If you’re like me, the image that comes to mind at the mention of yoga is one of people sitting
in the lotus position or twisting themselves into knots with their ankles locked behind their ears or other impossible circus-like
contortions.
Imagine
my surprise upon being introduced to the gentle senior-appropriate yoga practiced at Rogue Valley Manor! There
are actually two classes that are held here on a regular basis—one for the more advanced meets Sunday afternoons at
the Plaza—but I wandered into one called Gentle Adaptive Yoga and it proved to be just the right place for me.
Here even creaky, arthritic seniors can benefit from these gentle stretching and breathing exercises. And
physical disabilities needn’t bar one from this class. Some exercises are done while standing, some
sitting in a chair, and some on the floor. If you can’t easily get down on the floor, no problem,
you can do them sitting. (But since the incidence of falls seems to increase as we age, it’s not
a bad idea to practice getting up off the floor once in a while.)
Our instructor, Charlotte Neussle, is a certified Yoga therapist with a degree in gerontology and
thirty years of teaching experience—fifteen with seniors and elders. She is ever conscious of our
individual physical limitations and takes pains to see that we don’t overexert.
So, is it worth it? After my first class ( a year
or more ago) I went home thinking we’d done nothing but stretching, breathing and relaxing, but to my surprise my body
felt as though it had had a good workout—a nice healthy glow. Since then I’ve found that it
enhances my entire exercise program. We’re learning to pay attention to our breathing and to what
our bodies are telling us while we exercise.
Ann Sutton adds: “Since enrolling in this great yoga class my balance, muscle strength, posture
and breathing have all improved. Where else could I obtain such benefits for just two hours a week?”
