Balancing Teaching Methods with Wisdom: Teaching Seniors

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

In recent years, teaching Yoga to seniors has become more popular. As more individuals become certified Yoga instructors, teaching this ancient healing practice to a diverse demographic of students has become possible. A balanced practice of Yoga postures, relaxation techniques and pranayama exercises has a profoundly beneficial effect on all levels of an individual’s physical and emotional health. This encompasses all ages of Yoga students, including children, teenagers and senior citizens. There is also an opportunity to share the healing gift of this practice with individuals who are currently incarcerated, or who are in the hospital or at a rehabilitation facility. 

Unfortunately, in our society today, many seniors become isolated in their later years. Frequently their children may be too busy to spend time with them on a daily basis, and their own health challenges may create obstacles to getting together with their friends regularly. As a person ages, it may also become difficult to maintain the same level of physical fitness that he or she may have had in their younger years. By offering regular Yoga classes to seniors at a local community center, church or fitness club, you will be supporting them in maintaining a healthy level of physical activity.

As a Yoga instructor who offers classes to seniors, you will also help them to stay active and maintain a regular level of social contact, which will help to ward off isolation and depression that is so common in later years. By helping your older students to maintain a healthy level of social engagement, in part through a regular practice of Yoga several times a week, you will support them in staying positive and optimistic, which strengthens the functioning of the immune system. It is important, however, to be aware of modifying challenging Yoga postures when necessary, in order to ensure that you are teaching an effective and safe class to your senior students. 

There are many ways to modify Yoga postures, so that the poses still present a challenge, while mitigating the potential for injury. For instance, you may wish to use a chair for additional support if you are teaching Tree Pose to a group of seniors. By having your senior Yoga students stabilize their balance, by holding the back of a chair or wall when they are practicing this posture, they will obtain most of the benefits of Tree Pose without risking falling and hurting themselves. If an older person falls and breaks a hip or a leg, the risk of not fully recovering is substantial in later years. Statistically, when an older person falls and breaks a hip, the risk of actually dying from the injury is almost 50%, according to some researchers! 

It is highly recommended that you have all of your new students fill out a health questionnaire prior to participating in a Yoga class. In the case of teaching Yoga to a class of seniors, this is extremely important. In this way, you will be apprised of any serious health issues that could predispose one of your senior students to injuring themselves during class. Because older students often have substantial health challenges that need to be addressed appropriately during a Yoga class, having these students fill out health questionnaires prior to beginning a practice of Yoga with you is critically important. Reviewing your senior Yoga students’ health questionnaires with them for a few minutes just before class will also help to alleviate their anxiety about practicing Yoga with you. 

For instance, if a senior is on high blood pressure medication and becomes dizzy easily, you may want to make sure that he or she always has the support of a chair or wall when performing balancing Yoga postures in a standing position. Many senior citizens may also experience challenges with heart issues and limited mobility. By gently leading them through a safe and challenging Yoga class several times a week, their sense of balance, coordination, strength, and flexibility will all improve over time. You will also be supporting them in maintaining their social connectivity, which will further enhance your senior students’ probability of living long, healthy and active lives.  

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York; where she specializes in writing customized, search engine-optimized articles that are 100% unique. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com. 

© Copyright – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Spring into Action with Yoga: Twisting Postures

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Just a few weeks ago, there were four-foot icicles hanging off the gutters of my small cottage. Really! In only a few weeks time, the icicles have melted completely. At times, I can even hear the heralding call of the geese, as they begin their annual pilgrimage back to New York. With the advent of the spring equinox, many geographical areas that have lain ensconced in snow and ice throughout the winter are beginning to become enlivened by the faint whispers of spring. 

In the same way, you may be feeling the burgeoning of new energy and life around you and within you, as the seasons shift from late winter into early spring. At this time of year, many Yoga practitioners become more acutely aware of the heaviness or tamas that has built up in their being through the cold, winter months. "Tamas" is an Ayurvedic word that refers to sluggishness, inertia and a sense of heaviness, which is often due to a buildup of toxins in the body and mind. You may even notice that you have put on a few extra pounds during the winter months!

For these reasons, many Yoga practitioners feel a need to engage in a vigorous, cleansing Yoga practice as the earth unfurls into the effervescent beauty of spring.  Twisting Yoga postures are wonderfully invigorating and detoxifying. Both standing and seated twisting Yoga postures help to wring out toxins, release deep muscular tension and invigorate the whole body. There are many different twisting Yoga postures to choose from if you are creating a particular sequence of poses to teach to your class or to incorporate in your own personal practice. 

Some of the more accessible standing twisting Yoga postures include Reversed Side Angle Pose and Revolved Chair Pose. Most Yoga students can safely practice revolved Chair Pose. This posture strengthens the front of the quadriceps, the inner thighs and the hip flexor muscles.  It also improves the range of motion in your ankles and increases your sense of place in space, through the grounding motion of your feet. Revolved Chair Pose also helps to cleanse and detoxify the abdominal organs and tissues, as it expands and opens up your shoulders, heart area and upper back. 

* Revolved Chair Pose or Parivrtta Utkatasana

Revolved Chair Pose is usually practiced after a series of Sun Salutations and standing Yoga asanas. When you are ready to practice Revolved Chair Pose, come to an equal standing position at the front of your Yoga mat. Distribute the weight of your body equally between both feet and feel the solidity of the earth beneath you. Take a few deep breaths and with your next inhale raise your arms over your head into Prayer Position. Bend your knees to a 60-degree angle and keep your feet hips' distance apart. If you are unable to keep your heels flat on the floor when your knees are bent, place a rolled blanket or a foam wedge underneath your heels for support. With your next exhale; bring your arms down to chest height, while keeping your hands in Prayer Position. 

Rotate your upper body to the right, so that you are able to hook the outside of your left elbow on the outside of your right knee. Remember to keep your knees parallel to each other and your feet flat on the floor, rolled blanket or foam wedge. Gently press your left elbow against the outside of your right knee and twist more deeply into the posture with each exhale. Likewise, with each inhalation release the twisting motion slightly, before twisting more deeply into Parivrtta Utkatasana with each successive exhalation. As you continue to work more deeply in this twisting Yoga posture, remember to keep your elbows in a straight line with each other by pressing firmly against the palms of your hand.  

When you have completed your practice of Revolved Chair Pose on the right hand side, with your next inhalation release your left elbow and bring your hands back over your head. With your next exhalation, release the position of your arms and come back to an equal standing position at the top of your Yoga mat. Repeat Revolved Chair Pose on the left hand side when you are ready. When you have completed your practice of Revolved Chair Pose, pause for a moment to feel the reverberation of fresh energy, oxygen and the release of deep-seated tension throughout your entire body, before moving on with the rest of your Yoga practice. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she specializes in crafting SEO articles that are 100% unique. She is currently accepting Yoga, fitness and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com.

© Copyright 2015 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Yoga for Cancer Recovery: Increasing Strength

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Coping with a cancer diagnosis can be extremely frightening and overwhelming, to a point where you may actually feel immobilized by fear. Receiving a life threatening diagnosis can feel like your entire life is being derailed and held hostage by the disease that you have developed. However, by continuing to engage in the activities that nourish your body, mind and spirit, you will support yourself in moving through a very difficult time in your life with more ease and well being. There are many ways to incorporate the different techniques and tools that a comprehensive practice of Yoga can offer to you, in order to fully support your recovery from cancer. 

If you are a dedicated Yoga practitioner and you have received a cancer diagnosis, you may be feeling quite shocked, incredulous and overwhelmed. This is a common reaction to receiving such a serious health diagnosis, especially if you feel like you have a very healthy lifestyle already established. Unfortunately, because of all the toxicity in our environment, including in our food, water and air, many of us who are vulnerable to developing cancer will do so at a much earlier age than in previous generations. However, it is important to remember that you still have a lot of power to determine your own level of health during your recovery process.  

By actively supporting your physical and mental health through your journey with cancer, you will increase the likelihood that you will beat the cancer completely and regain a state of vibrant well being and full functionality. A few of the primary benefits of a regular practice of Yoga postures and breathing exercises are rebuilding physical strength and stamina and releasing mental stress and tension. By maintaining and/or rebuilding your muscular strength, both during and after cancer treatments, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and control, which will help you to more gracefully navigate your day. You will also be more able to physically accomplish your daily tasks if you maintain your strength and agility.

There are two different ways to build muscle strength during the practice of Yoga. The first way is through active muscle resistance. This is this is the type of weight training that many of us are familiar with when we go to a gym and lift weights. Weight machines help build muscle tissue by the repetitive lifting of weights that are specifically geared to strengthen different parts of the body. In the same way, by holding your own body weight up during the practice of the Yoga postures, you will progressively strengthen your body through active muscle resistance. 

The practice of Yoga is a form of functional fitness, which means that the Yoga postures strengthen your muscles in a holistic fashion, by moving both small and large muscle groups in many different directions when you practice a balanced set of asanas. The second way that the practice of Yoga postures can help you to build muscle strength is through passive muscle resistance. This form of muscle resistance is gentle and relies on the weight of your own body and the power of gravity to create more ease and flexibility in your connective tissues, including in stiff joints and ligaments.

If you have spent a substantial amount of time in bed recovering from a variety of cancer treatments, practicing a very gentle series of supported Yoga postures that employ passive muscle resistance will help you to strengthen your body, without undue strain. In addition, if you include some gentle breathing exercises into your daily Yoga practice, you will further support yourself in maintaining a positive attitude by keeping your stress at a manageable level while you recover from cancer. By engaging in a daily ritual of self-care through the practice of some combination of Yoga postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques, you will be more able to sustain your health and well being during this challenging time in your life. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com. 

© Copyright – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Improving Yoga Student Safety: Honoring Boundaries

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

As a Yoga teacher, improving student safety is of paramount importance. Ensuring Yoga student safety, while still offering your students a challenging and thorough workout, can be challenging, to say the least. This is particularly true if you are teaching a mixed-level class or a class to a group of students who drop into your class sporadically. If you are teaching Yoga at a gym, health club or community center, you may frequently have students attending your class who do not have an established, regular Yoga practice at home. 

If you find that many of your students take your class only occasionally, or that they do not have a regular Yoga practice, paying close attention to your students’ fitness levels, individual abilities and needs will help to improve their safety during your Yoga classes. Even if you are teaching classes to a dedicated group of students in a professional Yoga studio, you may find that many of your students will encounter a variety of physical challenges through the years. For instance, a very dedicated and fit student, whom you may have been teaching for several years, may fall skiing and partially tear several ligaments in his or her knee. 

Although this student may be very adept at a strong intermediate series of asanas, your student may need some extra attention and a variety of modifications, in order to continue to practice Yoga during his or her recovery process. In the same vein, one of your students may be going through a difficult divorce or a family situation that is causing him or her a great deal of emotional distress. In this case, you may be well advised to offer this student some restorative forwarding bending postures at the end of class, in order to soothe and balance the student’s mind and body. 

A very important skill to develop as a Yoga teacher is to honor your students’ current needs and ability levels, by honoring their boundaries. It is not uncommon for Yoga teachers to dismiss a student’s personal boundary when, for example, the student is very quiet and polite and the teacher is trying to lead a relatively large group of students through a brisk 45 minute Yoga class, during their lunch hour! Understandably so, but it is critically important to listen when your students tell you that they are experiencing pain in a certain part of their body. 

For example, several years ago I fell skiing and partially tore several ligaments and the meniscus in my right knee. I was advised to have immediate surgery by a prominent orthopedic surgeon in my area, but I declined. 

I believed that with time, patience and physical therapy, I would be able to rehabilitate my knee without such an invasive procedure. Five years later, my knee is at 95%. During the time when I was recovering from this injury, I was still participating in Yoga classes. In order to protect my knee, I would place a folded blanket on my mat underneath my knees. On more than one occasion, even after I explained the situation to the Yoga teacher, the teacher would absolutely insist that I remove the blanket! If I had removed the blanket and continued on with the class, I would have further strained my torn meniscus and partially torn ligaments.

This is a very clear example of not honoring a Yoga student’s boundaries. Although it may feel irritating to slow down enough to accommodate an individual student’s needs, it is critically important if you are working on improving student safety in your classes. By keeping the lines of communication open with your students, you will know if and when your students need some specialized instruction. In this way, you will be able to wisely guide them in their practice by choosing asequence of asanas that best suits their individual needs, and by incorporating the strategic use of props and modified Yoga poses when necessary. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com. 

Improving Yoga Student Safety: Chair Yoga

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

As the popularity and availability of Yoga classes continues to expand throughout the world, many teachers are finding that they are teaching a specific group of students who need the support of a chair to practice Yoga safely and effectively. This is particularly true if you are teaching a group of elderly students or students who are disabled from head injuries or chronic disease. By offering these students fun and engaging Chair Yoga classes, you will enable them to participate in a comprehensive practice, while improving their safety with the support of a chair. 

By learning how to modify Yoga postures, so that the postures can be practiced with the support of a chair, you will also be expanding your teaching skills, so that you will be able to offer Yoga classes in non-traditional venues, such as senior centers and nursing homes. A regular practice of asanas has also been shown to be effective for relieving some of the pain and stiffness of arthritis, which is so common in later years. In addition, by offering specialized Chair Yoga classes to older students, you will give them the opportunity to remain socially engaged and active in their communities, which is an important aspect of warding off isolation and depression in their sunset years. 

Offering Chair Yoga classes to students of all ages, who are struggling with chronic pain, disability or a long term illness, will improve student safety. In this context, teaching Chair Yoga classes will make the practice of Yoga possible for many students who would otherwise be unable to benefit from this practice. For instance, students with MS who practice Yoga regularly report that they feel more energetic and that their sense of balance and coordination is improved. Additionally, a regular exercise routine, including Yoga, has been shown to ward off depression and dementia as the functioning of the frontal lobes and the hippocampus is improved. 

This is an important benefit of Chair Yoga, because many students who are living with chronic pain or a disability are at high risk for depression. Alleviating that depression is critical to maintaining a positive outlook on life and boosting the immune system. There are many different postures and pranayama exercises that can be practiced with the support of a chair. One such posture is Seated Spinal Twist. Seated Spinal Twist relieves muscular tension throughout the upper back, neck, shoulders, and side waist. This posture also aids in digestion and gently massages the abdominal organs. 

* Seated Spinal Twist in a Chair

Seated Spinal Twist is usually practiced towards the second half of a Yoga class, after the body is fully warmed up. If you have a neck or back injury, consult with a certifiedYoga teacher or your doctor before practicing Seated Spinal Twist. To practice this posture in a chair, sit comfortably on a straight back chair with your feet flat on the floor. If you have access to a folding chair that has no arms and an open back section, this is optimal so that you can turn your body sideways, if that is a more comfortable position for you to practice Seated Spinal Twist. 

Take a few deep breath before you begin, and then place the back of your left hand on the outside of your right knee. Place your right hand on the right arm of the chair, the back of the chair or flat on the seat of the chair directly behind you with your fingers pointing towards the back of the room. Where you place your right hand will depend on your level of flexibility and the style of chair you are using. Remember to keep your feet flat on the floor and pointing straight ahead. 

With each inhale, release the twist a little bit and with each exhale, move more deeply into the twist. As you inhale and exhale, continue to undulate your body in a gentle twisting motion. Hold this chair version of Seated Spinal Twist for three to five breaths, and then release the posture and come back to a neutral position for a breath or two. Repeat Seated Spinal Twist on the left hand side when your are ready. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com.