“WE’RE LIKE BALLERINAS!”
At my West Limerick workshop a few health issues were discussed, but we did not wallow in self-pity or stay on the topic of ailments for long. In fact, there was much laughter about the natural journey of ageing. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the women. Usually they get together for creativity a different kind. Yesterday’s session was all about yoga. Our one and a half hours together flew by.
The participants (aged 65ish-75ish) decided towards the end of our chair yoga session to stand up for some modified yoga poses including tree pose (pictured above).
This pose improves balance, and by developing better balance we boost our chances of preventing falls as we age. That is the beauty of yoga; for anyone with arthritis, limited mobility, or other health issues, modifications are always possible.
ARTHRITIS AND AGE
Yoga can be enjoyed while standing up or sitting down, and it is helping a lot of people worldwide to endure living with arthritis. Younger women know about the pain of this condition too: arthritis is not just something that happens later in life.
It is true that as we age, more people in Ireland experience issues with joint pain, but the good news is that gentle yoga can be applied as a natural medicine at any time. It is a wonderful way to support a person’s mobility.^
CLINICAL STUDIES
There is plenty of evidence about how yoga eases the symptoms of arthritis and similar conditions.^^. From my own lived experience I know the joy of transforming life from chronic pain and severe stiffness (fibromyalgia) to restored energy and vitality.
MENTAL CALM
One of the women said yesterday how “everything just fell away” during our time together: she felt light and relaxed. The quietening of her mental chatter is something that most of us can relate to. Those endless thoughts that buzz around can be stressful, so anything that keeps us in the present moment is good.
As babies we breathe fully and feel calm for much of the day without effort. We develop shallow breathing patterns throughout our lives, and it’s good to know that yoga can help us at any stage to breathe with more awareness again.
THREE FINAL FACTS ABOUT YOGA
1. Yoga reduces pain and fatigue.+
2. It can gently build endurance.
3. A study of 752 people aged 60+ found that 45 minutes-90 minutes of yoga per week for 8-24 weeks improved health and quality of life.* You are never ‘too old’ for yoga.
Till next time take care,
-Kathryn.
To request a workshop for your group contact me here. January and February are fully-booked.
References
^^Dash M, Telles S. (2018) ‘Improvement in hand grip strength in normal volunteers and rheumatoid arthritis patients following yoga training‘. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol.
^Haslock I, Monro R, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR, Raghuram N V. (1994) ‘Measuring the effects of yoga in rheumatoid arthritis’. Br J Rheumatol.
+ Evans et al (2014) ‘Impact of Iyengar yoga on quality of life in young women with rheumatoid arthritis‘, Clinical Journal of Pain.
*Tulloch et al (2019) ‘Yoga-based exercise improves health-related quality of life and mental well-being in older people: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials‘ Age and Ageing, Volume 47, Issue 4, July 201
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