50 After 50 by Maria Leonard Olsen

50 After 50 by Maria Leonard Olsen

Author:Maria Leonard Olsen [Olsen, Maria Leonard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2018-02-27T05:00:00+00:00


25. Yogi

Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled and riled by the endless stresses and struggles of life.

—B. K. S. Iyengar7

I incorporated a yoga practice into my life. I especially enjoy doing yoga outdoors. Free yoga is offered outside via With Love DC8 at the U.S. Botanic Garden, and in the majestic Kennedy Center by another group. When I was in Manhattan, I took advantage of the free yoga offered in New York’s Bryant Park, and attended by hundreds. Yoga has gone mainstream.

There are many levels and styles of yoga offered in studios that have cropped up all over our country, as well as online. I have tried aerial yoga, “primal” yoga, hot yoga, dance yoga, and acroyoga, as well as the more traditional types such as Ashtanga and Vinyasa. I signed up this fall for a yoga triathlon with an organization called Wanderlust, which involves running five kilometers and then doing yoga and meditation.9 I have seen yoga classes involving poses on standup paddleboards in water, but have not tried them—yet.

One need not be in good shape or athletic to start a yoga practice. Most teachers encourage yoga students to go at their own paces, to modify poses and rest as necessary. As one of my yoga instructors says, the best thing about yoga is that it is supposed to feel good.

Yoga is now accessible to all. My local studio has “gentle yoga,” “super gentle yoga,” and restorative yoga classes, as well as very advanced classes or specialized classes, such as yoga for those who suffer from depression. Prenatal yoga has become more popular, as has yoga for children. Some yoga classes are akin to simple stretching instruction. Once you learn a few poses, you can practice at home for as long or as little as you like. Or you can learn yoga online, via books, or on television, though I feel buoyed by the vibration of doing yoga with others.

The physical and mental benefits of yoga have been widely publicized, and most cities and towns are populated with yoga studios. Yoga practice is credited with easing stress and hypertension, and a panoply of other ailments. Its meditative aspects benefit the mind as well.10 And it is good for your body, yielding increased flexibility and better digestion, for example. One of my friends claims that she is an inch taller since incorporating yoga into her life (probably by improving her posture). Simply doing the warrior pose makes me feel fierce and more ready to face whatever I need to do.

Yoga is not supposed to be competitive, though I have felt that vibe in a couple of studios and tried to ignore it, or moved to another studio. Find a place where you are comfortable.

The first time I joined in the group chant of “om,” I felt a little self-conscious. The sacred Sanskrit mantra om is frequently uttered together at the beginning or end of a yoga class. It is a word difficult to define, but it encompasses the interconnectedness of all.



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