Our 4th season of yoga will wrap up at the end of
March. Students range in age from 55 to
90-somethings! Many of the yoga students
have been attending classes since that first class in 2010 – and regularly practicing
yoga has made a huge difference to them.
And, many students have commented about the improvements in their
balance. Some who were not able to stand
on one foot are now doing “tree” pose with ease.
“I have not been able
to stand on one foot for quite some time.
Thanks to you and your yoga class, I can now stand on one foot – maybe
not for long, but I CAN DO IT!!!”
~Barbara Keane
“I have improved my
balance 100% since I have been doing yoga.” ~ Joan Brolin
Our class routinely starts with breathing exercises and
warm-ups. Here is where we begin to
stretch our muscles and work on our flexibility. Stiff neck, shoulders, hips and legs all
benefit by gentle, deliberate movements.
We start slowly and gradually our range of motion increases.
“I found that yoga
released the stress in the muscles of my back and neck. When I left each class, the pain was
gone.” ~ Susan Sullivan
“I have seen much
improvement in my ability to stretch and pain in my hips has lessened.” ~ Ginny MacDonald
“…my residual neck and
shoulder pain from an earlier car accident really improves after gentle
yoga.” ~ Trish Flint
In addition to balance and flexibility, yoga offers poses to
improve posture and increase strength.
Paying attention to how we sit or stand can yield tremendous
benefits. We feel better; we look
better. And, poses that help strengthen
the hips and leg muscles can make it easier for us to “get around” or to climb
stairs.
“I feel stronger and
more able to do things that I wasn’t able to do before.” ~ Name withheld by request
By far, the “relaxation exercise” at the end of the class is
probably what keeps people coming back week after week. While most of us are retired and spending the
winter months here in “paradise”, we live in a society that is noisy and busy. To some extent, we all have things that worry
us or present some stress. But, if we can
find an island of peace in the midst of all this, it can have a calming effect
on our lives.
“The best part is
leaving your troubles at the door while you practice.” ~Jane Goreham
We practice yoga in a classroom setting. But, the class also follows the simple
practice of “karma” yoga – which is based on giving without any expectation of
receiving. The class makes generous
contributions to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Last year, we held a very successful “Diaper Drive
It’s been especially gratifying to me to meet, get to know,
and share the practice of yoga with such a wonderful community. See you next year!
Namaste~
