The year was 1974. It was a hot and blistering summer in Western Kansas, four hours from the comfort of my own home and city. I was staying for a week at my grandparents’ home just off Interstate 70 with my older brother. I was miserable. For starters, I was homesick. Also, at the age of 10, it was difficult for me to enjoy seven days with two individuals, my grandparents, whom I perceived as “so old.” (They were 73 and 69…ancient!)
My grandparents slept in the basement of their little bungalow, in which they had lived since the 1920s. To my youthful nose, it smelled ancient. Needless to say, my brother and I slept on two roll-away beds down there with them. Yes! It was one giant snore fest for seven long nights. (And grandma was the loudest!)
When the morning sun began to rise, grandma and grandpa would eagerly get out of bed. Grandpa would go start the coffee and prepare to take off fishing or take his leisurely walk to the local coffee shop. The first thing grandma would do, in her pajamas, and going commando to boot, was her “exercises,” as she referred to them. These consisted of lying on her back on the floor and raising each leg up and down approximately 30 times. I was still in bed, trying to sleep, but all I could hear was some huffing and puffing and the added rhythm of bodily creaking noises from those ancient knees and hips of hers.
Grandma did her “exercises” religiously. Even when she took us to the local swimming pool, she encouraged us to do one hundred leg kicks for each leg while holding onto the side of the pool. I also forgot to note that we had to ride our bicycles to the pool. This was not a week at my grandparents’ home. This was boot camp. I was miserable.
Fast forward 35 years, and I am now a die-hard exercise fanatic, mostly due in part to my grandmother’s example. Interestingly enough, if you have kept pace with these articles I have written, that old grandma of mine is still alive…and kicking! I am not kidding. With her 105th birthday quickly approaching, it is imperative that she maintain her youthful physique, although she will admit, she does not have the same gusto as she used to have when she was 102. At that time, she actually participated in a church fitness group for seniors. (Or, as she liked to say, “For the young ‘uns.”)
What grandma needs to focus on now is yoga. Yoga is more than a physical exercise. It is tuning into the mind-body connection. It is a way that students of the practice can learn about themselves and become more aware of their bodies on all levels, including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
I spoke with a yoga instructor in my area, Shanna Haun, who teaches the art of Hatha Yoga at classes in the Kansas City area. What she enjoys in particular about teaching yoga is that she can advise her students that most people, regardless of size, gender or age, can feel good about attending the classes, as they are purposely taught slowly and in a step-by-step manner. (Now I can let my grandma know her age is no barrier!)
Shanna is fully committed to the overall health benefits of yoga.
“Simply learning how to align the body and breathe fully will create benefits of reduced stress and improved posture,” she said. (Are you listening, grandma? You will have no more stress when the cable goes out!)
In addition to improved flexibility, strength, balance and overall energy, students will notice a significant reduction in arthritis, asthma, migraines, fibromyalgia and planter fasciitis.
“Yoga can improve one’s range of motion in all of the joints and can even allow for a measurable increase in height,” Shanna further explained. (Grandma should love this. She claims that, at her age, while she has not lost her mind, her sight, her hearing or her appetite, she has lost several inches in height!)
Mentally, practitioners of yoga soon find themselves embracing feelings of openness and calmness. Done on a long-term basis, yoga will increase one’s awareness of his or her body, provide increased flexibility (get your head out of the gutter, grandma!), allow for greater balance and strength and aid in pain management from prior injuries or conditions. (Grandma’s only “prior conditions” were two pregnancies, in 1933 and 1935, respectively. Interestingly enough, both children were born on the same day. She has the precision of a drill sergeant!)
Speaking of pregnancies, yoga is a perfectly acceptable activity for pregnant women to do.
“I would advise them to speak with their doctors initially, “ said Shanna.
From a mental perspective, yoga clearly benefits one through its ability to reduce stress, tension and anxiety and provide students with techniques to allow for this in their everyday lives.
Finally, this writer had to inquire, but only for grandma’s sake. What are the sensual side effects of practicing yoga?
Shanna simply smiled, “Reducing tension and stress in our lives can be very healing and helpful on so many levels.”
Now, I need to get grandma a yoga mat. I am sure she would get a kick out of the Downward Dog and Child’s Pose.
“How can I do a Child’s Pose?” she will bark. “I’m dang near 105 years old! How about The Old Bag Pose?”
As long as you don’t creak, grandma, I am all for it!
For more information , visit www.YogaHeartAndMind.com.