I started practicing yoga in 2000, when I was 50. The signs of aging are more obvious now, and I’m more determined than ever to get a totally solid yoga practice that will carry me through until the day I die.
In our family we are all as stiff as boards. When I’m really assiduous about my practice I can touch the floor in a standing forward bend, but not always. So you won’t find me writing about those really difficult asanas that are only accessible to the truly flexible. My mother, who is in her mid-80′s, can barely tie her shoes. Yoga is going to prevent that from happening to me.
I have gone to class 1-3 times a week for years, and I go to workshops when I can. I take classes at the BKS Iyengar Yoga Center of Lawrence, where I have had exceptionally skilled, careful, and patient teachers. Iyengar yoga is focused on alignment, sequencing, and timing. Recently I read the comment that Iyengar yoga is distinguished from other schools of yoga because of its use of props. This struck me as beside the point. Props have been invaluable for me because they allow me to get the benefit of poses that I might not otherwise be able to get into without injury. The important thing (to me) is that props provide proper alignment.
Any errors herein are mine and not those of my teachers, to whom I am deeply grateful.
I’m hoping that other people who are working on home practices will contribute here.
Subscribe by email
