Yoga after 60

“All this is worn as a garment by the Lord, whatsoever is individual movement in the universal motion” are the very first words of Isha Upanishad. It points to the ever changing quality of our universe and at the same time a timeless and changeless reality. 

On the path of Yoga, we learn to adjust and flow with the changes in our body and life situations. Perhaps at first we have to adapt our yoga practice due to loss of a teacher or an injury. Going forward is not always a straight line. Yoga after 60 comes with its own challenges and adjusting one’s personal yoga practice becomes a very fine tuned skill. We feel changes in our bodies and at the same time there is a sense of being within us that doesn’t seem to change a perception of self that stays the same since childhood. The word yoga means union, uniting the ever changing individual identity with the changeless universal reality.

Aging is a topic we hear about sparsely. The physical, psychological and spiritual evolution needs to be examined as we step into the final years of life and what that means for us. How does aging affect our practice? Does it mean we have to retreat into chair practice only or let yoga go all together? It is good to consider what yoga means to us and why we practice.

The goal in asana practice might move from perfecting the asana form to sustaining mobility and strength in our bodies. In our minds, we must balance determination with flexibility as we have our ever changing life experience. Regular practice leads to steadiness of the mind, peace and ease, a very practical, everyday benefit. Reaching the state of self-awareness, freedom and liberation has been a goal of yogis for many centuries and can seem a bit far fetched and being at peace in life is a solid step towards what the ancient yogis aimed for. 

What is aging? There is chronological aging determined by age and cellular aging. Cellular aging can start as early as 30 but most start experiencing signs of aging in their 40's and 50’s. All cells go through changes with aging. In general cells become larger and are less able to divide and multiply. Gradually the cells lose the ability to replicate which reduces the cell’s ability to repair itself and eventually they stop functioning and whole organs start failing. Death is inevitable. We all have the same destination since the day we were born. Cellular aging and chronological aging can greatly differ. An older person can have the same cellular aging as a much younger one and vice versa. Cells can divide only a certain number of times before they age. The cellular aging can be detected through measuring telomere length which shortens when cells divide and age. Rate of telomere shortening may indicate the pace of aging. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, strands of DNA that contain our genomes. The good news is that scientific studies of yoga1, including asana, breathing and meditation show that these practices slow down the aging process and improve the quality of our life. 

So how do we adjust our practice to enjoy the benefits and prevent injury? We learn we need stability in our “yoga flexible” body. Even if one is starting out with yoga late in life, developing a kind and caring relationship with the body becomes an important part of aiming for strength and mobility. We discover imbalances in the body that perhaps present themselves as loss of balance or for some hatha yogis as pain. Pain is an indicator that practice needs to be adjusted. We adapt. 

To build or sustain strength, we practice gently without damaging joints which become less flexible and stiffer due to a number of changes. We start our asana practice with joint activating warm ups. The strengthening practice shifts from long steady asana holds to shorter repetitive holds. Developing and sustaining strength of muscles that stabilize our joints becomes a priority. We lose muscle mass faster as we get older so regularity is a key. Flow style of asana practice is so enjoyable and can be continued with some adjustments. We develop a meticulous focus on alignment, matching the sequences to one's ability in the moment, meeting the body where it is at. The poses and transitions are done safely without collapsing into the joints or straining the muscles. 

What is the guide for stretching? Stretching accelerates regeneration of cells2. It is such a beneficial practice and we adjust to changes in our connective tissue like tendons, ligaments and fascia encasing the muscles. The connective tissue gets a bit more brittle, less elastic as we age and we commonly experience muscle stiffness3. We feel like we need to stretch everyday now when just a couple times a week seemed enough before. Long held stretches are still beneficial but we need to make sure our bodies are well supported throughout the stretch and aligned well. We adjust the level of effort to prevent unnecessary ligament strain. Restorative practice is an enjoyable way to increase openness in the body.  

There are many physical conditions that seem to pop up as obstacles to practice as we age. Once we get a diagnosis from our doctor like osteoporosis, arthritis or any other numerous conditions of the body that can develop, we need to take responsibility for educating ourselves about what to do and not do. Finding a yoga therapist who can guide us in the wondrous practice of yoga in times of challenge and change is always a great idea. I have seen many of my yoga therapy clients benefit from explorations of their practice, respecting the body’s needs while refining and meeting individual goals. 

Susan Ford, who became a yoga teacher at 62, shares her thoughts about getting older: “Looking back on my fiftieth birthday I felt the oldest I have ever felt in my life, old, tired and empty. As I approached my sixties there was a new energy blossoming. A vibrancy was present, a shift, a change.  At age 62 I took accessible yoga teacher training with Jivana Heyman and a new chapter began. I am about to turn 78, I’m filled with some serious plans, physically I am building and healing, I do take naps, but I do not feel old.”

Breathing practices and meditation have won my deep appreciation and respect. They increase ease and clarity in life. Breath can serve in 2 different ways.  We observe natural breath and examine the breath rate, volume of the air as well as where the breath is felt in the body. This gives us an idea how we are doing physically and mentally in any given moment. Based on the breath evaluation we make informed choices like choosing to rest or applying relaxation methods or walking out of a harmful situation. We learn about our patterns of tension in the breath and how to release it. The other way is controlling and changing the breath at will with pranayama practices; especially deepening the breath and extending the exhalations. Simple Dirgha Pranayama, deep breathing can bring forth tremendous benefits if done daily. The breath control has a direct effect on our nervous system and emotional and mental state. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 2.52 states “Pranayama removes the veil covering the inner Light of awareness.” Learning to regulate our nervous system and emotions helps us to meet challenges with more clarity and cope with chronic conditions like pain, anxiety or trauma. This gained easefulness allows us to stay in touch with the part of our being that is changeless and serene.

“Aging isn't for sissies” is what Pat says as she shares her experience with aging. Pat, now at 80, has been a student of mine for many years. The ability to face aging with courage and calmness is a welcomed skill by many seniors that I have worked with over the past 2 decades. Cultivating the mind with meditation and mindfulness helps develop even-mindedness in life. A friendly aware mind is such help in finding peace in the present and when remembering the past. Moving forward into old age without resolving issues of the past can become a real burden. It is never too late to find peace with our past.

Can we continue to experience contentment with our Yoga practice? Absolutely YES. And sometimes that means letting go of the "Yogi" we used to be and finding the Yogi who is deeply grounded in Peace in the midst of life's changes.

“Adapt, Adjust, Accommodate. 
Be serene and tranquil under all circumstances. Cultivate this virtue, Shama (serenity), again and again through constant and strenuous endeavour. Serenity is like a rock; waves of irritation may dash on it, but cannot affect it. 
Meditate daily on the ever-tranquil Atman or the Eternal which is unchanging. You will attain this sublime virtue gradually. The divine light will descend only on a calm mind.”
 ~ Swami Sivananda

​1)https://www.ornish.com/zine/the-lancet/ The Lancet: Healthy Lifestyle Changes Actually Change our Genes, The results of Dr. Dean Ornish's five-year study, 2013 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5632896/ Impact of Yoga and Meditation on Cellular Aging in Apparently Healthy Individuals: A Prospective, Open-Label Single-Arm Exploratory Study, 2017

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25964984/ Telomerase activity and cellular aging might be positively modified by a yoga-based lifestyle intervention, 2015

​2)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6859692/ Tissue Regeneration from Mechanical Stretching of Cell–Cell Adhesion, 2019

3)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9569538/ The Effects of Aging on the Intramuscular Connective Tissue, 2022

​Isha Upanishad, translated and commentaries by Sri Aurobindo, free pdf download: https://www.sriaurobindoashram.org/sriaurobindo/downloadpdf.php?id=32

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