Whatever your state of health or wellbeing; whether you have an underlying health condition or not, your posture is important.
We all know we need a better posture. We sit at a desk all day, hunched over a computer.
We spend hours in a car.
We stare at our phones during our leisure time.
We relax in settees that are too soft and the wrong height; we wear shoes that don’t support our feet or our body.
We get stiff, aching backs; our shoulders round; our heads push forward creating an aching neck; we get strained knees and hips because our alignment is all out.
We increase our risk of injury and falling.
Our body feels uncomfortable, stiff, sore and it gradually seizes up. We feel as if we are collapsing in on ourselves and it is hard work to sit or stand up straight. Our breathing feels forced and laboured, energy and confidence levels are low and we feel stressed out.
That is why creating a supportive, correctly aligned posture, whether sitting, standing, kneeling or lying, is the priority.
To get the most benefit from your yoga therapy, especially when you are over 50, it is better to have 1-2-1 sessions. You get personalised, individual attention which, when dealing with a specific health condition, or even if working more generally on posture alignment – your needs and requirements are always individual to you. It allows those needs to be met more appropriately and specifically.
1-2-1 sessions give you time and space to concentrate on what is important to you. You get the opportunity to focus on what is happening in your body, without the distraction of other students around you.
You have the opportunity to give me more personal feedback on how things are going so I can tailor the program to better meet your individual needs in a way that is relevant and appropriate to you.
Sometimes all you want to do is lie down and relax and you can do that in a 1-2-1 session. There is no fixed format so we can go with the flow a little bit more. We discuss what your body feels it needs and work out the best way of improving things for you.
Depending where you live, the sessions can either take place at your own home, in my yoga room, or over zoom. You do not have to provide any of your own equipment as I will provide it or bring it with me. The exception to that is working over zoom, unfortunately. I have become an expert on making up improvised props and supports from all sorts of items you will have available at home.
Each class session lasts 90 minutes, although the MS Yoga Therapy is a little shorter. In an over 50s yoga therapy class, the postures are relatively gentle but effective and safe. As a fully trained and qualified yoga therapist, I can adapt the practice to suit your body and ensure it is relevant and appropriate, whatever issues you might have.
One of the aims is to make the postures as comfortable as possible for yourself. You will learn to listen to your body so you can make more informed choices about any relevant adjustments that you might need to make to the postures. Blocks, props and supports such as a chair are also used to make things more accessible to everyone.
Every session starts lying down on the floor, or sitting in a chair if this is not feasible. We use blankets to adjust the position of your head to maintain the alignment and curvature of your spine. A blanket under the ribcage puts it in a neutral position allowing the neck, shoulders and pelvis to settle more comfortably. It also helps the pelvic, lower back and abdominal muscles to relax and let go, in turn helping to deepen the breath, and creating the opportunity for a deeper relaxation.
Right from the start the body can begin to rest and the aches, pains and discomfort begin to disappear. The body’s stress or fight, flight, freeze response can calm down. The breath naturally deepens, you start to feel calmer and more focused before you begin to move into the yoga asana or poses.
Once the body is settled we move on to a whole body joint release, followed by a general warm up. We then work with sitting, kneeling and standing postures but every session always ends with a period of rest and relaxation. This gives the body, mind and emotions the opportunity to heal and repair.
Yoga therapy sessions draw inspiration from all areas of yoga. We can use the breath and movement to help develop flexibility of the spine; create a flowing sequence to help calm the mind; hold postures to develop strength and improve balance. The skill is finding the relevant tool and using it in an appropriate situation to ensure you have the best and most rewarding experience during your practice.
Everyone is encouraged to use a wide range of equipment to help make the postures more accessible and comfortable. This could be as simple as putting a rolled up blanket under your head to help align the spine during relaxation, or sitting on blocks or bolsters for more energetic movements.
The aim is to work with the body and support it so it can relax into the postures, rather than trying to force or strain it into a specific position. The focus is very much on creating a balanced practice to meet your own individual physical, mental and emotional needs.
Every session ends with a rest and relaxation to allow your body, breath and mind to realign, settle and heal. Everybody’s favourite part of a class, it will help you feel refreshed and renewed; ready to face whatever the rest of the day has in store for you.
A perpetual student, I am always learning new things about the body, how it works and how yoga therapy practices can be used to improve it.
‘Listen to your body’ has been a constant mantra for me from the very first yoga class I attended. I would still say it is the single most important instruction I use with all my students and continue to use in my own personal practices.
I use different yoga techniques, including postures, breathing and relaxation techniques and chanting, to help keep you balanced and functioning at your best so you can navigate the stresses, strains and changes in your life as effectively as possible.
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I hold live over 50s classes in and around the Bury area and also over zoom. If you would like to know more about what classes I run throughout the week please go to my schedule list and find an over 50s class that's suitable for you.
Weekly Schedule >
