銀髮族瑜珈 Yoga for old aged people
As we age, our body functions deteriorate and many health problems start to occur.Yoga practice can help your body function properly and improve the overall health condition. Therefore, you can still maintain a healthy and easy life when you reach old age. However, the elder should consult with the teacher before they start to practice yoga. Since our body works differently, not every yoga posture is suitable for everyone. Let the teacher know your body condition or inform the teacher if you have any health problem or disease. All the information helps teachers to cure your problems and take care of your body better. Moreover, the elder may practice yoga posture by posture and start with gentle or therapeutic yoga class first.
It practicing basic postures seems difficult, it would be more beneficial for the elder to start with simple breathings or kriyas (cleansing). In this way, yoga can first improve internal body function to balance the inner system and then, if plausible, improve muscle strength.
How can yoga improve the elders’ inner body function? For example, many elders suffer from constipation or digestion problems. This is because when the abdomen is not balanced, it will indirectly create a lots of other health problems. The elder can practice certain postures to cure this and improve their inner body function. Also, for those who have joint problems, they can do simple dynamic movements, such as pawanmuktasana, for improvement.
With regard to mental status, the elder might be inflicted with various health problems and thus often feel depressed; they might feel bored after retirement; they might feel neglected or lonely because their children have all grown up. Yoga practice can sooth all these negative emotions. Yoga posture as well as breathings stimulate the mind and bring focus, peacefulness to the heart. By acquiring positive power through yoga, the elder can interact better with others and feel more optimistic towards life.