Ageless Yoga - Holistic Health - Medicine Blog - timesunion.com ...

It?s getting to be that time of year again.? Back to school, back from vacation, more routine, less goofing off.

For me it?s when I start gearing up for the start of? Fall yoga classes.? I think about who will be there, and how to present this 5,000 year-old practice in a way that?s meaningful to my 21st Century students.

But that?s the beauty of yoga.? No matter how long you?ve been at it, there?s always something to discover, some new awareness that grows out of each practice.? Maybe that?s because each time we go to the mat, we are a little different.? Yoga shapes our lives, but our lives also shape our yoga.

Some say age is ?just a number?, but it certainly affects how we approach anything physical ? yoga is no exception. But yoga, because of it?s emphasis on listening to how our body speaks to us, brings into sharp focus each tightened muscle, each energetic shift. Adjustment, not force, is the name of the game.

Here in Small-bany it?s no surprise when paths cross after long absences. Our local Kripalu Yoga Studio closed a number of years ago, and the teachers who had once been so close set out to pursue other options.

Recently I? had the unexpected pleasure of reconnecting with one of those teachers.? We were both attending a local conference, both wearing non-yoga hats. We talked a bit, comparing the twists and turns of our respective lives. Of course, we talked about yoga too.

Roslyn Jefferson

Roslyn Jefferson, LCSW-R, Psychotherapist, asked to share some thoughts with you, the readers of Holistic Health.? In this post she shares the ?Ah-a? moment that rekindled her love of the practice.

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Yoga My Way!

I first started yoga in my early 20?s.? I fell in love with it and became a Kripalu Yoga teacher in 1984.? It changed my life!? It gave me a framework for life and love of spirituality that lives within me today.? It connected me to a vital yoga community, from which I have made some lifelong friends. That is the deeper side of the gift that I received.? However, I was also physically fit, 25 years younger and 50 lbs. slimmer!

Having a yoga practice in middle age is truly a challenge for me. ?There were long periods I didn?t do yoga during my 20?s and 30?s, but I ALWAYS found my way back.? And then motherhood found me in my mid-30?s.? Gone were the days of getting up an hour early to devote myself to whatever yoga flow was the latest craze.

Now that my son is getting ready to go to college, and that I can?t bend over and touch my toes anymore, yoga is a challenge.? I resisted going back to yoga classes because my body lacked the flexibility I had worked so hard to achieve.? I lost my rhythm of breathing, meditating and stretching that encompassed my beloved yoga practice.

I typically put myself last and have not committed myself to exercise for the last several years.

Then, last year, a new friend asked me to teach him some yoga.? I was truly resistant, as I seemed to no longer have that inner yearning and joy of yoga that had dominated me for 20+ years.? But as I demonstrated some easy yoga poses, that deep internal calm easily returned.? The energy flowed back to me.? I was clear that the reason I avoided yoga for so long was because it brought up loss to me?the loss of flexibility, the loss of youth, the loss of grace, and the closing of my beloved yoga center.? So it had become no longer a joyful experience, but rather melancholy.? I had to be assertive with my mind, to not let those thoughts dominate me any longer. I had to figure out a way to replace those negative thoughts and feelings or I would lose yoga forever.

Then, I reflected on my mother, who had many losses as she grew older and I was privileged to share in that journey with her.? And I had to pull on her wisdom of?.ACCEPTANCE; graceful acceptance of change and loss.? Yes, I could briefly mourn some of my losses, but I also must pick up the pieces and move on, move on to create a NEW yoga for myself, that could accommodate my body?s changes.? A yoga practice that means I can?t bend my knees and do the Warrior pose like I used to, but I am grateful for the movement my body can do now.? A yoga of gratitude that helps me appreciate that the movement and flow I can do now, I may not be able to do in 10 years, so?..ENJOY it now!

I am learning to be content to accept that if I can drag my tired butt out of bed even 5 minutes early I can do a few gentle warm ups and stretches that are easy and start my day on a positive note.? Yes, ACCEPTANCE of self and life is the way of the aging human journey, for if we accept life with grace and dignity we can get thru it.

Roslyn Jefferson, LCSW-R, Psychotherapist, Kripalu Yoga Instructor, Trainer

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Her note closed with a question: ?I?m curious for others to share their practices of exercise, and how it has changed throughout the years!?

What has your experience been?

Peace-Judi England, RN, LMT, Kripalu Yoga Instructor ? yogajudi@aol.com ? 9/5/2011

PS:? Roslyn Jefferson, LCSW-R is a past Kripalu Yoga Instructor.
She is also a psychotherapist with over 30 years experience, who is currently exploring
her creative side through art. She has studied Reiki and Healing
Touch, and has a passion for exploring spirituality and healing.? Currently
she is an Employee Assistance professional.

UP AND COMING EVENTS:

Looks like a number of Capital Area studios are gearing up for their Fall sessions.? For details, make sure to check out each website for a full list of classes and workshops:

1) Body, Mind, Spirit Yoga ? Center for Integrative Health and Healing, 388 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar, NY ? Classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Varied offerings from skilled instructor, Jim Whiting.? Call 518-689-2244 or check-out the web site.

2) Saratoga Springs Yoga ? 8 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 ? 26 classes each week this Fall! Unlimited membership $69/month or $40 for one month for new clients! Yoga, Meditation, Workshops? and so much more. Restorative Yoga Mini Retreat with Suzanne Lynch 9/11/2011 1:30-3:30pm ? No experience necessary. SaratogaSpringsYoga.com.

3) Heartspace Yoga and Healing Arts - 747 Madison Avenue, Albany, Ny 12208 518-512-3389. The most recent newsletter from owner, Andrew Kasius shares the good news that morning classes are available every day except Wednesday.? A new Restorative Yoga Class led by Lisa Mary DiDonna begins October 2nd 1:30-2:45pm.? Find out more by going to their web page.

4) Uniting Body, Mind and Spirit ? Sunday 9/18/2011, 10am-12noon, Hindu Temple Community Center, 450 Albany-Shaker Road, Loudonville, NY ? Led by Bonnie Furlong and Jim Whiting ? a morning of Gentle Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation. $10 donation to the Hindu Cultural Center.? Register yogarita@gmail.com or 518-371-3737. Vegetarian lunch available for purchase after the program.

5) Visions of a Universal Humanity -Monday, September 19th, 2011 at 6:30pm.? Presented by Michael Wayne and Lin Murphy ? SIMEN program free of charge at the Saratoga Srings Public Library ? 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs, NY. Film by Barbara Marx Hubbard and discussion.

6) Free Divine Feminine Yoga Telesummit !- Connect with outstanding teachers from many traditions via the internet September 12-17, 2011. Register and more information on www.divinefeminineyogatelesummit.info.

7) AND DON?T FORGET ? ?Pedals for Progress? ? Sponsored by St. Vincent De Paul, All Saints and the College of St. Rose.? Donate bikes in working or repairable condition (no tricycles!).September 17th, 2011 10am-2pm ? St. Vincent de Paul Parish Center, 894 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY. Questions? Charlie 518-439-1789. Bikes shipped to people in developing countries. www.P4P.com

Source: http://blog.timesunion.com/holistichealth/ageless-yoga/7053/

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