"Yoga is the golden key that unlocks the door to peace, tranquillity and joy"– B.K.S Iyengar. It is said that you can not do yoga as yoga is our natural state. We can just exercise it to extract the numerous benefits from it. When the benefits are concerned, not only the younger but also, the elder ones can get it without worrying about the age issue. Yoga benefits for elderly people The continuous practice of yoga allows your mind to have some moments of peace from the stress of everyday life. As a result, your mind can be active and organized no matter how old you are. Yoga is helpful for the strength of your bones and joints. Our bones lose their density as we grow old, and joints also become frozen. The gentle practise of yoga can very well prevent the loss of bone density. Practising yoga is a great remedy to get rid of your back pain, no matter if it's related to bones or muscles. Lastly, it can work on your sleeping habit. At a certain age, our body starts deteriorating, and then it needs proper care and good sleep. Yoga helps to keep your mind calm so that you can have a good sleep. Therefore, everyday yoga is very much recommended for elderly people. Now, let’s come to the Yoga poses, You can start with a mountain pose Stand straight so that your toes and heels can touch together. Draw your abdominals in and keep your shoulders down and just relax. Make sure to keep your hands in a normal position. Maintain this pose and breath five to eight times. It can help in balancing the body for elders in a better way. Work on your joint health with the downward-facing dog. You can start with your hands and knees. Tuck your toes under and lift your hips and back with the help of hands and toes until your body makes a triangle shape. Stay in this pose for five to eight breaths, then lower yourself down, take a rest for a few seconds and repeat two to three times. It helps to improve your joint health, flexibility and overall, stability of the body. Sphinx is great for upper back strength. Sphinx is a gentle yet effective pose for older ones as it's beneficial for opening up the chest. Lie down on your stomach, keep your forearms open on the mat and elbows in the straight line to the shoulders. Give a gentle press to the arms and try to lift your abdominals; keep the pose for five to eight breaths. It does a great job in preventing forward head syndrome. Lastly, finish the entire process with savasana. Daily practice of a few of the poses can be great in preventing age.
