining through to this kind of, once more find out when you can find any extra charges connected with that and that means you have decided regarding when you attend subscribe.

8. Sanitation

A single aspect you would like to try to find could be the sanitation in the health club. You may not wish doing exercising with the gym equipment which is not clean since fitness gyms are prone to germs and viruses. Furthermore ensure they’ve got towels and sprays in several areas of the health club that you can simply use after workout, and also check the bath rooms and also the changing areas that meet your standards.

9. Type and Quality of the Equipment

Considering the quality of the equipment supplied by the health club will be another thing you need to focus in. In the event you choose free weights, ensure there is enough dumbells because its very hard to obtain this one during rush hour.

Also, if you want to use guided machines for your wight training, make sure that they have enough equipment or devices that can work mostly on any part of your muscles that suits your arm, chest and shoulder exercises. When you’re doing cardio exercises, ensure you can find enough equipment accessible.

There’s nothing more dissapointing getting in a health club when you find out there’s not a single machine available around. You may ask if they have a sign-up record list to reseve you a machine. This could be perfect remedy for the fitness gyms  to satisfy their members to get thier workouts in.

10. Cancellation Guidelines

Now, have you ever looked of the gym’s cancellation guidelines. In the event you join 3 years contract and find yourself relocating some place else after a year, wll they give you a refund partially? You’ll be in bad situation if they have no refund policy.

Several fitness gyms are good at this and severals  are not thus you will need to ponder to cancelling other things that were previously mentioned above when you make decision.

In picking a fitness club make sure to consider all of these great factors.Ignoring just one can cause you to be unsatisfied with your exercise facility and can turn out to be not sticking to your program.

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