Fitness Freedom for Seniors: 20 Simple Yoga Positions to Regain Your Strength and Independence

Table of contents :
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Introduction
I. PREPARING
1. EQUIPMENT AND OTHER ESSENTIALS
2. DEVELOPING THE RIGHT MINDSET
II. POSITIONS
3. MORNING WAKE-UP FLOW
4. PEACE AND SERENITY FLOW
The Surprising Extra Benefit Brought on by Yoga
5. STRETCHING FLOW (CHAIR YOGA)
6. PAIN RELIEF FLOW
III. POSITIVE HABITS
7. ENHANCING THE MIND
8. YOUR BODY IS YOUR TEMPLE
CONCLUSION
Yoga Pose Index
Also by Jackie Jacobs
Bibliography

Citation preview

FITNESS FREEDOM FOR SENIORS 20 SIMPLE YOGA POSITIONS TO REGAIN YOUR STRENGTH AND INDEPENDENCE

JACKIE JACOBS

© Copyright 2022 - All rights reserved. The content contained within this book may not be reproduced, duplicated or transmitted without direct written permission from the author or the publisher. Under no circumstances will any blame or legal responsibility be held against the publisher, or author, for any damages, reparation, or monetary loss due to the information contained within this book, either directly or indirectly. Legal Notice: This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote or paraphrase any part, or the content within this book, without the consent of the author or publisher. Disclaimer Notice: Please note the information contained within this document is for educational and entertainment purposes only. All effort has been executed to present accurate, up to date, reliable, complete information. No warranties of any kind are declared or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaged in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. The content within this book has been derived from various sources. Please consult a licensed professional before attempting any techniques outlined in this book. By reading this document, the reader agrees that under no circumstances is the author responsible for any losses, direct or indirect, that are incurred as a result of the use of the information contained within this document, including, but not limited to, errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. Created with Vellum

CONTENTS Introduction I.

PREPARING 1. EQUIPMENT AND OTHER ESSENTIALS SEVEN ESSENTIALS FOR PRACTICING YOGA AT HOME USING BLOCKS AND STRAPS USING MODIFICATIONS IN YOGA SAFETY TIPS BEFORE YOU START IN SUMMARY 2. DEVELOPING THE RIGHT MINDSET A BRIEF HISTORY OF YOGA WHY YOGA IS MORE THAN EXERCISE THE FIVE MAJOR PRINCIPLES OF YOGA THE YOGA MINDSET YOUR EXPECTATIONS FROM YOGA SETTING GOALS AFFIRMATIONS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED IN SUMMARY

II.

POSITIONS 3. MORNING WAKE-UP FLOW MOUNTAIN POSE (TADASANA) STANDING FORWARD BEND (UTTANASANA) HALF-MOON POSE (ARDHA CHANDRASANA) VARIATION GENTLE BACKBEND ( ANUVITTASANA) TIPTOE BAL ANCE POSTURE (PRAPADASANA) IN SUMMARY Morning Flow Positions Overview 4. PEACE AND SERENITY FLOW BOUND ANGLE POSE (BADDHA KONASANA) SEATED CAT-COW POSE UPAVISTHA BITIL ASANA MARJARIASANA WIND-REMOVING POSE (PAVANAMUKTASANA) LEGS UP THE WALL (VIPARITA KARANI) CORPSE POSE (SAVASANA) IN SUMMARY Peace & Serenity Flow Positions Overview The Surprising Extra Benefit Brought on by Yoga 5. STRETCHING FLOW (CHAIR YOGA)

WHAT IS CHAIR YOGA? SEATED OVERHEAD STRETCH CHAIR PIGEON (CHAIR KAPOTASANA) MODIFIED EAGLE ARMS (GARUDASANA) CHAIR WARRIOR (VIRABHADRASANA) CHAIR SPINAL TWIST (BHARADVAJASANA) IN SUMMARY Stretching Flow (Chair Yoga) Positions Overview 6. PAIN RELIEF FLOW NECK AND CHEST STRETCH TREE POSE (VRKSASANA) SPHINX POSE (SAL AMBA BHUJANGASANA) HERO POSE (VIRASANA) CHILD’S POSE (BAL ASANA) IN SUMMARY Pain Relief Flow Positions Overview III.

POSITIVE HABITS 7. ENHANCING THE MIND HOW ARE MEDITATION AND YOGA CONNECTED? DON'T FORGET SELF-LOVE LEARNING TO LET GO IN SUMMARY 8. YOUR BODY IS YOUR TEMPLE THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY HABITS INCORPORATING YOGA INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE EATING WELL FOR YOUR HEALTH SUPERFOODS TO HELP YOU FEEL FABULOUS DIET BOOSTERS IN SUMMARY

CONCLUSION Yoga Pose Index Also by Jackie Jacobs Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

Yoga is the foundation of youth. You’re only as young as your spine is flexible. — BOB HARPER Life tends to get in the way of taking care of our physical and mental wellbeing. Especially as we get older, our priorities shift from focusing solely on ourselves to focusing on our family, career, education, or the endless list of items on our to-do list. Unfortunately, it seems as though our health is often the first thing that falls off the priority list. Whether you’re looking to put your health back on the priority list or a place to continue your journey, Fitness Freedom for Seniors is your perfect companion. I’m so excited to start this journey with you! Along the way, I hope to share my experiences and the experiences of close family and friends that have integrated yoga into their daily routines to improve their quality of life. After observing their journeys and experiencing my own, I knew the paths and experiences we faced could also help others. MY YOGA JOURNEY My story looks similar to what I mentioned earlier. When I was younger, fitness was one of my highest priorities. Even as a kid I always made a point to stay active. Unfortunately for my parents, that meant hauling me around to

practices which is where they quickly realized they had an accident-prone child on their hands. I’ve always been an active person who somehow found a way to injure herself from playing sports, dancing, running, you name it. At the time getting hurt wasn’t a big deal since my young and energetic self would bounce back rather quickly. I grew older; however, the recovery became longer, and it wasn’t as easy to shake off the injuries. It wasn’t until I had shoulder surgery that everything changed. I went from being active every day to doing nothing overnight. With minimal mobility, I didn’t have many options to keep my body engaged. As a result, I became lethargic and lost the motivation to stay moving, drastically impacting my mood. I needed to do something to get out of that negative headspace. Hellooo yoga. My yoga journey started with simple and gentle movements that I could accomplish without putting too much strain on my body. Yoga, and a fantastic physical therapy team, helped me slowly regain my strength, confidence, and freedom. While I would have never imagined that an accident-prone kid would become an advocate for yoga, now I can't imagine my life without it. It’s brought me strength, balance, peace, and mindfulness, and I hope this book can do the same for you. WHY YOU SHOULD TRY YOGA In 2012, four million Americans over 50 practiced yoga. Now, in 2022, that’s up to 14 million! There's a reason for this: regardless of age, you are never too old to gain the benefits of a yoga practice. The culture within yoga has created a mind-body connection where stretching and strengthening postures are combined with deep breathing and relaxation. The poses, known as asanas, can be modified to suit the needs of everyone, allowing for safe yoga practice among seniors of various fitness levels. And regardless of age, yoga is an excellent avenue to explore keeping your body healthy and robust without the joint or muscle stress you can get from vigorous activities.

There are many reasons why some want to embrace yoga. Perhaps you have lived a relatively sedentary lifestyle and want to improve your mobility and strength to renew your energy. Maybe you are looking for a more personal connection and a community. Or, perhaps you have wanted to try yoga, but the very idea of it intimidates you because you have little knowledge of the practice. Yoga is an avenue for many things, not just physical exercise. If you are someone who can get bored quickly, this form of exercise is a different way to challenge your cognitive skills while remaining physically active. But this is not just about learning about the poses. This is also about incorporating the poses into your daily routine to help you live a life with less pain and more flexibility. Yoga provides benefits that will improve and enrich your overall wellness and physical health at any age, especially for individuals at a senior level. Some of these beneficial areas you might be looking to improve are: balance issues flexibility bone density breathing stress and anxiety sleep patterns Let's dive a little deeper into each area of concern and how yoga can help. Regarding balance, falling is one of the most significant concerns for seniors. Cole (2007) says, "when we balance, we align our body's center of gravity with the Earth's gravitational field. Quite literally, we place ourselves in the physical equilibrium with a fundamental force of nature." Let’s break it down and get scientific for a moment. Our balance has a complicated relationship with two of our sensory systems, which signal our brain to tell our body where it is in relation to our environment. The vestibular system gives us a sense of balance and spatial awareness to coordinate our movements in a balanced manner. The somatosensory system helps us recognize objects and distinguish sensations such as pain, pressure, and movement. Together, these two systems help us maintain our equilibrium as we go about our day-to-day

and engage in activities. As we age, we are more susceptible to developing dysfunctions within our sensory systems which makes us more prone to losing our balance. Sensory system dysfunctions can manifest in symptoms such as: dizziness vertigo disorientation fatigue poor coordination Luckily for us, practicing yoga will help improve balance by working on coordination, focus, and controlled movement. While it’d be great for us to find our balance by simply standing in one pose for a long period of time, that’s not the case. Instead, you will master your balancing skills through the flow of movement as you transition from one pose to the next. Keep in mind that trying to push through balancing in the poses won't serve you well; learning flexibility and being able to adapt while finding your center is vital to your yoga success. So, if that means you need to keep your foot lower or gently touching the ground to start, that is okay! With practice comes great success. Iyengar Yoga is the exercise of precision created by B.K.S. Iyengar is recommended for those focusing on balance. Other variations such as Bikram, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa are not recommended due to their flow sequences that are a little more complex. Iyengar Yoga is an evolution of Hatha Yoga which Iyengar learned from T.K. Krishnamacharya. His evolution from the traditional Hatha Yoga practice made it more accessible as he introduced the use of props such as blankets, blocks, straps, and chairs to make it more accessible. You'll learn more about these props in chapter one.

In Iyengar and Hatha Yoga, each focus on one-legged balancing poses, which help to improve: concentration remaining relaxed and mindful muscle strength posture coordination Even if you’re not focusing on balance, Iyengar Yoga can be one of the better options for those who are newer to the practice. Although the word has various meanings for each person, when people think of yoga, a common thought is that it’s meant to improve flexibility. First, however, let's ensure we have a similar definition of flexibility. Being flexible does not mean you need to turn yourself into a human pretzel or perform acrobatics. Flexibility means that our bodies become more nimble so we can deepen our movements and poses. Secondly, when you are more flexible, you lessen the risk of injury because your body can counteract imbalance more quickly and handle more physical stress. It's estimated that one out of three seniors will fall, some of which will lead to significant injury. Why do we fall, though? The short answer is that our hips, legs, and ankles are the foundational pieces to remaining stable and balanced. When they become weak and inflexible with aging, the risk of falling increases. So, when doing yoga, you open the opportunity to regain your flexibility, positively impacting you so you can avoid serious falls. The other benefit of increased flexibility is relieving aches and pains by improving overall blood circulation and strengthening muscles. As we age, our bones become frailer. This is because the living tissue that makes up our bones constantly changes as we age. As a result, seniors can experience a loss of bone density, commonly known as osteoporosis, which causes bones to become more fragile and weaker. Think of it this way; our bones are living tissue that provides us with our

overall body structure. As the bone is living tissue, it constantly renews itself to replace old tissue with new tissue to keep our skeleton strong. However, when osteoporosis occurs, the bone mass begins to deplete and not be replaced by new tissue, which increases the risk of compression fractures. Although there are no apparent symptoms of osteoporosis, it is estimated that at least 54 million people in the United States have it. With yoga, you can keep your bones strong by practicing the different asanas. In fact, a 2009 study found that yoga helped seniors increase their bone density through consistent practice as it encourages good posture, strength building, and easing pain through weight-bearing poses. Therefore, if falling and breaking bones is one area of concern for you, this could be an activity to help you find the strength for your skeletal structure. Another tremendous benefit of yoga is that it helps you learn a controlled breathing practice, also known as pranayama. Many of us nowadays are so busy we struggle to find the time to simply pause and take a moment for ourselves. Yoga gives us that momentary pause to breathe intentionally. As we hold our poses and transition from one to the next, controlled breathing helps us practice more effectively. Bezerra et al. (2014) found that senior women who participated in yoga at least three times a week for 12 weeks had improved their respiratory function significantly. Focusing on breathing control will help expand your lung capacity and improve pulmonary health. Our breathing is often compromised when we have unhealthy breathing patterns, such as holding tension in our core muscles. When we breathe normally, the air expands our chest, ribs, and belly. As a result, our chest and ribs return to their normal state when we exhale, and our stomach relaxes. As we breathe deeply, we connect to our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating how our body responds during a rest period; it’s also the counterbalance to the sympathetic nerves, which are responsible for the fight-or-flight response. Breathing techniques in yoga help you learn how to use your lungs to their total capacity. In general, yoga poses help move our spines in various directions to help stretch and strengthen the muscles in our upper torso. Breath awareness is especially beneficial to those with asthma as it can help them breathe efficiently and decrease inflammation.

There is another side benefit to intentional breathing. Since yoga promotes mindful breathing through various means, including meditation, yoga enhances the ability to be present at the moment and find peace within it. The combination of intentional breathing and finding a sense of peace creates (and eventually maintains) a calming effect on our mind and body, which regulates our heart rate. As a result, yoga has a positive impact on our overall mood and well-being. Because of these benefits, yoga is often seen as an alternative medicine for those who struggle with anxiety or stress. There have been many studies conducted that have found that yoga effectively reduces and manages stress-related disorders. For example, Thirthalli et al. (2013) found that regular yoga practice "has been demonstrated to reduce the parameters of stress, including cortisol levels." In another study done by Strussman et al. (2015), they found that 80% of yoga participants had "reduced stress" as a result. A common stress-related symptom is carrying tension in our bodies. Thankfully, the asanas increase flexibility which reduces the rigidity in our muscles and helps provide a relaxing way to reduce the tension being held in your body, especially in your back and shoulders. On a side note, yoga can also provide remedies for insomnia and be a helpful tool to engage in cognitive stimulation to keep our minds sharp. Halpern et al. (2014) found that adults 60 and over who struggled with insomnia improved their sleep patterns after participating in yoga twice a week for three months. Most find that because yoga is so relaxing, they can sleep longer and more deeply instead of restlessly. You are here because you desire something new in your world. As you age, you slow down. Yoga is a way to slow down your aging body as you find ways to connect to the practice and allow the practice of yoga to connect to you and your life. Yoga is much more than just standing as a warrior or tree. Yoga is a way of life. It is an active process in the way that you interpret and engage with the world. It involves every part of your body, not just the physical but the spiritual, emotional, and mental. It's much more than heading to your condo's gym to walk or jog on a treadmill while you stare at a television screen. With yoga, you can do it in your living room, or you can do it in a park with a group of people to allow your soul to connect with the

Earth. You should feel confident that you can overcome the pain points that matter to you with each type of flow. I, myself, haven't been a Yogi for long, just a mere eight years. However, I've witnessed the amazing benefits firsthand and know how life-changing it can be. This book will not only guide you through various poses but also help you develop a good mindset. In each chapter, you will learn new things about yoga and how it applies to you, with details to teach and guide you on this ancient practice. Remember that your yoga practice is your own. Listen to your body as you move through the poses and do what feels good for you. If it means you need to modify or back off on a pose, do so. If it means you need to increase the intensity of the pose, you are encouraged to do so. The growing challenge in your practice is listening to what you need.

PART I

PREPARING

1

EQUIPMENT AND OTHER ESSENTIALS

W

hen you embark on a new fitness regime, one of the most important things is finding the right equipment. If you go to a yoga studio, they will likely have equipment available for you to use. However, if you are trying yoga out at home for the first time, it can be challenging without the proper equipment. Using equipment for yoga not only helps if you are a beginner, but it can also help make your practice more accessible! In this chapter, I will teach you the essential equipment for practicing yoga at home, how to use them, the modifications you can make, and some safety tips. If this is your first time venturing into yoga, be patient with yourself. Practice makes perfect, and when you give yourself a little grace, I know you can achieve everything you want out of your yoga practices. SEVEN ESSENTIALS FOR PRACTICING YOGA AT HOME To have successful yoga practices at home, you will need some of the following essentials: a yoga mat comfortable attire yoga blocks yoga belt or strap

resources, such as this book mat wash a microfiber towel You can purchase a yoga mat online, such as Amazon, or from a retail store like Target. When purchasing a yoga mat, you want to make sure you are buying one that will prevent you from slipping and provide padding on a hardwood floor. Mats can come in a thinner density, which works well if you have a carpeted floor. However, if you anticipate your yoga journey taking place on a harder surface, it would be best to purchase a thicker mat as it will provide additional padding and reduce strain on your joints. For comfortable attire, you will want clothing you can easily move in. When I first began my journey, I simply wore what I would typically wear to the gym or for walking and jogging outside. The most important thing to remember is to ensure your movements won’t be restricted by your clothing. Jeans, for example, won’t allow you to move easily in different yoga poses. If like me, you tend to sweat more in your workouts, you will want some clothing that wicks sweat away and dries quickly. Even having a towel handy to wipe your brow is just as effective! The most important piece of advice I can give you is to simply be comfortable with whatever you wear. Yoga blocks, which we will get into soon, come in wood, foam, or cork. These are useful for beginners in yoga as they act like an extension to your arms. Yoga straps, also coming up later in this chapter, are great if you lack flexibility in your legs. Like the blocks, the straps act as extensions so you can go deeper into the stretches. Regarding resources, this book is your guide to your yoga journey! I have compiled various poses and flows you can easily follow. Of course, if you are visual and need to watch someone move through a particular posture, YouTube has multiple options to help you. As you will be using a yoga mat, it is prone to get dirty, smelly, and slippery, so you will want to purchase a yoga mat spray, or you can make your own. Here is a do-it-yourself way to make your spray with ingredients you can find at your health food store or online:

1 1/2 cups of distilled or filtered water 1/4 cup of witch hazel 5-10 drops of tea tree essential oil 10-20 drops of lemon, peppermint lavender, eucalyptus, or rosemary essential oil Combine all of the ingredients into a 16-ounce spray bottle. Shake well before use and spray it onto your mat. Use a soft towel to wipe clean, and be sure to hang your mat so it can dry completely. If you want to keep your mat optimally clean, spray your mat after every yoga practice. A microfiber yoga mat towel is vital, especially if you want to try a hot yoga class to help towel down your mat or your body. If you are someone who is a little more experienced in yoga, you might want to pick out some of the following pieces: Bolster (long cylinder pillow) or yoga blanket to help you into a relaxed state. A meditation cushion to support your hips if you are doing seated meditation. You can use a yoga blanket or bolster for this purpose as well. Foam rollers help release tension and massage your muscles before, during, or after your yoga practice. They come in various sizes and range from softer to harder densities. If you like restorative yoga, you might want to get a yoga ball or wheel to help make some poses a little more challenging. A weighted eye pillow helps reduce tension around your eyes and promotes a deeper state of relaxation. Lastly, when creating a space for yoga in your home, make sure to find a clean and comfortable area where it is peaceful. Additionally, you might want to equip your space with a few items, such as a fan, heater, an essential oil diffuser, or a Bluetooth speaker to play calming, meditative music. USING BLOCKS AND STRAPS Whether you picked this book up because you are new to yoga or you're a

seasoned yogi, yoga blocks are helpful and can be used in various ways to enrich your yoga practice. If you find reaching the floor in certain poses difficult, a yoga block can be an extension of your arms so your body can get closer to the ground. By getting deeper into the pose, you can experience the full benefits without adding strain to your body and risking injury. You might also find that some poses are more strenuous than others. However, in time, you should be able to relax into each of them. When trying a new pose, you may find it more challenging to complete without additional support. This is to be expected! When that is the case, adding a block to your practice can help make it more accessible. As mentioned earlier, yoga blocks can help you get deeper into a pose. Restorative yoga, however, tends to utilize blocks to challenge your body to surrender to different poses. Blocks are also great for preventing stress injuries to your muscles and joints. Using a block to modify more challenging poses means you are less likely to force your body into a pose that wasn't easy for you. When we force our bodies into positions before they are ready, we are more likely to strain a muscle or a joint. In addition, blocks are also great for helping you build upper body strength, correct your body's alignment and protect your wrists if they are weak. As you progress in your journey, you may find the motivation and courage to try more advanced poses you might find intimidating. Use your yoga blocks to support you where needed to give you the confidence to take your yoga practice to a new level.

Which Yoga Blocks Are the Best? As I have mentioned, there are a few different yoga blocks you can integrate into your practice. They come in foam, cork, or wood. Foam blocks are lighter and softer. These are the best options if you are newer to yoga, as they can be more comfortable for supporting poses. However, some people find that foam blocks don't give you enough grip or are too light. If that’s the case, cork blocks are the next best option. Cork yoga blocks are still soft, but they are heavier and feel more grounded when supporting you in yoga postures. Lastly, wooden yoga blocks are harder and not recommended if you are brand new to yoga, primarily if you use them in restorative poses. Although they are sturdier and last longer, you are more likely to lose your grip if your hands become sweaty. Yoga Block Sizes There are three different sizes you can typically find for yoga blocks, each of which is explained by length, width, and height: The average block size is 9”(L)x6”(W)x3”(H). A thinner yoga block is 9”(L)x6”(W)x2”(H). A wider yoga block is 9”(L)x6”(W)x4”(H). If your hands are smaller, it's best to use an average or thinner-sized yoga block because it will be easier and provide more comfort in your grip, making it easier for you. Thinner-sized blocks are also helpful if you are working to build up your flexibility and don't require as much support as you would get from an average-sized block. If you invest in yoga blocks, you should get a pair of two. Although most poses typically use one block, if you want to strengthen and improve your

flexibility in poses, you might want a block on either side. How to Use Yoga Blocks You can use yoga blocks in several ways, but it comes down to three essential pieces: to lengthen, strengthen, and support your body. When it comes to lengthening, you need to correct your alignment to deepen the yoga stretch. If you feel like you are struggling to stay in a particular yoga pose, this is where you will need to use your yoga blocks to help you. If you find that you are struggling in a pose, it means your body is not in a good alignment, which will prevent you from gaining the full benefit of the pose. Yoga blocks will prevent you from straining yourself and will improve your alignment. Think of it this way, if your hands cannot touch the ground in a yoga pose, you should use the yoga blocks. Many yoga poses are excellent for improving your strength, but you may not be getting the benefits because you can't keep your body aligned properly or you have not built up the necessary strength to get into the pose. Blocks can help you correct your muscles to fix your alignment in the pose. In addition, they can help you through challenging poses by providing extra support to keep control of your body and allow you to build strength in your muscles effectively. Many yoga poses that fall under the restorative pose umbrella can be challenging and ineffective if you aren't flexible. As you have learned, there are many ways to use blocks in poses to deepen into them and release any tightness you might have through the support of the yoga block. Yoga Straps No matter how experienced or inexperienced you are in yoga, a yoga strap (or belt) can be helpful to you. A yoga strap's purpose is to help you reach challenging poses that will help you increase your flexibility and alignment over time. The strap can help you achieve poses without impacting your form. I discovered yoga straps were particularly helpful when recovering from shoulder surgery. I had very little range of motion and flexibility in my joints, and the yoga strap allowed me to

perform certain poses that I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise by acting as a connection between my arms. Yoga straps are also particularly useful if you have tight hamstrings. In addition, yoga straps can prevent you from reaching into poses the wrong way, stopping you from tensing your shoulders and rounding your back. In restorative yoga, the strap is good to help release lower back tension and aches. There are so many ways you can utilize a strap. For example, while seated, yoga straps can be looped around your feet to help you hold poses which are especially beneficial if you have tight hip flexors. When standing, the straps can help you find your balance and increase your flexibility without compromising your alignment. For arm-balance poses, such as downward dog, the strap helps keep your elbows in line and prevent them from flailing outwards. USING MODIFICATIONS IN YOGA Not every yoga pose is accessible to everyone. For example, you might find that certain poses may not look the same on you as they do someone else, but it doesn't mean you are doing the pose incorrectly; you might need to modify the pose to make it work for your body. But, of course, you can't be walked through a modification in real time if you are doing yoga at home, so it's sometimes hard to know how to modify yoga poses. Remember that there is no right way to practice, even though the mainstream fitness world makes it seem like yoga is only meant for people of a certain finesse. We all have different bodies, and we must take pride in our differences while on the yoga mat. Modifications will help you trust yourself and your abilities in your yoga practice. When Do You Need Yoga Modifications? One of the big indicators that you need to modify a yoga pose is generally when you feel pain or discomfort. It's your body's red flag system to tell you that something needs your attention. Ensure that you listen to your body

when it's time to modify poses. You should be aware of the different sensations in your body that are uncomfortable versus painful. Pain is associated with sharp or aching sensations. If you feel pain, that is when you need to modify the pose.

How Should You Modify Yoga Poses? If you find a pose painful during practice, ask yourself if there is a version of the yoga pose you have done and if it felt okay. If yes, you should revisit the pose. ▷ Modifying for Shoulder Pain If you have a history of shoulder injuries, like me, there are several poses that you might need to modify. In most cases, you will want to restrict the range of motion and avoid transferring your body weight through your shoulder joints. Your guidance here should be to perform poses that encompass a lot of reaching with your shoulders by placing your hands on your hips. ▷ Modifying for Knee Pain If you have a history of knee problems, keep a blanket near your mat. For poses where your knees are pressing into the mat, a folded blanket under your kneecap can help decrease the compression on the bone. ▷ Modifications for Chronic Pain If you have chronic pain, such as fibromyalgia, the best advice is to do yoga on days when you aren't experiencing a severe flare-up and rest on days you are. I also recommend focusing on the breathing and meditation pieces of the practice to aid with pain, stress, and overall mind-body well-being. If you want to do yoga to relieve some discomfort during a flare-up, do a shorter practice focusing on a flow where you are not holding poses for too long. Yoga Poses To Fit You Depending on the shape of your body, the modifications will vary. For example, if poses require you to fold over, a bolster can be used on the

thighs. In this example, you will want to stretch forward, keeping your back straight, using the top of your head to gently lengthen your spine. Figuring out your footwork is also helpful. For example, if you find folding forward difficult, try widening your stance until your body lines up comfortably. Blocks and straps are also helpful when using modifications based on your body type. How to Tell if the Modification Is Effective and Safe Yoga poses allow your body to communicate when something doesn’t feel right. To understand if a modification is safe or not, hold in the pose for a few moments and feel for any pain you may be experiencing. The modification is unsuitable if you are trying to push yourself in a way that makes your muscles feel strained. It may seem backward but try not to focus too much on doing the yoga pose or modification just right. When you have a modified pose, you are more likely to think about how good it feels than if you are doing it right. After all, a purpose of yoga is to help yourself feel good. SAFETY TIPS BEFORE YOU START Regardless of your skill level or if you have a health condition, establishing and maintaining a foundation is essential for your yoga practice. Make sure you have good body awareness, warm up, feel for any pain, and modify if necessary. Learning where to start can be the most challenging step if you are a beginner yogi or working with physical limitations. It can be challenging to follow along if you don't quite grasp the yoga lingo. However, in this book, I will teach you what you need to know to feel confident if your yoga venture. How to Practice Yoga Safely

▷ Talk to Your Physical Therapist or Doctor If you have chronic pain, injuries, or a health condition, you should speak with your physical therapist or doctor to determine what is right for you. ▷ Continue to Educate Yourself Use this book to help guide you through your yoga practice. You will learn which poses to be aware of for any physical conditions and what could benefit you. ▷ Starting Slow It's okay to start slow and stick to the basics in the beginning. You might find some poses that suit your needs more than others if you have conditions such as osteoporosis, hip pain, lower back pain, or joint issues. However, it's recommended to avoid hot yoga or yoga classes described as warm or vigorous when you are just starting your yoga journey.

▷ Talk to Your Yoga Instructor If you are going to attend yoga classes, be sure to speak with the instructor before the class begins if you are dealing with injuries. However, it's important to note that you should not rely on the instructor to care for you. It's your job to listen to your body and do what works for you. ▷ The Pose Is Not the End Goal Even if you can't get into the pose, don't worry about it too much or force it to happen. Of course, some poses will be more advanced, but you can get there in time. ▷ Remember to Breathe Breathing helps your mind and body remain calm and regulates your heart rate. IN SUMMARY This chapter has taught you all the equipment and essentials you need to have an effective yoga practice at home. With the different equipment, you should be able to set yourself up successfully. When it comes to yoga blocks and straps, these pieces will help support you in various yoga poses. They are there to help your body stay aligned and balanced. When you want to modify poses, remember to be patient with yourself. Not every yoga pose will be right for you, and you might need to find ways to adjust and make it work. Practice makes perfect, and I know you can find a way to gain the benefits with modifications if needed. Lastly, ensure you speak with a medical professional because not every pose will be right for you, especially if you are practicing with injuries.

There is another important piece and secret I want to share with you when it comes to yoga, though: it's all about having the right mindset. Coming up in the following chapter, you will learn how to frame your mind to work in conjunction with your body as you prepare for your yoga session.

2

DEVELOPING THE RIGHT MINDSET

D

o our inner thoughts impact our failure or success? Some psychologists believe that what we internally think is crucial in what we want and if we can achieve it. Mindset is how your beliefs shape how you approach anything in life, including your yoga practice. In this chapter, we will explore how having a positive mindset impacts your yoga journey, especially as a beginner. In addition to understanding why a good mindset is key to success, you will also learn about the revolutionary leaders who brought yoga to the Western world and why it is more than just another form of exercise. This chapter will also explore the five major principles that make up yoga and how to apply them to your yoga mindset and expectations. Lastly, we will discuss goals and affirmations and how these will help you succeed. One thing I want you to take away from this chapter, even before we begin, is a quote from Buddha, "what you think, you become." A BRIEF HISTORY OF YOGA When you hear the word yoga, what immediately comes to mind? Do you picture the human pretzel or imagine someone sitting in a forest, embodying pure serenity? Thankfully, human pretzels aren’t necessary to experience a blissful mindset. Although asanas are essential to the education of yogic philosophy and practice, that is not the only part of yoga itself.

Yoga's rich history is ancient; some historians believe that yoga began 5,000 years ago. As a result, its origins are difficult to determine when they began. This is all because the sacred texts were first transcribed orally, making them more secretive and sacred when the practice was first born. When yoga shifted into documentation, the early written transcriptions were recorded on palm leaves. Palm leaves, as you can imagine, were fragile; therefore, the words were often lost, damaged, or destroyed. The Components of Yoga The four Vedas, or ancient Hindu scripture, created by yoga gurus, included the following: Rigveda Samveda Yajurveda Atharvaveda These Vedas are the compilation of scriptures used by the Vedic Priests and the Brahmans and contain songs, mantras, and rituals. Following these four Vedas, Upvedas (sub-Vedas) were created: the Ayurveda, Arthaveda, Dhanurvda, and Gandharaveda. Down the line, six Upangas (components) were cultivated and included: Shiksha Kalpa Vyakarana Nirukta Chandas Jyotisha These six would later be distinguished into six sub-components: Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Mimansa, Vedanta, and Yoga. As yoga has evolved over the many decades, these components found themselves in the following four periods of yoga:

Pre-classical Classical Post-classical Modern period The Rigveda Yoga was first mentioned in Rigveda, the oldest and most sacred scripture in yoga history. It is what started the pre-classical era of yoga. Researchers believe this compilation was transcribed about eight to ten thousand years ago by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India. As yoga began to blossom within the Brahmans and the Rishis (also known as the mystic seers), they took their beliefs and ideas surrounding the practice. They recorded them in the Upanishads, a large piece of work that contained over 200 scriptures. Of those 200 scriptures, the Bhagavad-Gîtâ is the most representative. It's known for the dialogue between the god Krishna, who served as a charioteer to warrior- prince Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra. The leading tone of the scripture teaches readers how to rise above our souls and minds to observe beyond appearances. The Vedas believed in ritual sacrifice. However, the words in the Upanishads took the ideas surrounding ritual sacrifice to incorporate and educate on "sacrific[ing] ego through self-knowledge," karma (action), and jnana (wisdom) yoga practices (Burgin, 2014). What you can take away from this is that pre-classical yoga had made ideas and beliefs contradict each other. It wouldn't be until the classical yoga era that Maharishi Patanjali better defined the practice. Pantajali's yoga sûtras extended eight “limbs” of yoga practice. They are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The life force, Pranayama Social ethics, Yama Personal ethics, Niyama Postures, Asanas Turning your senses inwards, Pratyahara

6. Having a one-pointed focus, Dharana 7. Meditation, Dhyana 8. Connecting to the self, Samadhi These eight components are what created the different yoga schools of philosophy. Yoga Schools of Philosophy The classical yoga era involved the listed eight different schools of philosophy. In addition, it included Gyan Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raj Yoga, Matra Yoga, Shiva Yoga, Naad Yoga, Laya Yoga, and many more. Of the many schools, the asana focus was a part of the Hatha Yoga culture. Today's study of yoga only focuses on the asanas practiced in Hatha Yoga, whereas teaching the yogic philosophy is preserving a balanced mindset. Hatha Yoga teaches us to seek physical and mental well-being through the various asanas. Of the other various types of yoga, think of them like spokes on a bicycle wheel. Each has valuable lessons for our overall development. Although Hatha Yoga is the sole focus in schools today, the other forms encourage wisdom and devotion to the practice. Each lesson is a holistic approach and was highly approved by the Vedics. However, at the time of its innovation, it was only taught to the royal and scholar classes; outside of that bubble, you had to pass a comprehensive exam to be taught Hatha Yoga lessons. The Transformation of Yoga As yoga shifted into the modernization period, we have seen yoga transform from being unfavorable to being one of the best holistic approaches for various therapy needs. With the barriers lifted, many can now enjoy the benefits of yoga, regardless of their physical abilities. Yoga is so popular today that the United Nations has deemed June 21 as International Yoga Day, where thousands around the globe gather to practice yoga together.

WHY YOGA IS MORE THAN EXERCISE Given that there is a special day to recognize and celebrate all that yoga offers, you probably have realized that yoga is more than just exercise. Yoga is a way to provide growth in your mindset so you can confidently react in certain situations with calmness and clarity. Through yoga, we learn how to remain grounded in challenging scenarios. In addition, we learn the skills to return to our happy place where harmony and joy bring us serenity, all of which is yoga's true and deep meaning. Although the asanas evoke happiness throughout our bodies, the Pranayama and meditation bring our minds deeper to our roots to unite different aspects of life and existence. THE FIVE MAJOR PRINCIPLES OF YOGA Yoga is a way of life and the science of unifying our mind, body, and soul. Yoga encourages us to live life to the fullest and with the best intentions. In this book, you will find that yoga techniques are helpful and can be applied in many ways; it's why yoga has aged so well over its rich history. On the science side of yoga, it can be broken down into the following five principles: Asanas (exercising properly), Pranayama (breathing), Savasana (relaxation), diet and nutrition, and mindset and meditation. Let’s dive deeper into each of these principles to see why they are still relevant today. Asanas (Exercising Properly) Exercising regularly is necessary to keep our bodies happy, healthy, strong, and flexible. As we have covered, a physical posture is an asana in yoga. It’s a word that will accompany the Sanskrit name of the different yoga poses, which you will see in later chapters. Sanskrit is the classic language of Hinduism and India. Additionally, an asana in yoga represents a gentle stretch to help keep your joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments mobile. Asanas help with blood circulation to our muscles, release tension, and can calm our nervous system.

Asanas are not meant to be performed quickly. But, in their slow movement, you gain the benefits you seek while developing your physical body in an impactful and positive way. And, since we tend to run like hamsters on a wheel in today’s society, asanas can bring clarity and peace to create a sense of grounding for whatever comes next. Pranayama (Breathing) As we tend to run busy, modern lifestyles, we often forget to breathe properly. As a result, our breathing is likely to become more and more shallow. However, every cell and tissue in our body requires oxygen to function. Without oxygen, our cells and tissues tend to weaken, which allows the opportunity for diseases to infiltrate. When we breathe deep, we give our cells and tissues a wealth of oxygen to help keep them healthy and heal properly following vigorous activities. You may not know that when we exhale, we release impurities. But conversely, when we don't exhale deeply, we trap some of those impurities in our bodies. Shallow breathing also does not supply enough oxygen and therefore does not help to remove enough of the contaminants from our system. What this can lead to is a perfect environment for illnesses to thrive. In Pranayama, we teach our body to breathe. It not only helps to clear out our system but also allows us to connect to our solar plexus chakra, Manipura, where much of our energy is stored. It's in this chakra where our confidence and self-esteem shine brightly when we connect to it. When the vital energy is released, you refresh your body and mind. This principle is essential because it outweighs any asana; therefore, you should ensure to incorporate Pranayama inside and outside your regular yoga practice. Savasana (Relaxation) The modern era has transformed yoga into examining how much we can do in the shortest time. As a result, it tilts us into constant motion and makes us feel stressed, overworked, and overwhelmed.

Being properly relaxed is important and something we must often incorporate to give ourselves time to recharge. There is a reason why the self-care trend is important for all walks of life! Thus, Savasana helps us to calm our system and retrain our mind and body to relax into itself and let go of the buzzing todo list. Diet and Nutrition What we put into our bodies significantly impacts our health and well-being. Sure, getting ice cream with our kids and grandkids is a delicious treat, but we also want to ensure we put the proper nutrients into our bodies. A good diet consists of nutrient-rich foods from fruits and vegetables as the phytonutrients in them help prevent damage to our cells, and it helps us age well too! Some phytonutrient-rich foods include: Red, orange, and yellow fruits from fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, peaches, mangoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, citrus fruits, melons, and berries Dark leafy greens such as swiss chard, bok choy, spinach, and romaine lettuce Whole grains from brown and wild rice, wheat berries, quinoa, and barley Chives Garlic Leeks Onions Nuts and seeds Legumes Tea and coffee Dark chocolate Nutrition has a subtle impact but eating well means keeping yourself sharp and healthy and maintaining a calm mind.

Good Mindset and Meditation Earlier in this chapter, I discussed how our thoughts impact our bodies and perception. With a calm mind, it's much easier to have clear ideas and help keep our bodies in the best condition. When we think positively, it can help us cleanse our minds to feel inner peace. However, when we shift into a negative thought pattern, you'd be surprised at how it dramatically impacts our perception of the world. These negative thoughts, better referred to as limiting beliefs, is a judgment you make about yourself that will feel true, therefore restricting you in some capacity from reaching your full potential. We'll get more into limiting beliefs later, including some affirmations to combat the negative thought patterns. However, what is essential to know now is that when we take our time to be present with our thoughts and remove what doesn't serve us, we can masterfully manage situations that would have otherwise invoked a negative response. For example, try thinking, "why is this happening for me" rather than asking, "why is this happening to me?" Meditation also helps to keep your mind focused and present. This practice can be done both inside and outside of your yoga sessions. THE YOGA MINDSET Sometimes it feels easier to be at ease with your mind when you are on the yoga mat. But then you get off your mat and go about your day, and something triggers you to become frustrated and far away from that calmness. So, how do you take a yoga mindset and bring it with you into your day once you finish yoga? Daily yoga practice allows people to achieve mindfulness and positive thinking that can have longevity on their overall health. Here are some secrets to help you carry this calming yogic energy throughout the day. Comfort Being comfortable is a big piece of yoga. Wearing comfortable clothes such

as a favorite sweater or shirt and yoga pants are some of the comfiest things you can wear. When you feel comfortable, you can find your focus in your posts, mantras, and mental well-being. Rest and Recovery Yoga is meant to both challenge and relax your body. You'll see yourself growing in your strength and becoming more flexible as you practice yoga. However, be sure to give yourself recovery days to allow yourself to relax and heal. This is an excellent opportunity to focus on meditating. Affirmations A positive mindset is one thing that people appreciate the most when it comes to practicing yoga. The environment in a yoga class always feels uplifting and happy. You can also replicate the energy at home by trying out your own affirmations. In short, affirmations help you set your mind in a good place and help you find strength within positive words. We'll get more into this soon! Meditating Daily Daily meditation is important for yoga, although you don't need a yoga session to meditate. You can meditate for a few minutes to wind down or even start your day. There are various guided meditations that you can follow on YouTube or a podcast. The important thing here is that you find a way to meditate that best suits you outside of your yoga class. Spending time twice a day can help you alleviate stress and anxiety, a positive bonus to meditating. Relaxing When you go to relax, it doesn't mean you need to do mantras or meditate, and that's it. Relaxing means relaxing in any manner that suits you. To you,

relaxing might look like this: Cozying up and watching your favorite television show or movies under a blanket. Reading a book. Going to your local café. Whatever it means to you, so long as you are finding a way to literally and figuratively put your feet up and relax for a while, it can tremendously impact your mood and outlook on life. Even though yoga is a meditative exercise, resetting and having mindful moments outside of yoga are essential. YOUR EXPECTATIONS FROM YOGA When you start your yoga journey, it's easy to get caught up in the moment and want to master the poses effortlessly. However, it can feel somewhat frustrating if you aren't achieving poses on the first try. One thing to remind yourself as you begin is that being able to master every single pose is not what yoga is about. Some poses are going to come to you naturally, while others are going to be frustrating. In some cases, there might be poses you cannot execute, even with the props. This is okay! You can do many poses, so keep that in mind when encountering a challenging one. Not all of us can execute poses like an elegant swan on our first try; some will take practice before they are performed with finesse. How Your Practice Will Reflect on Your Life The state of your mindset will likely translate into how you practice yoga. For example, are you determined or disciplined? Or do you quickly get frustrated and discouraged? Are you a perfectionist, or do you find that you dislike challenging yourself? Do you make the time for yourself to practice yoga, or do you say you'll do it later but don't uphold that promise? Questions like these are good for bringing awareness to the forefront. Again, there is no shame or blame, but if you want to change something, you must be willing to

show up for yourself! The lesson that I want you to take from this is that if there are areas in your world that you don't want to negatively influence how you approach yoga, you want to do the reverse. This means that you want yoga to affect how you live by taking your mindfulness from the yoga mat into your daily life. It means you should be slowing down and being present instead of consistently on the go. It also means that when situations out of your control arise, you find a way to be cool instead of feeling frazzled. It's up to you to decide for yourself how you want to approach life when you are off the yoga mat, but I encourage you to make a choice. Growth is always outside your comfort zone. SETTING GOALS Many connect their yoga practice to the big goal of enlightenment or Samadhi (meditation) to connect to the self. However, setting goals can be daunting and intimidating, especially if you don't know where to start. When we set a goal, we want to ensure it is attainable. Setting big, lofty goals are great, but it can often lead to frustration and loss of motivation when we don't achieve them right away. Setting smaller goals will provide you with quick wins that keep your confidence up and show your progress throughout your yoga journey. Rigid and Flexible Goals Rigid goals have specific outcomes within a set time‐ frame. For example, if someone is looking to lose a certain amount of weight in 90 days, that would make it a rigid goal. A flexible goal, however, is more open-ended and unrestricted. Flexible goals allow you to slowly make small changes to fit your lifestyle without fully overthrowing the entire way you live. Unfortunately, flexible goals aren't as motivating because you don't have a set timeframe, and they don't provide immediate feedback to show if you are making progress toward your long-term goals or not. This means you could

spend months towards your flexible goal but never know if you are getting closer to it. But I don't want to discourage you from choosing one type of goal from the other. On the contrary, I think you should incorporate both rigid and flexible goals because the flexible ones will give you a vision of what you want to achieve, while the rigid goals will set the timeframe for you to attain them. Goals to Amplify Your Practice The goals listed in this chapter are great examples for both new and seasoned yogis. Each goal can be tailored to your specific needs so you can incorporate them into your daily life more easily. Most importantly, write your goals down. No, seriously, write them down on a piece of paper (I prefer sticky notes) and put them somewhere you will see them every day (I like my bathroom mirror). When you do this, you identify what you want to achieve, and the consistent reminder makes it easier to direct your time and energy. ▷ Goal 1: Increasing Flexibility Most people turn to yoga when they want to increase their flexibility. If increasing flexibility is your goal, you will want to bring your attention to muscle groups that feel tight. Seated and floor asanas are what you will focus on since you can hold these poses for a more extended period. Remember not to force, push, or pull your way into the stretch. You want to relax into it instead. ▷ Goal 2: Improve Your Strength and Endurance If you want to improve your strength, you will want to focus on holding poses that will help you achieve this goal. As you build up your muscles, your endurance will also build based on how long you can hold a pose. ▷ Goal 3: Strengthen Bones

Various studies have shown that yoga can help prevent stress fractures and aid osteoporosis. The density of our bones gets better when we focus on weight-bearing exercises. If weak bones concern you, focus on stretching poses to build your strength to the weight-bearing holding poses. ▷ Goal 4: Improve Balance Standing poses are what will help you improve your balance. They require you to keep a good posture and challenge you to stabilize yourself in different positions. Once you have mastered balancing in a standing pose, try moving into a balancing pose, such as the eagle or the tree, to add a challenge to your practice. ▷ Goal 5: Keeping Calm When our emotions are off balance, we are often led to poor decision-making or can have low energy. If keeping your energy in a better place is important, focus on the poses that help calm your nervous system. Some of these include forward bends, twists, and hip opening poses. As for stress, it can affect various parts of our lives or day. Stress can result in losing sleep, not eating well, or poor decision-making. Practicing yoga frequently will help you calm your mind and turn off the nervous system's fight-or-flight response in stressful situations. If decreasing anxiety or stress is a goal for you, try meditating and gentle poses such as the child's pose to help you focus on breathing deeply. ▷ Goal 6: Improving Cognitive Function The practice of yoga and meditation helps you improve your memory, concentration, and focus. Meditation will energize your brain to bring clarity. Learning the yoga philosophy will also stimulate your mind by engaging its thought process. ▷ Goal 7: Foster Positive Thinking

It's easy for people to think negatively. Most people immediately resort to thinking about the negative outcome versus the positive outcome when facing obstacles. This typically leads us to have limiting beliefs that are both mentally and physically damaging. However, positive thoughts lead to positive actions, making us feel alive, happy, and free. Creating a good morning routine will benefit you here. After your morning flow or meditation, write down five to ten things you are grateful for, regardless of how small those things are. Most mornings, I'll put coffee on my list. It's small in the grand scheme of life, but it brings joy, energy, and productivity to my life, so it goes on my list. If you want to enforce a positive mindset even further, repeat this exercise before bed. If you're consistent with making your lists, you may be surprised to find yourself in a happier mindset throughout your day. ▷ Goal 8: Having a Healthy Diet Earlier in this chapter, we discussed eating phytonutrient-dense foods to help you live a healthy life. In addition to providing proper body nutrition, healthy foods can promote a sense of inner calm resulting from a happy gut. When your gut is healthy and happy, you will find that bloating and discomfort will decrease, you will have more energy, and practicing poses should feel more effortless. ▷ Goal 9: Be Consistent With Your Yoga Practice Being consistent with any exercise program is essential if you want to see your goals take form. While immediate results are ideal, they don't often lead to long-term health and wellness. Results will not show up tomorrow, but you should start to see them in 30, 60, or 90 days if you remain consistent. And be patient with yourself. It's going to take some time to figure out what suits you. My best advice is to choose the number of days you will show up to practice yoga and stick to it. Then, once you have a set routine, work on increasing the number of weekly sessions you can commit to. And remember, showing up to practice yoga means you're showing up for yourself.

▷ Goal 10: Connect to Your Yoga Community As we talked about earlier, there are millions of yogis out there! Chances are you're able to find a yoga community that is following a similar journey as you. I encourage you to find your like-minded yoga pals at a local studio if you want to build a deeper bond with yoga and the community. ▷ Goal 11: Learn About the Rich Yoga History We briefly touched on yoga's rich history, but its entirety is truly a marvel. You can find many articles online or books in your local library on the history of yoga. ▷ Goal 12: Journaling Another great way to track our progress and work through our mindset is to journal. As you know, I write a list of things I am thankful for every day. However, that list is the last thing I write after I'm done journaling. It's a great way to track your progress on your goals and work through your mindset. Journaling also promotes self-reflection and mindfulness, which is a great way to work through things in your heart. ▷ Goal 13: Establish Your Yoga Practice Doing yoga at home is great for convenience, but it can also save you time and money. The challenge, however, is remaining disciplined and committed to your home practice. In addition, home yoga can give you comfort as it is your personal space. If practicing at home, try to create a welcoming and comfortable space with enough open area around your yoga mat to do the poses. AFFIRMATIONS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED Earlier in this chapter, I briefly touched on mindset and limiting beliefs. To refresh your memory, mindset is the inner chatter in our head that tells us

how we perceive ourselves. There are two kinds of mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is where you believe nothing will change. You don't believe in your abilities and tell your‐ self reasons why. A growth mindset, on the other hand, means you're willing and open to making changes. You have the desire to learn and try to persevere when facing challenges. Most importantly, you believe in yourself and your ability to achieve anything you put your mind to. The table below will give you some ideas about each mindset in scenarios.

If you identify with the statements in the fixed mindset column, don't fret. I will teach you how to rewire your brain from "I can't" to "I can." Firstly, focus on the journey at hand. As I said, there will be more challenging poses than others, but catch yourself if the thought crosses your mind and reprogram it to tell yourself it's a learning process, and you can. Secondly, remind yourself that you have not mastered the skill…yet. Thirdly, use affirmations. Positive affirmations are phrases that counteract negative thoughts. Some people use them to motivate themselves, while others use them to boost their self-esteem. The trick to using them, though, is to practice them regularly.

When you wake up and before you start a yoga session, I suggest saying at least five affirmations out loud. Then, if you want different energy, try reciting them in front of a mirror to boost your confidence. Here are 25 of my favorite affirmations from The Good Body (2022) to get you started: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

I breathe deeply and consciously. I move my body with intention. I am stronger today. I believe in myself and my abilities. Being imperfect is perfect. I am enough. I wake up every morning energized for the day ahead. I am at peace with myself. I am mindful of my thoughts. I have a surplus of energy. I do not compare myself to others. I am grateful for what I have. I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for my body that moves. My mind is clear and relaxed. Being relaxed is being productive. I decide to think positively. I am capable of overcoming anything. I believe in myself. I love the body I have. There is more to me than my body. I surround myself with people who bring out the best in me. I choose to be kind to myself every day. I permit myself to slow down. I step out of my comfort zone to try new things.

IN SUMMARY This chapter introduced you to the history of yoga and how the gurus set the tempo for developing your overall mindset when it comes to yoga. When it comes to the principles of yoga, you learned that exercising properly,

breathing, relaxing, diet and nutrition, and having a good mindset are all critical components of effective yoga practices. As we get older, we can't reverse time to stop the aging process. However, doing the right things and implementing these principles show that you can benefit your life as you walk this Earth. Setting your mindset is also essential, not just in yoga but for everything, because it will impact how you perceive the world. This chapter has given you the means to achieve your mindset using downtime, meditation, and relaxation. In addition, you learned about rigid and flexible goals and how to set your expectations in your yoga practice. Setting both goals will set you up for success when done well. Lastly, I gave you several affirmations to get you started. Affirmations are vital to having a positive mindset and unleashing the power within you. Remember that we are all human, and not every perspective will be perfect, but how you learn to be conscious of your thoughts will build a solid foundation for your yoga sessions. In the next chapter, I'll introduce you to a morning flow to start your day on the right foot. With the right attitude, your morning flow will be rejuvenating.

PART II

POSITIONS

3

MORNING WAKE-UP FLOW

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etting goals for ourselves is like making resolutions when the new year rolls in. Did you make a new year's resolution for yourself this year? Did your resolutions include becoming healthier, happier, and full of good habits? The thing about habits is that they can help relieve stress or give us some form of entertainment. Habits can make us feel good or provide a sense of comfort. This yoga practice will help you let go of old habits and replace them with new ones that are beneficial to your body and mind. Here are some tips to help you boost the habit of practicing yoga and staying with it: 1. Set an intention - Before you roll out your yoga mat, turn on your calming music and essential oil diffuser, and set the purpose for your practice. This might look like being kind to your body if it's feeling sluggish or sore. It might even be stepping out of your comfort zone to build trust in yourself. Whatever you want to intend for your practice, make sure it is a good intention that will serve you for your session. 2. Don't start the session stressed - No matter our age, we all understand the frazzled feeling when running late, especially if we hit snooze too often. Give yourself an extra half or full hour to wake up. The intention will allow your frazzled nervous system to begin the day at ease rather than further heightening the stress hormone, cortisol, which is already boosted to get us up and moving.

3. Meditate - Although I will be teaching you some morning flow poses you can do, try meditating on the days you are resting. Meditating has infinite benefits. Even just five minutes can have a positive impact. Getting into the habit of noticing our thoughts instead of getting wrapped up in them is one benefit that will do a world of good for you so that you can go into your day feeling calmer and more grounded. 4. Breath awareness - Besides inhaling and exhaling deeply to remove impurities, focusing on your breathing is an excellent way to bring you into the present moment. Our bodies try to hold onto what has already happened, whereas our mind wants to project us forward. Therefore, our breath keeps us present and out of these hamster wheel traps. 5. Start today - There are no requirements to start practicing yoga. You don't need to be your younger, flexible, or mobile self. You need you, as you are, and the practice to do the rest. With these tips in mind, the morning wake-up flow includes a series of moves targeting joint health. In addition, these yoga poses can be incorporated into your daily life to help your mobility and stability as you age healthily. The morning flow gently stretches my muscles, which engages my body for the day ahead. My all-time favorite part is the first pose, Tadasana (mountain pose.) As I slowly bring my arms up above my head, I take the deepest breath I can manage and then slowly exhale as my arms come down. I typically repeat this motion two to three times until I feel ready to move on. This creates a stretch that mirrors that glorious stretch most people do while still in bed, extending their arms and legs, which elongates the torso and starts bringing life into the body. Tadasana helps me regulate my breathing, enter a meditation-like mindset, and prepare me for the rest of the flow. When I leave my mat to get that precious cup of coffee, my mind is clear and set with intention, and my joints are no longer cracking as I walk to the kitchen. It creates a mindset that makes the day ahead seem possible, regardless of how challenging it may be.

MOUNTAIN POSE (TADASANA) The mountain pose or Tadasana (tah-DAH-sun-nuh) is a simple yoga pose where you stand firm and straight with your feet planted on the ground. From the Sanskrit words, tada means mountain, and asana, as you learned in the previous chapter, means pose and will accompany most, if not all, yoga names in their Sanskrit terminology. The mountain pose is commonly used as a foundational pose sequence for other standing asanas, such as the tree pose. It promotes having a relaxed power, stillness, stability, and strength, all characteristics that we often relate to mountains. Mountains and rivers have a close-knit relationship and are represented by the Indian God, Himavut. Himavut is also associated with the Himalayas. He is also believed to be the father of Ganga Devi, who is the goddess of India's most sacred river, the Ganges, which flows down into Bangladesh from the Western Himalayas. When we stand in mountain pose, our head is closest to the mountains and heavens. It is here where we can begin to receive blessings. These blessings are said to move through us just as a river flows down the mountain, like the Ganges. Also in the Himalayan mountains is Mount Kailash, located in the southwest corner of Tibet. Mount Kailash has two lakes. One lake is shaped like a crescent moon, while the other looks like a sun. One thing that I did not mention earlier is that Hatha means the sun and moon. Ha, in the word is the sun, and tha is the moon. Some believe these two lakes contain two energy currents that meet at one central channel to the furthest point of consciousness. As such, Mount Kailash is considered sacred grounds. Even though the mountain pose is a standing pose, it still has excellent benefits, such as: Promoting body awareness as it keeps your body in alignment. It may seem small, but it requires you to be aware of your posture. In this pose, be conscious of how your limbs and spine are shaped to remain aligned and help you correct your balance and posture. Ask yourself, "am I slouching or

standing tall with my heart open” while doing the mountain pose? The mountain pose also helps to activate your knees, glutes, and ankles to help strengthen your lower body. Remember that your legs are your foundation for mobility, so you want to keep these strong! This pose will help if you tend to stand lopsided, enabling you to distribute your weight evenly. You should do this pose often if your lower back aches. How to Perform the Mountain Pose The mountain pose might seem straightforward; however, it's relatively complex in its simplicity at first glance. 1. Stand on your yoga mat with your feet hip-width apart and your toes facing forward. You may have the sides of your big toes touching if your balance allows for it. 2. Keep your arms at your sides as you imagine a string is pulling your head towards the sky to lengthen your spine. 3. Lift your toes slightly to spread your toes so you can evenly distribute your weight between your two legs. 4. Close your eyes to feel the awareness of your body's stance. Feel the soles of your feet on your mat and notice your posture. This is when you want to focus on where you feel the most pressure on your feet. Do you feel the pressure on your heels or the balls of your feet? Do you feel the pressure on the outside or inside of your feet? Do you feel all 10 of your toes spread out on your yoga mat? Make minor adjustments until you feel your weight is even. When you feel balanced, open your eyes. 5. Activate your leg muscles as you firm

your quadriceps and extend your tailbone. You should feel your kneecaps slightly; however, ensure that you don't lock them, as it will stress your knee joints and restrict your blood flow, causing us to feel faint. 6. Pull your shoulders down and back as you pinch your shoulder blades together to line them up with your hips. 7. You may leave your hands at your sides or bring them to Anjali Mudra (prayer position). Or you may raise them to the sky for an added challenge. 8. Hold for one minute.

Mountain Pose Tips Here are some tips and tricks for successfully performing the mountain pose: Be aware of the positioning of your feet. Some yogis prefer to have their feet together, while others prefer to have their feet hip-width apart. This decision is based on how well you balance. If finding your balance while standing is challenging, use a wall to help you by aligning your back to it to help you get into the proper position. Envision the energy moving from your feet and exiting the crown of your head. This imagery helps you align your spine to create a

constant current and your body in a correct stance. Try to do the mountain pose with your eyes closed the entire time. Losing a visual frame of reference forces your body to maintain its stature. As I mentioned, the mountain pose is your starting position commonly used to start a flow session. It can also help you prepare for the asanas to follow. In this case, we will move into the standing forward bend. STANDING FORWARD BEND (UTTANASANA) The standing forward bend or Uttanasana (OOT-tan- AHS-anna) is one of the newer poses in yoga. Uttana means an intense stretch. The pose was first documented in the 19th century in the Hindu text Shri Tattva Nidhi in Mysore, India; it was not mentioned in any of yoga's classical texts. This posture is essential, especially for seniors, as it helps balance the body while bending forward. It is known for its calming abilities to the mind as it teaches us patience and acceptance. It also increases brain circulation with your heart above your head to help relieve stress. Benefits of the Standing Forward Bend The standing forward bend will help improve your posture as you ground your feet firmly on the mat. This position allows you to bring more weight to the balls of your feet while equally distributing your body weight. In addition to helping your posture, the standing forward bend will help relieve any stiffness and tension in your back and neck. For example, as you are lengthening your lumbar spine, it helps to counteract the pressure in your lower back, which we commonly get from sitting for extended periods over years of a sedentary lifestyle. You'll also find that tension in your neck and shoulders can quickly release in the standing forward bend. The forward folding motion of this pose helps to increase your hip flexibility. Your hip flexors will stretch and lengthen, which will help with balance and strength in the hip and pelvic areas.

How to Perform the Standing Forward Bend 1. Keep your feet in the same position as the mountain pose. 2. Breathe in and out three to six times. On each exhale, let your torso begin to open your spine to stretch your back muscles. 3. Inhale and bring your arms up over your head with your palms facing each other. On your next exhale, hinge at your hips to bend forward as you swan dive to bring your arms back to your sides. Place your fingertips on the floor at the bottom of the bend. 4. Let your head hang between your arms. 5. Press your tailbone down and engage your core muscles. 6. Inhale to come back up, imagining each vertebrae stacking on top of one another. 7. Repeat this pose three times.

Standing Forward Bend Tips If you can bend further, try to place your palms on the floor instead. If neither is possible, this is where your yoga block will come in handy. It's okay to bend your knees slightly, but it does change the pose's benefits, so yoga blocks are recommended. If you suffer from vertigo, use a chair to place your palms on as you bend forward. Bring your hands to the chair seat, making sure to adjust your head, so your back and neck feel comfortable. If you want to hang like a rag doll, grab your opposite elbows as you sway back and forth gently. To further release tension in your neck, nod your head and rotate it side-to-side. Make sure your fold is coming from your pelvis. If you bend from your back, you will curve your spine and have it hanging over your legs. Now that we have bent forward to release stiffness into your back and neck let's move into the half-moon pose to test your balance further. HALF-MOON POSE (ARDHA CHANDRASANA) VARIATION The half-moon pose or Ardha Chandrasana (are-dah chan-DRAHS-anna) is rewarding as it is demanding, as it challenges your balance. In this pose, you

will channel two energies, one from the moon, which provides a calm and cooling sensation, and the other from the sun, providing a fiery and intense feeling. In Hindu stories, some believe that if someone looks at the moon during the yearly celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, they will be cursed. This celebration happens between August 22 and September 30 of each year. Ganesh was the son of Lord Shiva and goddess Paravati. The legend says one day, he was accepting sweets from a disciple. Ganesh discovered he had a sweet tooth, so he continued to take sweets throughout the day. However, as he was making his way home later that night, Ganesh tripped and sent his sweets flying in various directions. Embarrassed, Ganesh began to pick up his treats when he noticed the moon, more specifically, the moon's God, Chandra, laughing at Ganesh and his unfortunate mishap. Ganesh became angry and cursed the moon. Chandra apologized for laughing, and Ganesh forgave Chandra. However, forgiveness was made on one condition. Anyone could glance at the moon on any other day outside of the period of August 22 and September 30. So if anyone were to look at the moon, they would be subjected to being cursed to be invisible for a short period, just like the moon's waxing and waning phases. The good news is that if you look at the moon during Ganesh Chaturthi, you can lift it by reading or listening to the story of Syamantaka Jewel, found in the Puranas, a different piece of ancient Hindu scriptures. We talk about the Sanskrit language frequently in yoga. However, the words have different elements; you can feel how certain words create energy within you. Some believe the moon is connected to many feminine qualities from various cultures. Practicing moon poses allow us to foster a gentle power and calm awareness of ourselves. At times, the moon looks half of itself or entirely gone. This was the stipulation of the curse Ganesh inflicted upon Chandra. However, it is at this moment to remember that it is all there and will return. We can apply this to ourselves by remembering to stay true to our power, for it is solid and unchanging; it is just waiting for you to discover it inside your soul. Benefits of the Half-Moon Pose Variation

The half-moon pose variation helps to stretch your whole body. Within the stretch, you'll be able to realign your body and address posture issues. In addition, the pose can help promote better balance by encouraging you to focus on your body and maintain a still composure. When we are balanced equally, our mind and body connection strengthens and can help to prevent injuries from falls. You'll also strengthen your core muscles as you need to use them in the half-moon pose. Be sure as you are in this pose that you keep breathing through each step. This pose also helps to stretch and lengthen your hamstrings and open your chest, heart, arms, and hips. The half-moon pose can help decrease back pain. Also, if you have shoulder and neck pain, this pose can help target these areas too. You should also feel a sense of calmness in your mind as it helps to release happy hormones and reduce stress and anxiety. Lastly, the half-moon pose can help with: digestion self-awareness body coordination fatigue and exhaustion How to Perform the Half-Moon Pose Variation These instructions are the more accessible variation of the half-moon pose. However, I will provide a different variation and modification following these instructions. 1. Standing in the mountain pose, place your left hand on your waist as you bring your right arm up. Inhale. 2. Exhale as you bend towards your left side. 3. Inhale to return upright. Lower your right hand and place it on your right waist. Repeat with the bend towards your right side. 4. Repeat twice on each side.

If you want to do the full half-moon pose, here are your steps: 1. Begin with your right leg forward, bending it slightly while you bring your left hand to your hip. Your right toes should be facing the right wall, while your left leg and toes should be facing the front. 2. Bend towards your right as you bring your right hand to the floor in front of your right foot. As your hand needs to be under your shoulder for the full pose, be sure to place your hand about a foot in front of you. The same rule of thumb applies if you are using a yoga block. 3. Put your fingers in a tented position so your fingertips touch the floor or the block. As you begin to straighten your right leg, lift your left foot off the floor at the same time; be sure to keep your left leg as straight as possible. 4. Open your hips as you stack the point of your left hip over your right hip. 5. Have your left leg parallel to the floor and flex your ankle and foot, so your toes face the front of the room. 6. When you feel balanced, bring your left arm toward the ceiling to create a straight line between your right and left arms. Turn your head so your gaze is up towards your left fingers.

7. Hold for five inhalation and exhalations and then bring your left leg to the floor and repeat on the other side. Half-Moon Pose Variation This modification is excellent if you’re working on your balance and mobility skills but still want to push yourself a little further with the half-moon pose. 1. First, find a sturdy chair you feel comfortable using for your yoga practice and place it on your right side with the seat facing toward you. 2. Begin with your right leg forward, bending it slightly while you bring your left hand to your hip. Your right toes should be facing the right wall, while your left leg and toes should be facing the front. 3. Bend towards your right as you bring your right hand to the seat of the chair in front of your right foot. 4. As you begin to straighten your right leg, lift your left foot off the floor at the same time; be sure to keep your left leg as straight as possible. 5. Open your hips as you stack the point of your left hip over your right hip. 6. Have your left leg parallel to the floor

and flex your ankle and foot, so your toes face the front of the room. 7. When you feel balanced, bring your left arm toward the ceiling to create a straight line between your right and left arms. Turn your head so your gaze is up towards your left fingers. 8. Hold for five inhalation and exhalations and then bring your left leg to the floor and repeat on the other side. 9. Repeat on the left side. Regardless of the variation you decide to do in your flow, as you return to the starting position, take a few moments to stand in the mountain pose as you prepare to move into a gentle backbend. GENTLE BACKBEND ( ANUVITTASANA) Backbends help you continue to build flexibility while helping with your physical and emotional well-being. The Sanskrit for this pose is called the Anuvittasana (ah-new-veh-TAHS-anna). In yoga, it's said that performing backbends helps release energy pent up in your spine. By releasing the energy, it can awaken the spiritual energy, Kundalini, which is stored at the base. In addition, the pose benefits your back as it helps to lengthen your spine and improve mobility and flexibility to help promote good posture. I do want to note; however, we are not expecting a gymnast-level backbend! Rather, a gentle stretch. How to Do the Gentle Backbend 1. Begin from the mountain pose.

2. Inhale and bring your arms up overhead and gently bend back about 15 degrees. 3. Exhale and look up to the sky or ceiling. Stay here for three counts of inhaling and exhaling. 4. On your final exhale, bend back to upright and release your arms alongside your body.

If you need some extra support for your backbend, try this: 1. From the mountain pose, place your hands on your lower back with your elbows drawn back slightly. You will want to pull your shoulder blades together to achieve this. 2. Breathe in to fill your chest and lift your breastbone, also known as the heart center. 3. Bring your gaze to the ceiling or the sky and stay there for three breaths of inhaling and exhaling. Now that you have energized your body, it's time to move into the final pose of your morning flow, the tiptoe balance posture. TIPTOE BAL ANCE POSTURE (PRAPADASANA) The tiptoe balance posture helps to place pressure and invigorates your ankles and calves. In Sanskrit, the pra means to be forward, and the pad refers to your foot. In addition, the tiptoe balance posture will help you improve your

concentration while you balance. It will also help to strengthen your thighs, knees, calves, ankles, and feet while stretching your hip flexors, groin, and hamstrings. This pose also helps your spinal column align itself. Lastly, as you stand on your tiptoes, feel the stretch in your feet as you strengthen your ankles, toes, and legs. How to Perform the Tiptoe Balance Posture 1. From the mountain pose, inhale and count to four while lifting your heels and onto your tiptoes. 2. Exhale once you get to the top. 3. Remain on your tiptoes as you inhale for another four counts. 4. Exhale for four counts as you lower your heels to the floor. 5. Repeat four times. The best part about this pose is you can practice it throughout the day, not just in your morning flow. Use the back of a chair, countertop, or table to support you if you have balance issues or weak ankles. IN SUMMARY In this chapter, you learned a morning flow technique that you can implement into a morning routine. In addition, you have learned some tips for practicing yoga in the morning and how to stick with it.

With each pose, remember to be aware of your body and how it is standing in each pose. Keep in mind your weight distribution so that you can move from one pose to the next fluidly. If it is not seamless on the first try, give yourself grace because, with practice, you’ll get better, and don’t give up trying. As my favorite Star Wars Character, Yoda, once said, “Do or do not, there is no try.” I encourage you to do the do in your yoga poses because, in time, it will get better. As you have learned a morning flow of yoga poses, let’s jump into a peace and serenity flow to help you with mindfulness.

Morning Flow Positions Overview

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PEACE AND SERENITY FLOW

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hat does serenity usually mean? The world's definitions typically refer to being peaceful, calm, and tranquil, where you feel at ease. But when you picture what a serene person looks like, what do you see? Maybe a Buddhist monk sitting in a lotus position as he meditates in a temple? Perhaps it’s calming music played in a spa? When we have more serenity in our life, we are better equipped to manage uncertain situations because we can pivot and be able to respond accordingly. Positive emotions are the result of particular thoughts and behaviors. For example, in the case of being serene, being present in the moment is the result of thoughts and behaviors that led you there. When we feel peaceful, there is a deep-rooted sense of connection to the universe, and we feel calm and uplifted. In this chapter, we will explore the feeling of peace and serenity through a flow with several low-energy, relaxing poses designed to help clear your mind and restore focus. When we have a liberated mind, we see that most problems are minor and do not allow drama and negative energy to create a more significant issue. This is all due to having awareness and positive mental habits, which will enable us to see the bigger picture. This is where the question, "what is this doing for me" comes in because they can objectively look at the situation and learn the lesson. I've often turned to the peace and serenity flow, but I turn to it the most after a stressful or anxious day. When I feel down or defeated, I pull out my yoga mat, dim the lights, and start clearing my mind as I relax into the first pose,

Baddha Konasana. Then, I focus on my posture, breathing, and engaging my muscles which takes my focus away from the negativity of the day. It can be challenging not to let your mind wander and replay the day in your head, and it took me a while to get to a place where I could start blocking that out. That said, it's not impossible! The game-changer for me was Savasana. As you relax into the pose, try to focus on individual muscle groups (shoulders, for example) and release the tension one by one as you envision yourself melting into the floor. As we focus on relaxing our muscles, we can push the negativity away and transform it into a peaceful and more positive state. After completing the peace and serenity flow, I feel ready to either re-engage the day or get into bed with a healthier mind and a more positive outlook on the day behind me and the day ahead. Since this sequence is gentle and nurturing, you can do it in the morning, before bed, during your lunch break, etc. Any time of day, really.

BOUND ANGLE POSE (BADDHA KONASANA) The bound angle pose, or Baddha Konasana (BAH-dah cone-AHS-ah-nah), or bound angle pose, allows us to open the deepest area in our hip muscles. Badha in the word means bound, while kona means angle. Benefits of the Bound Angle Pose The bound angle pose helps you recover from various activities, such as jogging. In addition, the pose helps to lengthen your spine to improve your posture, helps with flexibility in your lower back, hips, thighs, ankles, and groins, and helps to disperse tension. How to do the Baddha Konasana 1. On your yoga mat, begin with your

legs extended forward. Sit up straight and have your arms straight with your hands on the floor. 2. Draw the soles of your feet together as you bend your knees. Let your knees fall to the sides. 3. Place your hands on your feet and open them as if you were opening a book. 4. Pull your shoulder blades in and lift your chest. Hold the position for a minute or two. 5. Release your feet and extend your legs back out in front of you to exit the pose. Helpful tip: We all have natural limits and abilities. Depending on your bone and muscular structure, your knees may not open to the floor, which is okay! This pose will help to stretch your inner thighs while building strength in your back. If you wish to deepen the stretch try this: with your feet drawn into your pelvis, bend at your hips to lean forward while keeping a long spine to intensify the stretch in your inner thighs. With this pose helping you open up your hips and improve your posture, let's move into the seated cat-cow pose to build onto the bound angle pose. SEATED CAT-COW POSE UPAVISTHA BITIL ASANA MARJARIASANA Moo and meow together? Putting cats and cows together seems strange, but it's like putting peanut butter and jelly together in this pose. Although it looks

like an unnatural pair, both postures have their names from their similarities with the animals, and they flow well. For example, in the cat position, or Marjariasana (maa-r-jaa-raa-sun-nuh), the arched back mimics a scared kitty and cow, or bitlanasa (bi-ti-laah-sun-nuh) is like the dip in a grazing cow's spine. Together, both movements help to warm up your spine and prepare your back for more bendy and twisting poses. Our spine is the center of our energy, so treating it with love and care is essential. The Benefits of the Seated Cat-Cow Pose Seated Cat-Cow Pose or Upavistha Bitilanasa Marjarasana can help you stretch your hips, back, and core muscles. It can also help improve blood circulation between your vertebrae to help relieve back pain and stress. In addition, this asana can help stimulate and strengthen your abdominal organs and open your chest to encourage deep breathing. This pose also calms your mind and can help with learning postural awareness in your body while correcting your spine alignment. How to Do the Seated Cat-Cow Pose 1. Sit on the floor or chair with the bottoms of your feet together and your legs are drawn in. (Bound Angle Pose) 2. Place your hands gently on your knees. 3. Inhale and lift your chest while looking up at the ceiling for the cow part of this pose. 4. Exhale and round your spine while you tuck your chin into your chest for the cat. 5. Continue to flow through the cat and cow slowly 10 times.

Now that you have warmed up your abdominal muscles, hips, and spine, let's move into a reversed yoga pose called the wind-removing pose. WIND-REMOVING POSE (PAVANAMUKTASANA) The wind-removing pose or Pavanamuktasana (paH-vah-nah-mOOk-taHsanna) is a healing pose. Pavana signifies air or wind, and mukta signifies freedom or release. It helps to release any gas built up in your abdomen while massaging your back and spine. Benefits of the Wind-Removing Pose If performed regularly, the wind-removing pose can help improve your digestive system and relieve digestion, flatulence, acidity, bloating, and constipation. It can also help remove tension in your lower back, thighs, and hips while soothing your spine. How to Do the Wind-Removing Pose 1. On your yoga mat, lie down with your arms and legs extended. 2. Bend your right knee and draw it towards your right shoulder. 3. Using your hands to pull your knee

closer, hold for 10 breaths. 4. Release and switch to your left leg. 5. After your left leg returns to the starting position, hug both knees to your lower ribs so you can stimulate your digestive system and massage your internal organs. Hold for 15 breaths and then release. If you want to deepen the stretch, lift your head and bring your knee and nose together in the pose.

Other Tips When performing the wind-removing pose sequence, always begin with your right leg drawn up as it applies pressure on the ascending colon. If you start with your left leg, it will apply pressure to the descending colon, thus causing aggravation, constipation, intestinal discomfort, and bloating. Keep your lower back flat on the floor by extending your leg as straight as possible. Try a few rounds of this pose in the morning when you are still in bed. Doing this helps to gently wake your body up and can help

make movements easier throughout the day. Modifications of the Wind-Removing Pose The wind-removing pose is suitable for yoga beginners. However, if you need to modify it to make it more comfortable, try these ideas to see if a variation works better for you. If your stomach or chest is larger, you might find it difficult to clasp your hands around the leg you have drawn for the stretch. Instead of holding your leg over your chest, try to bring your knee to the side of your body and pull it toward your armpit. Use a yoga strap by wrapping it around your knee and holding onto it with both hands. If you have tight hip flexors, bend your extended leg and place your foot flat on the mat. Feeling serene is achieved when we don't have internal factors building up inside of us. Therefore, it helps us to feel rested and calm. However, to continue building on the tranquil feeling, let's move into the next pose: legs up the wall. LEGS UP THE WALL (VIPARITA KARANI) The legs up the wall or Viparita Karani (vip-par-EE-tah car-AHN-ee) is believed to have appeared in the yoga texts from the seventeenth century. The intention behind the pose is to be a restful asana. It's believed that when we lie in stillness with our legs up in the air, the legs up the wall can help reset our nervous system and bring us back to the present moment. The accessibility of this asana is excellent as there are many modifications you can do, especially if you are newer to yoga practice. Benefits of the Legs Up the Wall As the legs up the wall is a passive inverted pose, it can help release stress, anxiety, and tension. This pose can help with swollen ankles, legs, or feet due

to warmer temperatures, a long flight, or a medical condition. In addition, the legs up the wall can: Give you pain relief if you have sciatica or other nerve pain. Improve the function of your thyroid gland. Help with headaches and migraines. Boost your energy. Relieve tightness and discomfort in your lower back. Alleviate feet and leg cramps. Encourage lymph flow. Improve your blood circulation. Correct your blood pressure. Help with digestion. Help you sleep better. How to Do the Legs Up the Wall 1. Sit sideways on the floor with your right side against the wall. 2. Have your knees bent and your feet drawn into your hips. 3. Bring your legs up against the wall in a swinging movement. Lie down on your back as you turn. 4. Bring your hips against the wall. You may also want to keep them slightly away if that is more comfortable for you. 5. Place your arms in a position that is comfortable for you. (For example: on the side, on your bell, or on your heart.) 6. Stay in the asana for approximately 10 to 20 minutes. 7. When you go to release, push yourself away from the wall and relax for a few moments. 8. Bring your knees to your chest to roll

onto your right side. 9. Be cautious and move slowly to return to an upright position.

Modifications For this asana, you may want to use a folded blanket, bolster, or cushion under your hips. If you use any of these, it's important to note that higher support requires you to be more flexible, as does having your hips closer to the wall. Adjust yourself until you find the position that works best for you. You are also welcome to bend your knees as you need. If it will help you be comfortable, feel free to place a pillow between the wall and your knees. You may want to use a cushion or folded blanket under your head and neck for additional support. Lastly, if your eyes are not relaxing, cover them with an eye mask, towel, blanket, etc. Variations Once you have skillfully managed the legs up the wall, you might want to try one of these variations:

Bring the soles of your feet together to create a butterfly pose. Bend your knees to draw your feet toward your hips. If you want to deepen the stretch, press your hands to your thighs. Remember to go as far as is comfortable for you. You can also open your legs into a "V" to feel the stretch in your inner thighs and hips If you would like to accomplish a deep hip opening, give the thread the needle variation a go: 1. Bend your right knee and place your ankle just above your left knee. 2. Bend your left leg and press your foot into the wall. 3. Lower your left foot down until your shin is parallel to the floor. Your leg should be 90 degrees. 4. You should feel a stretch in your right hip and thigh. Hold for one to five minutes, and then repeat on the other side. Additional Notes About the Pose: You may feel like your legs have fallen asleep or feel tingling when you hold the pose for a while. If you do, bring your knees to your chest and then return to the pose. You can also shake your legs to encourage circulation. You should also avoid this pose if you are worried about blood going to your head or if you have glaucoma, hypertension, or a hernia. You should be feeling quite relaxed after this pose. However, the next one I will introduce also has excellent calming effects.

CORPSE POSE (SAVASANA) The Corpse Pose or Savasana (shuh-VAHS-ah-nah) is key to any yoga practice, even though its English translation, corpse, is ironic. The pose is not about checking out. Instead, it is about letting go of your busy mind and distracting thoughts that come with it. The corpse pose also allows your body to rest and embody the asanas you have just practiced to feel their full benefits. The origins of this asana are a bit mysterious. However, we know that the corpse pose was first mentioned in the fourteenth century in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. The texts believed that when we lie down like a corpse, it helps to remove any tiredness caused by the asanas we just performed. In addition, it is meant to help refresh your mind, body, and spirit. The key to achieving the corpse pose is finding a neutral position that is comfortable for you. When thoughts float in, notice them but don't get attached. As you feel any sensations, take notice of them, but you don't need to do anything about them. In time, your body and nervous system will quiet down. You might even fall into a meditative state. The Benefits of the Corpse Pose As I had already mentioned, the corpse pose helps to calm your mind. In addition, this asana will: Decrease stress, anxiety, and other symptoms of mild depression. Decompress your body. Help with headaches or migraines. Reduce your blood pressure. Energize you. How to Do the Corpse Pose 1. Sit on the floor with your legs drawn up to you. Your feet should be flat on the floor. 2. Lean back onto your forearms to lie down.

3. Inhale and slowly straighten your legs with your feet apart and turned out. 4. Place your arms alongside your body, but not touching your torso. Have your palms facing upward in a relaxed state. 5. Bring your shoulder blades into your back for added support. 6. Once you are comfortable, relax into the pose and allow your body to feel heavy. 7. Let your breathing happen naturally. If you find a thought wanders in, notice it, then bring your attention back to your breathing. 8. Stay in this pose for at least five minutes. I highly recommend setting a timer for yourself so you are not distracted by checking the time. 9. To release from Savasana, exhale and roll to your side. Take two to three breaths in this position. On the next exhale, press your hands into the floor to lift your torso and bring you upright. Beginners Tips If you want to help relax your eyes, try using a cloth or eye pillow over your eyes. Place a block, a few folded blankets, or a pillow horizontally on your lower abdomen to ease the area. Use a cushion or a folded blanket under your head if you want to support your neck. Corpse Pose Variation If your lower back is holding a lot of tension, use a bolster, rolled-up yoga

mat, or a rolled-up blanket under your knees to bring you comfort. IN SUMMARY To consistently achieve a peaceful state, you should find a way to make mindfulness a habit in your day. This chapter taught you some poses to help you find a relaxed state, but outside of it, you are on your own. You have the power within you to find a way to remain calm in times of stress. In this chapter, I walked you through five of my favorite asanas to help you achieve a peaceful flow. With each of the asanas, you have the means to find yourself so you can go about your day. These low-energy asanas help you be present in the moment instead of thinking about the next thing on your to-do list. As we age, you want to incorporate a serene yoga flow into your day to keep your stress at bay. Therefore, the overall aim of this flow is to promote a healthy mind for a healthy body. As we move into the next chapter, remember to keep your mindfulness at the front of your mind as you work on stretching and easing joint pain. Peace & Serenity Flow Positions Overview

THE SURPRISING EXTRA BENEFIT BROUGHT ON BY YOGA

“Healing yourself is connected with healing others.” — Yoko Ono Did you know that you can boost your sense of social connection simply by practicing yoga? This is true even if you practice alone. Yoga practice improves the function of your vagus nerve and is key to your stress tolerance; this is also associated with feelings of social connectedness. Research has found that those with a greater vagal tone tend to connect with others more. Particularly when you lean into the meditative side of yoga, you’re making it possible to feel a greater connection to others while you work on your physical health and fitness. This is part of the reason I’ve become such a strong advocate for yoga – the psychological and emotional benefits it can bring us are just as valuable as the physical ones. As we get older and adjust to our changing bodies and circumstances, this becomes even more important. Of course, yoga isn’t the only way you can boost your sense of social connection. This is also achieved through the levels of social activity and support you weave into your life. Whether it’s drinks with friends, spending time with your family, or being of service to others, there are plenty of ways you can look after your social health in your ordinary life. And here’s one you can do right now! By leaving a review of this book on Amazon, you’ll be reaching out a

helping hand to other people like you and pointing them in the direction of the guidance they’re looking for. Simply by telling other readers how this book has helped you and what they’ll find inside it, you’re acting in service of the wider community – and that’s only going to help your sense of social connection. Thank you for your support. Yoga is such a transformative practice, and I want to help as many individuals as I can to reap its benefits.

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STRETCHING FLOW (CHAIR YOGA)

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s we get older, we sometimes need to change our lifestyles and habits to continue flourishing. Unfortunately, many common ailments related to getting older, such as feeling tired, sore muscles, and joint pain, can make exercising feel difficult. Unfortunately, when we have these ailments, we are more likely to become inactive or live a sedentary lifestyle for fear of hurting ourselves or not wanting to aggravate something. This is fine if you're injured. However, getting into the habit of not keeping active can make conditions, as I listed, much worse. Thankfully, an option such as chair yoga can help as it is an accessible exercise with great benefits for seniors. WHAT IS CHAIR YOGA? Chair yoga is a milder form of yoga practiced by either sitting in a chair or standing and using the chair for support.

What Are the Benefits of Chair Yoga? If you are healing from an injury, chair yoga is beneficial to allow you to remain active in a low-impact form of exercise. In addition, chair yoga can help you: with flexibility reduce your stress, anxiety, and depression help with pain management improve your blood circulation with balance issues encourage independence What Do You Need for Chair Yoga? Even though chair yoga is low-impact, you want to ensure that you have the right gear to prevent injuries and get the most out of your chair yoga session. Some of these items include: A stable chair without arms; make sure it isn't wobbling! A flat floor surface. Space for you to extend your arms and legs. In this chapter, I will teach you different yoga exercises you can do from the comfort of your chair. You are encouraged to try these out, even if you feel mobile and flexible, because the yoga asanas will promote good stretches to continue having painless muscles and joints. Myself, I love the chair yoga flow sequence because it provides a gentle, low-impact way of gaining strength and flexibility for anyone. And I mean anyone! Whether someone is a seasoned yogi, recovering from injury, or is brand new to yoga, the benefits of this flow are endless. As you may know by now, I've been prone to injury my whole life. The chair yoga flow was an essential part of my recovery journey whenever I took a step back from more vigorous activities. It provides the perfect balance of

support and challenge. The chair supports us more obviously by propping up our body to avoid putting too much weight on areas that may be painful. But it also reassures us, and therefore provides confidence, when trying something new. Should we fumble with a pose, we know our trusty chair has our back. When I set out to use this flow, I ensure I walk into the practice with intention and breath awareness. Since this flow is perfect for recovery or someone starting from scratch, we need to make sure we're in a headspace in which we are ready to focus, so we don't exasperate or create our injuries. When we start a new exercise routine, our endurance may not be at its peak, so being mindful of our breath as we move through the yoga flow is a simple way to help us build that endurance. Combining intention and breath awareness engages our mind to focus on each position which, in turn, results in amazing stretches and toned muscles.

SEATED OVERHEAD STRETCH This yoga stretch helps to stretch your obliques, latissimus dorsi, and deltoids. These three muscle groups work through the day when we lift, reach, or twist. In addition, the overhead stretch can help to correct your posture, improve your breathing, and strengthen your abs. How to Do the Seated Overhead Stretch 1. In your chair, face the front of the room. Let your arms hang beside you. 2. Inhale deeply as you lift your arms above your head. 3. Hold for one to two breaths. 4. Exhale as you lower your arms. Ensure you keep your core engaged and your spine lengthened through the exercise. Repeat 5 times. The overhead stretch is the starting point for your chair yoga practice as it sets up a

foundation for the rest of the flow, much like the mountain pose in the morning wake-up flow. Repeat the asana at least five times to thoroughly warm up your upper body when doing the overhead stretch. In the next pose, the chair pigeon, you will get to warm up and open your hips. CHAIR PIGEON (CHAIR KAPOTASANA) Although pigeons are sometimes called rats with wings by most of the population, beyond their cooing and wanting to steal your food, they have an interesting manner about them. In Sanskrit, the word Kapotasana refers to the posture of a pigeon; kapota is the pigeon part of the word. Have you ever noticed pigeons standing tall with their chests lifted and proud? There is interesting Hindu mythology surrounding a pigeon, and this pose was named after a great yoga master, Kapota, whose successes were recorded in the Mahabharata and Kalika Purana scriptures. Many said Kapota's soul was a few feet above his body while walking. It was as if he was not touching the ground as he moved. With a bit of imagination, you can envision yourself as a prideful pigeon, just like Kapota. Benefits of the Chair Pigeon In this asana, your hips, pelvis, hamstrings, and ankle muscles are targeted for the stretch. In addition, the benefits of the chair pigeon include:

Improving flexibility. Decreasing pain in your lower back. Correcting your body's posture and alignment. How to Do the Chair Pigeon 1. As you sit in your chair, sit up straight and forward on your chair so your back is not against the backrest. 2. Bring your left ankle and place it on your right knee or thigh. Use your hand to help you if you find it difficult to lift your ankle to your knee. 3. Flex your ankle a little bit. 4. Exhale and bend forward. 5. Hold the forward position for a few deep breaths, then sit back up. 6. Switch legs so your right ankle rests on your left knee or thigh, and repeat the sequence. This section teaches you how to channel your inner pigeon to find pride within yourself. As the pigeon is symbolic in Hindu mythology by portraying wisdom and pride, another bird also has significant symbolism and relates a little bit, in the same manner is the eagle. MODIFIED EAGLE ARMS (GARUDASANA) Some legends believe the eagle was as giant as a forest. To this day, in many cultures, an eagle symbolizes courage

and power. The Sanskrit word, Garudasana (gah-rue-DAHS-anna), refers to the eagle, as you might suspect from the title of this section. Although Garuda exemplified strength and courage, he symbolized protection, nurturance, and compassion. Some believe that he still guards mountains and temples. Like assuming the asana in Chair Pigeon to channel your pride and become the pigeon, take the Eagle asana to draw in power and strength. The Benefit of Eagle Arms In the eagle pose, you will achieve the following benefits: Alleviate shoulder, upper back, and neck tension. Strengthen your core. Help to bring flexibility to your elbows, wrists, and shoulders. Focus and calm your nervous system. Offer healing energies for our mindset. How to Do the Modified Eagle Arms 1. Sit in your chair facing the front. Extend your arms out in front of you. 2. Bend your elbows to cross your left arm over your right. Your forearms should join together. 3. Lace your fingers and lift your elbows slightly as you arch your back. 4. Remain in the pose for a few moments, breathing deeply. 5. After your last exhalation, unwind your arms to switch to the other side, where your

right arm will cross over your left. What is so remarkable about the pigeon and eagle is how much it embodies our desires to be strong in our mind, body, and spirit. Animals have such an exciting symbolism, not just in Hinduism but in many other cultures. The warrior is another compelling symbol we will explore and how it can apply to your life and yoga. CHAIR WARRIOR (VIRABHADRASANA) Hindu mythology has an interesting warrior story full of tragedy, love, hate, fury, aggression, and amnesty. The tale begins with Lord Shiva, known for being the god of "great ascetic, the master of fertility, the master of poison and medicine, and Lord of Cattle" (Doniger, 2019), and his marriage to Sati against the wish of Daksha, Sati's father. Daksha disapproved of Shiva for his unconventional lifestyle. Daksha's disapproval of Shiva would eventually lead to Sati killing herself at a party he was hosting. Following Sati's death, Lord Shiva became distraught. In anguish, Lord Shiva tore out his locks of hair and threw them on the ground. The locks of hair transformed into the fierce warrior, Virabhadra, who had three fire-filled eyes, a thousand arms, and a body so dark it mimicked a stormy cloud. Lord Shiva commanded Virabhadra to kill Daksha and his guests to avenge Sati. However, when Shiva arrives at the violent scene, he does not feel comforted by his choice. Shiva revitalized Daksha, who approved of Shiva's change of heart. Although the tale is dark, these warrior poses are not a celebration of ruin. Instead, the warrior is a symbol of fighting against our internal battles of ego, pride, false perceptions, a distracted mind, and ignorance. As you perform

this exercise, embrace the fierceness of the warrior pose as you work to improve yourself and your mindset. The Benefits of Chair Warrior The chair warrior helps to open your hip flexor through stretching. In addition, it can help to: strengthen your legs help with focus and concentration create a sense of balance and feeling grounded improve your blood circulation open your chest to improve your lung capacity and boost your energy How to Do Chair Warrior 1. Start by sitting on the chair with your body positioned to the left side of the seat. Open your right leg over the right side of the chair, making sure your leg is 90 degrees and your ankle is under your knee. Your toes should also be facing to the right. 2. Extend your left leg out behind you with your toes facing the front. 3. Your pelvis and torso should be facing the front. 4. Inhale and lift your arms over your head. 5. Exhale and bring your arms to your shoulder height to create a straight line making a "T" shape. Hold a few breaths, and then lower your arms to your sides.

6. Repeat four more times. If you want to build up strength to do this pose without using a chair, try lifting a little bit off the chair to stand while maintaining leg alignment. With our hips, hamstrings, pelvis, and ankle muscles stretched, we will move into working on our spine, as it has many benefits for anyone. The next pose involves a spinal twist; however, it also has an interesting legend accompanying its name. CHAIR SPINAL TWIST (BHARADVAJASANA) Bharadvaja was one of the notorious Seven Sages (also known as a rishi or saint) in the Vedic era. These saints were eternalized in India's constellation known as the Sapta Rishis or Seven Sisters if you are looking at Western astronomy. Bharadvaja first made his appearance in the epic Ramayana. Bharadvaja lived in a forest and was practicing austerities (sternness/severity) with his students when he was notified by one of them that Lord Rama, a Ramayana hero and manifestation of Lord Vishnu, had taken refuge in the same forest. Bharadvaja happily took in Rama. Lord Rama apologized for interrupting the practice and asked to join Bharadvaja and his students. During the various practices before Lord Rama appeared, he had been a manifestation of Bharadvaja. In his imagination, he had been washing the hands and feet of Lord Rama. Let's jump back to that mindset here for a moment. Remember when I quoted Buddha back in Chapter 2? In this story,

Bharadvaja had been envisioning Lord Rama appearing. Now that Lord Rama had appeared, Bharadvaja was washing his feet and hands in Rama's human form, making Bharadvaja joyous that his vision came to life. What you can take away from this tale is that we should practice the chair spinal twist with devotion and imagine the muscles moving as we breathe. The Benefits of the Chair Spinal Twist The chair spinal twist encourages healthy digestion. This is due to compressing the internal digestive organs and putting them under a small amount of weight, slowing down circulation. When you release from the twist, fresh blood will move to your digestive organs to provide nutrients and increase their overall function. The asana also helps with detoxing. As I mentioned, releasing the twist promotes fresh blood to move to our internal organs. New blood can also serve as a cleanse to help cells and remove any built-up waste. You can also help move any gas or stagnated impurities through the compression from the twist through the digestive tract. Picture it like a face cloth being wrung out, removing the stress and exhaustion from your body. Since our spine is essential, maintaining its regular rotation is vital for our daily movements. However, our tissues and muscles around the spine can become stiff as we age, leading to less range of motion, discomfort, and pain. Spinal pain can also be due to slouching and sitting in chairs that don't have the best back support or from our shoulders drooping forward. Therefore, spinal twists can help your spinal muscles remain mobile so you can move easily. The movement will also help to stretch and strengthen the back muscles to provide relief. Lastly, if you deal with stress or anxiety, a spinal twist helps to decrease these feelings as the asana will help to open your shoulders, back, and chest. Instead of keeping the tension stored, the twist will release it. Try combining the twist with measured breathing. How to Do Chair Spinal Twist

Sit up straight and forward on the chair and align your feet and knees. Using a block between your knees is a good idea so you can keep the alignment of your legs as you twist. Make sure your spine is lengthened before you begin.

1. Inhale and slowly twist your torso toward the back of your chair. 2. Hold for five breaths. 3. On the last exhale, untwist to return to the start. 4. Switch to the left side of the chair to twist to the left. IN SUMMARY Chair yoga allows a different way for you to experience this practice using the chair as a prop to make it more accessible, especially if we need to adjust our lifestyle to accommodate ailments. By doing chair yoga, you can remain active if you have injured yourself or have flexibility or mobility issues so that they don’t worsen with inactivity. Each of the chair flow exercises I provided to you in this chapter targets different areas of your body to help them remain mobile. Each of these should be practiced at least once a week to relieve pain points, stretch sore muscles, and help restore confidence in yourself to be able to do things on your own with little assistance. However, if the pain is something that is bringing you into the yoga world, the next chapter will introduce asanas that will help with providing pain relief

too. Stretching Flow (Chair Yoga) Positions Overview

6

PAIN RELIEF FLOW

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hen we experience pain in our back, it can be the result of carrying extra weight, having poor posture, arthritis, or due to physiological stress. However, consistent back pain is a common reason many visit their doctors. The American Chiropractic Association says that "most cases of back pain are mechanical" (Stelter, 2014). This means that the pain is not associated with fractures, an infection, or serious issues such as blood clots or kidney stones. It also means that treatment to prevent back pain in the comfort of your own home is a viable option in most cases. As we age, maintaining strength in our postural muscles and keeping our spine flexible is the most effective way to reduce the risk of back pain, and it can be done through stretching. My favorite way to use the pain relief flow is when my muscles and joints are sore. So many different things can cause sore muscles; sometimes, I just sleep wrong and wake up with a stiff neck, back, or hips. This flow provides superb stretches without putting a lot of strain on my muscles and joints. Most importantly, the pain relief flow helps us build strength in our back, which is the sturdy base of our body. When we have back pain, the pain can spread and affect almost every part of the body, such as the hips, shoulders, feet, extremities, and neck. All our muscles are connected, so we need to take care of the center of our body which will, in turn, take care of everything else. All the poses in the pain relief flow provide gentle stretches to build and tone

muscles in our back, even though it may not seem like it at first glance. As a result, we need to focus on our posture when we approach this flow. Sitting up straight for extended periods (starting small with only a few minutes) will build and tone those muscles, leading to an overall healthier body. In this pain relief flow, you will learn different asanas that can help with pain relief by stretching your joints. These yoga poses are beneficial for leg and back pain.

NECK AND CHEST STRETCH Before technology became a big part of everyday life, we often and unconsciously put our chins forward or down regularly for daily activities such as reading, looking at our plates as we eat, and driving. Unfortunately, even though we do it without thinking about it, the movement can cause pain in our neck and other areas of our spine and back, commonly felt in the upper and middle of our spine. The Benefits of the Neck and Chest Stretch There are several benefits from the neck and chest stretch, such as: Helping to alleviate neck and back pain while stretching out your chest, as bad posture can cause chest muscles to feel tight. Additionally, your neck will be stretched through the support of your hands. A stretch in your scapulae, trapezius, pectorals, and erector spinae (responsible for straightening and rotating your back). Stretching your obliques, the muscles responsible for bending sideways. How to Do the Neck and Chest Stretch 1. On your chair, sit with your feet flat on the floor. Lengthen your spine to

sit up straight. 2. Bring your hands behind the back of your head and interlock your fingers. Place your thumbs alongside your ears. Think of the pose like you are relaxing with your hands behind your head. 3. As you look up to the ceiling, let your head ease back into your hands. 4. Take a big breath in. 5. As you exhale, bend sideways to the left so that your left elbow points at the ground and your right points at the ceiling. Stay here and take two breaths before you sit back up to the starting position. 6. Repeat on the other side. Do this stretch three times on each side, alternating each time. The neck and chest stretch allows you to open your chest and heart center, and you are ready to move into the next pose, Vrksasana, or Tree Pose. TREE POSE (VRKSASANA) In Sanskrit, the tree pose is known as Vrkasaha (vrik-SHAHS-anna), and it challenges you to test your balance while you root yourself to the Earth. The mythology behind this pose began with Queen Sita and her trials and anguish. Sita was sent to the forest twice over her lifetime. The first time was when she was kidnapped by the 10-headed Demon King Ravana and the second time was when Sri Ramachandra, her husband, abandoned her.

Sita felt connected to the Earth as her mother, Bhumi Devi, is considered to be Mother Earth. While trying to overcome her misery, Sita stood beneath the trees and concentrated on one point to remain stable and grounded. In this story, Sita teaches and guides us to find our patience. Patience with ourselves when we are learning new things, such as yoga, and patience with others. The tree pose is about standing stable throughout changing times and growing from the lessons the universe is working on teaching us in our times of struggle. Sita's composure draws in comfort and strength from nature. Benefits of the Tree Pose Standing like a tree could feel a little silly; we are human beings, after all. However, here are some of the benefits you can find from performing this pose: The tree pose helps to strengthen your core and your legs while acting as a hip opener to stretch your inner thighs and groin muscles. Given that this pose has you standing on one leg, it will also test your balance, which helps with many daily activities such as walking. Metaphysically, the tree pose can help you accomplish balance in other areas of your life. The tree pose will help to strengthen the tendons and ligaments in your feet as you work to find balance in the asana. This pose will also help to tone and strengthen your supporting leg up to your glute muscles while stabilizing your pelvis. Since building bone strength is essential in older adults to avoid fractures and broken bones, the tree pose will help to strengthen the bones in your supporting leg due to the weight-bearing nature of the tree pose. This pose will allow you to feel confident in yourself, too!

How to Do Tree Pose 1. Begin this pose from Tadasana (Mountain Pose). 2. Lift your toes to spread them out on your yoga mat and engage your leg muscles. Lengthen your spine. 3. As you inhale deeply, lift your chest to open your heart center. 4. Exhale and bring your shoulder blades down and find a steady spot to stare at to hold your balance. 5. Place your hands on your hips. 6. Lift your right foot off the floor with your knee turned out to face the wall beside you. You have a few options for where you place your foot: 7. Place your foot flat against your ankle. 8. Place your foot flat against the side of your leg at about the middle of your calf. 9. Place your foot against your inner thigh. 10. You may also use a chair to assist with your balance. 11. Whichever option you choose, press your foot into your left leg. Be aware of your pelvis and ensure it remains even and squared to the front. 12. When you feel steady, bring your hands up to the prayer pose, Anjali

Mudra, at your heart center and then extend them overhead like a tree branch. 13. Remain in the pose for several breaths. 14. Release to step back into mountain pose and repeat on the other side. While this pose helps you become more grounded and rooted to the Earth, is also teaches you to find a connection with your body to become grounded, just like Sita sought a connection in the forest through your tribulations. Be aware of your limits and honor what your body needs each day, whether or not you are in the tree pose. In the next pose, you will learn how to connect further to your body using another animal, the sphinx or Salamba Bhujangasana. SPHINX POSE (SAL AMBA BHUJANGASANA) The sphinx pose, or Salamba Bhujangasana, is one of the beginner backbend poses where our body looks like a mythological creature. Here is an interesting story about this pose. In Greek mythology, they often believed that the world should shift from chaos to order and pined for that sort of culture. Those forces that went against the culture were portrayed as creatures who were half-beast and halfhuman who needed to be defeated by the Greek heroes. One of them was a sphinx with a lioness body and a human head and oversaw the city of Thebes. For those who tried to leave or access the city, the sphinx would ask them riddles. If anyone failed to answer, she would kill them. It wasn't until the

Greek hero, Oedipus successfully answered the sphinx's questions and got her to leave that Thebes was finally safe from her wrath and destruction. Of course, the more well-known sphinx, however, is the one who guards Egypt's great pyramids. Thus, it's interesting that this creature is a name for a yoga pose, even though there isn't quite a formal sphinx in Indian mythology except for the images found in the South Indian temples. Those pictures generally depict a human beast or a Purusha-Mriga. In many of the temples of Shiva and Vishny, the images on the walls show men and women who have lion, tiger, or deer feet. The Purusha-Mriga's story was first told in the Tamil version of the Mahabharata involving the Pandava brothers. One of the Pandava brothers, named Yudhishtira, was conducting a mantra ritual in front of a sacred fire, but for the ritual to be successful, he needed the presence of a Purusha-Mriga. So Yudhishtira sent his brother, Bhima, to fetch the myth‐ ical creature. When Bhima reached the center of the forest, he found the Purusha-Mriga. The Purusha- Mriga challenged Bhima to a race to the city of Hasti‐ napur with one condition. If the Purusha-Mriga caught Bhima before they reached the town, Bhima would be subjected to becoming the creature's slave. However, the Purusha-Mriga would obey his requests if Bhima won the race. Bhima was given a head start, and as he began to run, he realized how fast the Purusha-Mriga was. Bhima channeled as much strength as he could to beat the creature. However, as Bhima approached the border of Hastinapur, the Purusha-Mriga caught up and snatched Bhima's leg to declare victory. Bhima disagreed with this scandal and had Yudhishtira make the final judgment. Yudhishtira suggested cutting Bhima in half so the Purusha-Mriga could keep the half he captured. Purusha-Mriga was confused by this idea and asked if Yudhistira was serious about killing his brother instead of letting him go to be his slave. Yudhishtira had good wit, though, as he pointed out that Purusha-Mriga would be getting a slave, but only half of one. Purusha- Mriga laughed, unsure if Yudhisthira was being serious, fair, or dimwitted. Still, as he made the Purusha-Mriga happy, he let Bhima go and agreed to attend the ritual, which was successful.

Although the tale is fascinating, from the yogic view, the sphinx symbolizes evolution and devolution in our existence. Its purpose is to heighten the essence of other consciousness and attainment. From that, we receive the courage and strength of animals. As the sphinx is part lion, it symbolizes being the king of the animals, self-governance, and power; as a human, it symbolizes awareness, wisdom, and consciousness. Interestingly, although the pose is meant to have us mimic the look of a sphinx and is more connected to mythology, it's a variation of the cobra pose. And so, to finish this little mythology lesson, the breakdown of the Sanskrit, Salamba means to be supported, and Bhujanga means to be a cobra, making this pose a beginner variation of the cobra pose, which ironically does not have anything to do with a lion. Benefits of the Sphinx Pose Performing the sphinx pose is an excellent introduction to deeper backbends which provide a variety of benefits such as: Correcting your posture from sitting or being hunched over as it expands your lower back for your psoas (located lumbar area of the spine) muscles to stretch into your hips. It encourages you to work your glutes to support your pelvis, hips, and spine. Helping relieve back pain by clearing tight areas around the spine while helping them build strength to reduce pain. As I said, this is a beginner variation of the cobra pose. Therefore you can prepare to move into deeper back-bend poses, such as the upward-facing dog or cobra poses, since you are using your forearms to support you in the sphinx pose.

How to Do the Sphinx Pose 1. Start the sphinx pose on your stomach and push your pubic bone into the ground. Have your elbows placed directly under your shoulder blades. Press the tops of your feet into the mat to engage your quadriceps and kneecaps.

2. Inhale to lift your upper body to a comfortable level. As you lift, ensure that you are pressing firmly into the palms of your hands. Make space between your shoulders and neck as you extend through your heart center. Keep your eye line neutral.

3. Once you have reached a level you are comfortable with, breathe deeply, thinking about sending your breath to the areas that feel tight in your body. Let your forearms support your body. 4. Release and repeat at least two more times. Once you have completed your final backbend, return to a seated position to prepare for the Hero Pose or Virasana. HERO POSE (VIRASANA) The hero pose, or Virasana (veer-AHS-anna), is a seated yoga pose that stretches your quadriceps. Its name is inspired by the monkey god and the most celebrated Hindu character, Hanuman. Hanuman's famous for jumping from India to Sri Lanka to save Queen Sita from Ravana after she was exiled to the forest. Hanuman showed extraordinary capability while serving Sita's husband, Prince Rama. The pair developed a deep friendship due to Hanuman's devotion and loyalty. Thus, the kneeling in this pose portrays how Hanuman kneels with folded hands in front of Rama and Sita.

The Benefits of the Hero Pose Although this pose is, in its simplest way, a kneeling pose, it has several benefits to help you relieve pain, such as: The hero poses help to stretch your ankles, thighs, and knees while building flexibility. The hero pose can help to relieve any built-up gas in your intestines and improve your digestion. If you suffer from high blood pressure or asthma, the hero pose is therapeutic and can help you improve your breathing while opening your chest. This pose is also a spinal alignment and can counter the effects of slouching. How to Do Hero Pose 1. Begin the pose by kneeling on your knees, ensuring your hips are stacked over the top of them, and the tops of your feet are flat on the mat. 2. Keep your knees close together and separate your ankles so that you have room for your hips to be lowered in between your legs. If you are using a block, place it at its lower height between your legs so your buttocks will come to rest on top of it. 3. Exhale and lower your butt to the floor or your yoga block. If you are not using a yoga block, your bum will just come to the yoga mat. 4. Bring your shoulders away from your ears as you rest your hands on your lap. 5. Remain in the pose for a minute or longer if you need. 6. To come out of the hero pose, press your palms to the floor and lift your

buttocks. 7. Cross your ankles under your body so you can lean on your hip and bring your legs out in front of you. You might want to use a yoga block for the hero pose with the short side down, as this asana can be a little strenuous on your legs if they are tight. After you have completed this pose, we'll move into the child's pose, which is a soothing finish to the pain relief flow. CHILD’S POSE (BAL ASANA) The child's pose, or Balasana (bah-LAHsah-nah), is the most loved yoga asana because it feels amazing! It's like breathing fresh air in the mountains or seeking refuge following a difficult asana; it gives you a satisfying release where you can let go of your stress and be in the moment. Maybe that is where it got its name, the innocence of being a child where life is carefree. But there is also another story that accompanies this asana. After his magical birth, Krishna grew up in the Vrindavan forests. One day, while he and his brother, Balaram, were playing in the courtyard, Krishna took a handful of mud and ate it. Balaram, concerned for his brother's health, ran to tell their mother, Yashoda, what he had done. Yashoda grabbed her son and asked him if he'd eaten mud. Krishna denied the allegation, despite evidence of mud all over his face. Then, Yashoda commanded her son to open his mouth. What she saw inside was not traces of mud but the whole universe with the many galaxies floating in space. As Krishna's friends and family were unaware of his divinity, his divine play, or Lila, would cause them to forget the playful pranks that would often get him into trouble. In another tale, Krishna pulled an unknown prank and was chased by Yashoda so she could punish him. Yashoda finally caught up with Krishna,

and as she attempted to bind him to a cart, the rope would continuously shorten by two fingers, no matter how much rope was paid out. Krishna eventually allowed her to tie him, recognizing her affectionate efforts. Lila is one of the highest familiarities one can have with the divine. Why is that, though? Funny enough, it's pretty simple. Even though Krishna was divine, his friends and family could play, teach, or criticize him as if he were like them, a human being. You might wonder, what does this have to do with the child's pose? The two fingers of rope in the second story represent being infinite, which differentiates the divine from the human. When Krishna surrendered to his mother's love and will, he crossed the infinite to close the gap between divinity and humanity. As a yogi, this models the way to seek a bigger connection and understanding of the universe and our place and purpose within it. We achieve it by yielding to our egos and selflessly loving as Krishna did in this divine play of Lila; children do these things the best. When you embody the child's pose, you allow yourself to access a version of someone who can love unconditionally without thought and is not held back by fears. The surrender enables a path of grade to open when we have nothing left to rely on. In surrender, it is where we can be open to receive love and grace from the universe so that we can give love and grace to others. What Are the Benefits of the Child’s Pose The child's pose is a gentle recovery stretch. It helps stretch your hips, thighs, and ankles while relieving back pain. Using this pose sensibly allows you to practice listening to your body and doing what it asks you to do. It will tell you when you need to take a rest day or if it needs something different on other days. Being in tune with what messages are being passed to you and responding to them is the bigger lesson the child's pose offers. How to Do the Child’s Pose

1. On your yoga mat, come to your hands and knees. 2. Separate your knees as widely as you can while keeping the tops of your feet on the floor with your big toes touching. 3. Bend forward to bring your stomach to rest between your thighs while rooting your forehead to the floor. 4. You may not be able to reach the floor just yet, which is completely normal! Simply bend forward until you find your comfortable spot. 5. Allow your shoulders, jaw, and eyes to relax. You may even want to close your eyes. If you find having your forehead on the floor uncomfortable, use a cushion for support. Remember, the only way you will gain the full benefits of this asana is by finding that sweet spot to relax into! As for your arms, you can keep them alongside your body with your palms facing up or have them stretched out in front of you. 6. Stay as long as you like in this position as you reconnect with your breath's continuous inhaling and exhaling. IN SUMMARY The entire focus of this chapter was to give you a flow that targets pain and hopefully minimizes your visits to your doctor when you have pain in your back or joints. In this chapter, you have learned various stretches that can help to alleviate pain or tension in your chest, neck, back, hips, ankles, and knees. This flow can help keep your spine limber while strengthening your other extremities to prevent pain. Aging does not mean we need to hunker down when hurting. It

just means we need to give ourselves a little more self-love and care to continue to move our bodies as well as we can. Of the different mythologies in this chapter, think of how they can apply to you, not just on the yoga mat but out in the world, too. For example, when we channel nature into our soul, it promotes calmness for the storms. It also encourages us to continue having a positive mind, which is what our next part will dive deeper into!

Pain Relief Flow Positions Overview

PART III

POSITIVE HABITS

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ENHANCING THE MIND

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editation is a common practice associated with yoga. I highly encourage anyone to practice meditation, regardless of whether they’re a yogi or not, because of its benefits. That said, it can be challenging to achieve. But why is it so challenging? We certainly don’t actively use our muscles to meditate. Instead, we use the opportunity to calm the mind and connect with ourselves and the universe. Performing a series of yoga asanas is an excellent way to prepare your body for a meditative state. The poses are intended to prepare you for that final moment in your session, yet, interestingly, the link between yoga and meditation is seldom mentioned. When we slow down our breath, we allow ourselves to sync it with our body's movement, promoting calmness from head to toe. In those moments, we feel closer to our purpose as we bring our attention to the present, allowing us to accomplish more. The process of a yoga flow helps strengthen your body and awareness to be ready for meditation. HOW ARE MEDITATION AND YOGA CONNECTED? Meditation and yoga connect as a part of Pantajali's eight limbs. If you need a refresher, jump back to chapter 2, where I described each of the eight limbs. Together, meditation and yoga take our small self, whom we believe to be, and bring them into our daily lives and connect them to our higher self, which

is the cosmic consciousness. They each cannot exist without the other. That said, we need to find body awareness to look inward and meditate. Keep this in mind: Where our breath is flowing, it is where our mind is going. Meditation allows us to heighten our consciousness, while yoga guides our body to a sense of restfulness by removing the uneasy energy we tend to carry. Thus, yoga prepares our body to be focused on the deep concentration of meditating. It also helps to open our hearts to let the energy flow upwards to our higher chakras and consciousness. In this chapter, my goal is to guide you into a new level of cognitive stimulation and deeper thinking through the connection between yoga and our mind. My aim here is to deepen what the meditative practice is so you can take it to and from your yoga mat. Meditation: Why You Should Be Doing It As human beings, we would be lying to ourselves if we said nothing stresses us out and might make us feel anxious from time to time. We're human. We feel so many emotions, regardless of age. The stress hormone cortisol is what prepares us to respond accordingly. However, if it is a continuous state for you, this is where meditation can become even more impactful on your overall well-being, mind, and body. Spending a couple of minutes every day in a meditative state can help you return to a peaceful state and to find your inner peace to ground you. Anyone can practice meditation as it does not require any special equipment. Just a comfy and quiet space for you to focus on yourself. The practice of meditation has been around for thousands of years. Its original purpose was to help us deepen our perception of life's sacred and mystical forces. In this era, meditation is mostly used and recommended in times of stress and anxiety. As I mentioned at the start of this chapter, meditating allows us to direct our energies accordingly, allowing the good ones in and letting go of the energies that do not serve a purpose to our higher self.

Meditation also helps remove the frazzling thoughts that crowd your mind and cause stress. One thing to remember is that meditating is not about becoming a new, better, or different person. Instead, it's training you to find awareness and a wholesome sense of perspective. When meditating, you are not trying to turn off the feelings and thoughts that float your way. Instead, you are learning to acknowledge the thoughts and feelings and detach from them. Eventually, you may even begin to understand or adjust them. The Benefits of Meditation As we now know, meditation gives us a moment to relax and cope with stress as you bring our attention to a calm sense of being. In chapter 2, we also learned that meditation could give you balance to support your mental and overall health. However, the benefits don't end when you come to the end of a meditation session. They can follow you throughout your day, which, according to the Mayo Clinic (2020), is believed to help some medical conditions. Emotional and Physical Wellbeing Benefits of Meditating When we take the time to meditate, we can clear unhelpful thoughts that can contribute to our stress. Some of the benefits of meditating for our emotional and physical well-being include: Looking at something from a new perspective when a stressful situation arises. Attaining new skills to deal with stress. A better sense of selfawareness. Being able to focus on the present. Decrease negative emotions. Boost creativity and imagination. Increase our tolerance and patience in stressful situations. Bring down our resting heart rate and blood pressure. Better sleeping habits.

Meditating for a Medical Condition Stress can also impact medical conditions, and based on scientific research; it is thought meditation can help counteract the stress. Although some researchers have found results inclusive, that shouldn’t deter you away from meditating. Some research has found that meditation can help manage symptoms for: anxiety and depression irritable bowel syndrome asthma cancer chronic pain tension headaches heart disease high blood pressure insomnia or other inconsistent sleeping patterns Although meditation does not replace traditional medicine and treatment, it is a valuable addition to taking care of yourself. Types of Meditation Meditation is an umbrella for the various ways you can achieve a relaxed state. There are many ways to meditate with multiple components of the practice. Regardless of which one you feel works best for you (and there is no one size fits all), remember that each meditation practice shares the same goal: finding inner peace. Guided meditation is one of the more popular ways to meditate. Sometimes it is referred to as guided imagery or visualization. Some people use it to envision what they want in life, while others like this form to imagine places or scenarios that are relaxing. You can find

various options for a guided meditation through resources such as YouTube or podcasts. If you decide to give guided meditation a go, try exploring multiple senses, such as smells, textures, or sounds, if you decide to give guided meditation a go. I want to note that using a YouTube channel or podcast might take trial and error to find one instructor or voice that works best for you. In mantra meditation, you repeat a single, calming word or phrase to prevent disrupting thoughts. Qi Gong (CHEE-gong) combines relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, and physical movement to renew and maintain balance. This form of meditation is commonly practiced in Chinese medicine. Another form of Chinese meditation is Tai Chi (TIE-CHEE). This version is a gentle martial arts practice where you perform postures and movements in a slow-paced manner while working on deep breathing. Transcendental meditation is the simple and natural technique of meditation where you repeat an assigned mantra in a particular way. This form of meditation allows your body to find a restful state and relax your mind to achieve inner peace without using concentration. Lastly, yoga asanas and breathing exercises help your body become flexible while bringing calmness to your mind. When you approach yoga asanas that challenge your balance, I empower you to focus less on what your to-do list is saying you must do following your yoga session and be in the moment to stay balanced. How to Practice Meditation Even though meditation is not a cure-all, it can be a remedy to provide yourself with some needed space in your life. So when you enter your meditation practice, bring your patience and grace for yourself, and find a comfortable space. 1. In your space, take a seat that feels calm and comfortable for you. This could be on a cushion, your couch, a chair, or sitting on your floor with your legs crossed. 2. Decide how long you want to meditate. If you are new to meditation,

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aim for five to ten minutes in one session. Be aware of your body and ensure it is stable in the position you have chosen to sit in. Notice your breath as it flows in and out of your body. Be aware of your wandering mind. Remember, we are all human. Thoughts come in and will have you leave the attention of your breathing, enticing you to wander with them to think about your todo list. When you notice them, turn your attention back to your breathing. Give yourself grace if your mind wanders off the meditation path. Don't let the thoughts consume you. Detach and go back to focusing on your breathing. End the meditation with kindness. If you gaze at the floor, lift your eye line or open your eyes if you have them closed. Notice the sounds in your environment, how your body feels, and any thoughts or emotions flooding in.

After each yoga flow, I recommend including meditation so you can benefit from the postures and find your center for when you go about the rest of your day. DON'T FORGET SELF-LOVE The practice of self-love is to have an appreciation for yourself, which comes from actions taken to support our growth in spiritual, psychological, and physical means. It also means taking care of your needs and not sacrificing those to please someone else. It means not settling. Self-love has different meanings for each individual because we have other ways we like to take care of ourselves. So understanding what self-love means to you is important for your mental health. What Could Self-Love Look Like to You? To you, self-love could look like this:

Talking to yourself about what you love about yourself. Putting yourself first. Giving yourself grace instead of judgment. Believing in yourself. Being true to your core values. Being kind to yourself. Setting boundaries. Forgiving yourself for past mistakes. These ideas are more on the mental level of self-love. Some people view selflove as taking care of themselves through self-care. It might look like this: Listening to our body's needs. Give yourself a break if you're in the workforce by moving your body and doing a light stretch. Go offline to connect to yourself and your family, or do something creative. Eating healthy, but also knowing it's okay to snack on your favorite foods in moderation. Having self-love also means accepting yourself for who you are. It means letting go of the “should be” mentality like, "I should be able to balance in a tree pose," for example. It also means accepting your emotions and putting them, along with your physical and mental well-being, first. Why and How to Practice Self-Love So now that we know that self-love is a motivational factor in making good, healthy choices in your life, let's discuss how to practice self-love. When we are in a place of high self-esteem, we are more likely to choose the stuff that will foster our needs and serve us well - things like this look like eating a balanced meal and having good, influential relationships in your life. Ways to practice having self-love include: Being mindful and knowing what you think, feel, and want. When you focus on your needs versus your wants, you turn away from the

autopilot behavior patterns that could cause a spiral and lessen your love for yourself. Putting yourself first is your own version of showing your love for yourself. While putting yourself first could make you feel as though you’re being selfish, I promise you it is not. It’s not selfish to nourish yourself through healthy activities such as yoga, good nutrition, sleeping well, and interacting with people who match your values. Lastly, make healthy habits that mirror the above point. Don't jump onto the hamster wheel for the "get it done" mentality or because you feel like you "have to." Do it because you want to make a change in your life, especially if that’s what led you here. because that might be a factor that brought you here. One other piece of advice I want to instill in you before wrapping up this part of the chapter is that starting a new hobby, like yoga, and sticking to it is both intimidating and daunting. It might be prompting deeper levels of unfamiliar and scary thoughts, and it's okay! In the next chapter, we will go more indepth about making room for healthy habits that will serve you beyond this book. But for now, take this piece of advice to heart. You are worthy of everything. LEARNING TO LET GO It's a question we face when something leaves us emotionally drained: How do we let go of the past to move forward? Holding onto our past is as conscious of a decision as letting go to move forward. Our ability to feel pain, whether emotionally or physically, is what connects us as humans. We all experience hurt at one point or another. The degree of separation, however, is how we deal with the pain. Studies have found that if you are going through emotional pain, it's an indication that you aren't moving forward from the situation that caused it in the first place. Think of it as being stuck like a rock on the side of a riverbank and never moving. To heal from the things that have hurt us, we need to lean in and learn the

lessons from the situation. I want to reiterate this question from chapter 2. Ask yourself, "why is this happening for me," instead of "why is this happening to me?" Don't get stuck in the “should have been” spiral. It has no purpose and can immobilize painful memories and feelings. If you are trying to move forward, here are some tips to guide you into growth: Use affirmations or a mantra to counter painful thoughts. How you allow your inner chatter to come out and tell you things can either help you move forward or stay stuck. Yes, listening to your inner voice is suitable for many things. However, if it's telling you unserving thoughts, you need to be mindful of them, catch them, cancel them, and then change them to something positive. For example, instead of saying, "I can't believe this happened to me!" flip the thought to something positive such as, "I am being guided to a new path - one from which I can learn and grow." Instill physical distance from the person or situation that is causing you pain. Creating a boundary and physically removing yourself from the situation can help you let go because you do not have to think about it, process it, or have the reminder of it. Do the work. This is where self-love comes in. There are choices in life. You can choose to show up for yourself, do the work to grow, and face the hurt, or you can ignore it like the monster under the bed. Regardless, there is no meaningful change without putting in the energy to make it happen. When you think about the situation that causes you pain, catch yourself and bring yourself back to where you are now. Then turn your attention to being gracious, such as, "I am grateful for where I am, right now, in this moment." Practice mindfulness, as we explored earlier in this chapter. Be gentle with yourself. If you find your initial response is criticizing yourself for not letting go, show yourself kindness and grace. Some days will be more challenging than others. But it's also another indication to work on your self-love. Although I have said to do the work, I also want you to know that it is okay not to be okay. If you need a moment to let the negative

emotions flow, do so. You are not alone in avoiding the hurt or being afraid of feelings that encompass anger, grief, sadness, or disappointment. However, fighting them and shutting them out forever will not serve you either. So here is where I empower you to write it out. What are you feeling? Why do you think that way? What are some of the lessons you might be missing? Journal it. The answer is within your reach. Acceptance is another part of letting go. You may not get an apology or a reason for why someone did what they did. Not holding onto the what-ifs, letting go, and accepting is another stepping stone in the healing process. Be engaged with self-care. You have several ideas we have explored in the last part of this chapter. Be around people who fill your cup! What is your community like? Are you surrounding yourself with people who live negatively, or are you surrounding yourself with people who make you want to grow? Jim Rohn (n.d.) once said, "you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Are these five people the ones that lift your spirits and help you get through the hurt? Or do you feel alone? When we allow ourselves to lean on the people who support us, no matter what, it is a way not to feel isolated. These people are the ones who remind us what is good in our life. You are allowed to talk about it. I empower you to. However, when hurtful situations arise, you might feel like you are not allowed to talk about them, thus making it harder to move on. Talking it out is as essential as allowing yourself to be a sounding board. You are also allowed to forgive. Forgive, even if an apology never comes. IN SUMMARY Wow! We covered a lot in this chapter regarding positive habits and enhancing your mind. Mindfulness and yoga go hand-in-hand. Yoga is not just about holding poses and stretching. It is about connecting to your soul and positively enhancing your mind!

You have the tools to enhance your mindset further and find ways to work on self-love, the most crucial aspect of having a great perspective. These tools will propel you in times of hurt. It is okay not to be okay, but happiness is a choice. I am guessing you don't want to sit in a negative mindset, so I hope you take my ideas to heart as you heal. You can take these ideas into your yoga practice since its intention is to heal, soothe, and keep you mobile and flexible. As this chapter explores how a good mindset will guard your soul, the next chapter will explore how we guard our bodies. We'll cover how to keep it healthy through intentional daily habits.

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YOUR BODY IS YOUR TEMPLE

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iewing our bodies like they are as a temple is one thing most of us can do without an issue. Treating it like one, though, is sometimes a challenge. As we age and maybe our knee joints are aching, or we have a sore lower back, it's sometimes hard to appreciate what your body can do. However, with proper maintenance, exercise, and discipline, you can appreciate your body and remember that there are ways to soothe the aches and treat it like the temple that it is. Did you know that we are more likely to be active during the warmer months, but as the cooler season approaches (and if you live in a state like I do where it dips to single digits and gets snow), it's easy to fall off the bandwagon and hunker down? That's why implementing a yoga flow is an excellent way to stay active, whether the season is warm or cold. You have to make lifestyle changes to get the most out of it. I don't mean drastically changing everything all at once; that's pretty overwhelming, and we do that. Instead, make little changes over time that will boost your health and help you feel great daily! In this chapter, we will explore the different ways to maintain and incorporate more healthy habits into your life, including finding time for yoga and eating well. THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY HABITS

Do you feel as great now as you did in your 30s, 40s, or 50s? If the answer is no or it could be better, know that you can return to feeling great by incorporating healthy habits. I promise it's not as much effort as it appears to be, but it is worth it, even when it does feel like a lot. Small changes can significantly impact your health; if you do the work, you'll see and feel the difference! The Path to an Improved Well-Being Exercising and eating well are the fundamental changes to make if you want to feel great! It doesn't matter how old you are; these two healthy habits will help to strengthen your bones and muscles, which reduces your risk of injuries. They also help you in daily activities such as getting up from your chair and opening doors. Eating Well You don't need to make massive changes to your diet all in one go. Instead, try making one change at a time. For example, switch it to brown rice instead of white rice. If you like chocolate, try having some dark chocolate instead.

Other things you can do include: Adding more fiber to your diet. Fiber helps decrease constipation, can help with weight loss, and reduce health risks such as prediabetes, diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease. Men fifty and up should have at least 30 grams of fiber per day, while women in the same age category should have at least 21 grams of fiber. You can find fiber in your fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. You might even want to try the Mediterranean diet, which does not have a lot of meat, sweets, or dairy. Instead, the heart-healthy diet has you eating wholesome foods like fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Not to mention, it’s delicious! Be sure to be drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Water helps our bodies remove toxins while helping us stay energized. Eat less processed food since they lack nutrients and are generally high in sodium. Maintain an active lifestyle to improve chronic diseases such as diabetes. It can also help with your emotional perspective. Eating well and regularly exercising helps nourish your brain, enhancing your ability to make clear decisions, especially as you age. This is where your yoga practice comes in to help you stay active! But you can also do other activities such as gardening, dancing, fishing, or going for a 20- to 30-minute walk. In addition to those great benefits, by implementing healthy habits, you can expect to gain other benefits such as keeping a healthy weight and avoiding putting on extra pounds. Even if losing weight is not your goal, exercising regularly can help your cardiovascular health, improve your immune system, and boost your energy. You'll also find that your mood will be better because exercising helps the production of endorphins (the chemical responsible for making you feel happy and relaxed). With yoga, if you venture over to a studio, you can also improve your mood because of the human

connection of the other attendees at the session! By practicing healthy habits, you can increase the chance of living longer. But unfortunately, it might feel hard to break bad habits. Still, once you implement your healthier lifestyle, you'll see a difference, not just in your physical appearance and mental health but also in reducing the risk of certain diseases. INCORPORATING YOGA INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE Whether you are a seasoned yogi or are just getting into the practice, you might want to find ways to incorporate the practice into your daily lifestyle. Incorporating yoga practice regularly will help you remain flexible and mobile, as we have explored throughout this book. Here are some ways you can regularly incorporate yoga into your life. Find a Rhythm That Works for You Although staying committed and persistent are essential to creating healthier habits, give yourself grace if you have an off day. The way to develop a rhythm is to analyze your day-to-day activities. Then, look for the nooks and crannies where you can practice yoga, even if it's a short session. Some people prefer to practice their yoga first thing in the morning, while others like to practice it in the evening. Maybe you might practice yoga every other day or just on the weekends. Also, give yourself a break if you may not feel so great on the day you practice. Colds and flu happen, and there is no sense in allowing a judgmental voice to tell you that you can't do it. Maybe on days like those, you meditate instead of engaging in a full asana. Find Other Ways You Can Practice Poses Although blocks, yoga straps, and a mat are great tools, you can practice yoga without them in your day. There are many ways you can integrate yoga while doing things around the house. For example, do a tree pose when you’re brushing your teeth or drying the dishes.

Focus On Your Posture Throughout the Day Throughout the day, be aware of your body's weight distribution and alignment. If you happen to be doing some crafts or playing the piano, there are many yoga asanas you can incorporate, such as the seated twist. Tips to Enhance Your Yoga Lifestyle Throughout the book, we have explored various ways in which practicing yoga regularly is beneficial as it can enhance and change your life. Regarding habits, as humans, we are creatures of them, both good and bad. Our lifestyle and happiness come about due to our habits and rituals. As we explored a little earlier in this chapter, habits, especially good ones, can be hard to form, and bad ones, hard to break. So let's explore some tips to develop a yoga habit. Tips to Form Your Yoga Habit Set clear intentions for yourself. Why do you want to practice yoga? Knowing the answer to this question is key to finding your intention. It will keep you anchored. Write down your why so that you can look at it when you have frustrating sessions and remind yourself what you wanted when you began to take up yoga. Setting small, attainable goals is productive when creating a yoga habit. Set a challenge for yourself when you want to practice yoga. For example, you may want to set the commitment goal of practicing yoga every Saturday and Wednesday. The goals you set for practicing also apply to the time you spend on your yoga mat. For example, an hour might feel overwhelming at the start, so try to commit to spending 15 minutes practicing at first and then move it up to 30 minutes and so on. Then, at least on the days when you are not feeling up to it, you can convince yourself to do at least 15 minutes over a full hour. Did you know that when you write down your goals, you are more likely to achieve them? It enhances when you share them with a

friend! Find yourself an accountable yoga partner because when we don't have a buddy, it is super easy for us not to complete what we said we would. However, when we have a friend to do yoga with and share our goals with, we are more likely to show up, and they can help to inspire us to stay on track and vice versa. Not one of us is perfect, so setting a goal for perfectionism is silly, and you are more likely to fall off the wagon. Consistency, however, helps to build your yoga habits. That said, try not to be judgmental about yourself if you miss one or even 10 yoga practices. Being consistent is about getting back into it without giving up altogether. Also, remember that you won't be able to execute every yoga pose flawlessly when you start. Consistency and practicing the moves will bring you closer to correctly holding the pose. Commit to being a yoga student and studying it. So many interesting historical pieces and philosophies embody yoga, and we only looked at a little bit of it! Understanding the philosophy and history behind it might bring more meaning to the poses as you learn. The beautiful thing about yoga is that you can bring it anywhere! Bring your mat if you are going on a trip or have a backup of YouTube videos you can follow if you can't make it to the studio! Creating a habit is about limiting excuses. The more you are prepared for yoga, the easier it will be to fit into your life for life. As you begin to practice yoga regularly, the less you will need a strict structure. Foster the ability to listen to your body and determine how in tune it feels each day. If you need to adjust your yoga practice to suit you, do so. A yoga habit is meant to serve you so that you make it a practice for life. If you force yourself into a routine that doesn't feel right, it's a definitive way for the habit to become unsustainable. Reward yourself when you complete a yoga session. Maybe that looks like going to your favorite café or having a favorite snack! Whatever you choose is personal to you, but it will help to close the gap by associating your yoga practice positively. EATING WELL FOR YOUR HEALTH

As much as we would love for our metabolism to work well throughout our entire life, unfortunately, as we get older, it slows down. Eating well is crucial to maintain good health and nutrition. When we balance our diet, we protect ourselves from health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.) found that heart disease is the "leading cause of death." This means that you want to eat foods that will promote good heart health, which we will get more into soon enough. Additionally, eating foods rich in antioxidants can help reduce the risk of cancer. These fruits and vegetables protect your cells and remove free radicals (unstable atoms that can cause illness by damaging cells). If you have diabetes, eating well can help you maintain your glucose levels, keep your blood pressure and cholesterol down, prevent complications associated with the disease, and maintain your weight. Even if you don't have diabetes, these are areas you still want to keep, as they will contribute to sound energy. Healthy Tips for Eating Well ▷ Staying Hydrated Did you know that our sense of being thirsty decreases as we age? To counteract this, drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if you don't feel thirsty. Of course, there is always a bunch of different information on how much you should consume, making it confusing and overwhelming! Truthfully, there is no one-size-fits-all to how much water we should drink. At the very least, my advice is to aim to drink six to eight cups daily. Also, you will get water from water-rich foods, including salads, applesauce, and fruit. In addition, drinking more water can help: Carry oxygen and nutrients to your cells. Remove bacteria from your bladder.

Help with digestion. Decrease constipation. Normalize your blood pressure. Protect your joints. Protect your tissues and organs. Keep your body temperature regulated. Keep your electrolytes balanced. ▷ Eat an Assortment of Foods In chapter 2, we talked about how what we put in our bodies can impact our health. This is your opportunity to start looking at more phytonutrient-rich foods to impact your nutrition positively. ▷ Plan Your Meals Plan your meals for the week to prevent you from eating poorly. If you prepare a week's worth of dinners, throw them in your freezer until you are ready to eat them. You might even want to prepare a chili or soup that you can freeze into portion-sized containers. ▷ Minimize the Amount of Salt You Use Minimize how much salt you use in your food. Like our sense of thirst, our sense of taste also decreases as we age. As a result, we tend to reach for the salt to add flavor. However, putting too much salt can increase your blood pressure, leading to a stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. Try not to exceed 2,300 milligrams of salt per day. To increase the flavor of your food without using salt, try more herbs and spices. Basil, sage, rosemary, turmeric, and cayenne pepper are great alternatives and have a range of benefits for your health. Plus, they are packed with flavor! ▷ Learn to Read Nutrition Labels Learning to read nutrition labels is also important for eating well. Not everything is as healthy as it might seem or claim! For example, some canned

and packaged foods can contain a large amount of salt (listed as sodium), fat, or sugar that you might not even think about until you read the label carefully. ▷ Balance Your Plate Balancing your plate is another helpful way to maintain a healthy weight. You should aim to have: Half of your plate is filled with fruits or vegetables. One-eighth of your plate should have healthy fat such as avocado, seeds, nuts, nut butter or oils, or olive oil. One-third with nutrient-rich carbs such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, or quinoa. One-quarter of your plate is lean protein, such as chicken, turkey, beef, beans, or lentils. ▷ Decrease Your Sugar Intake Refined sugars do not offer nutritional value. Instead, slowly reduce how many sugary treats you have in your diet and eat whole foods that are naturally sweet, like cherries, sweet peppers, or strawberries. ▷ Supplements While eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to give your body the nutrients it needs, it's not always enough. So you might want to consider adding supplements into your diet, such as funding a greens supplement, fiber, and vitamins D and B12. SUPERFOODS TO HELP YOU FEEL FABULOUS Superfoods: Do they make you a superhero? I wish. But no, they do not. However, they make you feel great, thanks to the high nutritional density that can give you a significant number of nutrients with fewer calories.

Superfoods contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In case you didn't know, antioxidants are naturally occurring molecules in some fruits and vegetables. They are responsible for neutralizing free radicals and reversing the effects they have on health problems such as: heart disease cancer respiratory health conditions immune deficiency stroke arthritis emphysema (a condition that can cause shortness of breath) Parkinson's disease I do want to note that superfoods are not a cure-all. Including them as part of your eating habits is beneficial, but you will only feel the benefits when consuming a healthy, balanced diet. Studies have also found that superfoods rich in antioxidants and flavonoids (naturally occurring compounds in plants, fruits, and vegetables) help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and cancer, boost your immune system, and decrease inflammation. So let's explore some of these superfoods and their beneficial properties. Berries First up on the superfood list are berries! Berries are considered a one-stop shop for nutrition, especially in older adults, since they have a lot of fiber and contain vitamin C, specific anti-inflammatory and antioxidant flavonoids. Berries are also helpful to our aging brains, keeping our motor skills and short-term memory in check. Common superfood berries include blueberries, raspberries, tart cherries, cranberries, goji berries, and acai berries. Dark-Green Leafy Vegetables Eating dark-green leafy vegetables, such as kale, arugula, spinach, and broccoli, is known to increase the functionality of your muscles, plus they are

heart-healthy! For example, a study conducted by Edith Cowan University in Australia found that people who incorporated one cup of dark-leafy green vegetables into their daily diet saw an increase in the function of their lower body muscles. Additionally, eating dark leafy greens also contributes to a decrease in dementia (Bey‐doun et al., 2022). Seafood and Fish When it comes to fish, salmon, cod, tuna, and trout are excellent sources of lean protein that we need to regain or maintain our muscles, especially as we age. Fish also provides a good source of vitamin B12, which is only found in animal foods. On the other hand, seafood provides omega-3 fatty acids to help maintain a healthy body and reduce the risk of heart disease. Nuts and Seeds Eating nuts and seeds have excellent properties such as fiber and protein. So if you need a quick snack to get you through the afternoon, a handful of these can help you stay full and satisfied until dinner. In addition, nuts and seeds provide a source of healthy fats. For example, walnuts, flax, and chia seeds all have omega-3 fats to help enhance your brain's function while protecting it. So, if you aren't allergic to nuts and seeds, grab a handful for a quick snack or make a trail mix (my personal favorite)! Cottage Cheese Cottage cheese gives you a significant amount of calcium and vitamin D to support bone health. Cottage cheese also provides a great source of whey protein which helps to encourage muscle protein synthesis. Beans and Legumes Eating beans can help reduce your cholesterol levels since they are loaded with fiber and protein and are low in calories. In addition, they provide good sources of iron, magnesium, and potassium. When buying beans, aim to buy

dried beans or low-sodium canned beans. If neither option is available, drain and rinse a regular can of beans to reduce the amount of sodium. Avocados Eating at least two servings of avocado a week reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease! Avocado toast in the morning is my go-to way of adding it to my diet. DIET BOOSTERS If you want to add a little extra to your nutrition, try some of these ideas:

Seaweed Seaweed can help neutralize environmental factors we are exposed to daily, such as chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, and pathogens (organisms that can produce disease). Seaweed can be found on amazon or in the Asian section of the grocery store. Try sprinkling a little bit into your food or smoothies to give you a detoxifying boost! Add Lemon, Lime, or Orange to Your Water Did you know that squeezing half of a lemon, lime, or orange into your water can give you calcium? Usually, when we think of calcium, we automatically think of cow's milk, but you can also get it from fruits! In addition, these three fruits will give you some electrolytes, sodium, potassium, and magnesium! So, if you do not like water, this might be a beneficial change to encourage you to stay hydrated! IN SUMMARY It might be cliché to say, but it is true: We only have one body, and it's best to treat it with love and respect, even though it can sometimes be quite challenging! To keep ourselves up to speed, we must be diligent in creating healthy habits to serve us. Those healthy habits look like eating well and incorporating yoga into your daily life. After all, yoga can help to de-stress you while helping your body move. I love that I can incorporate random poses while doing mundane chores, and I hope this chapter inspires you to do the same! Regarding eating well, I've given you several ideas to guide you on this pathway. Eating well benefits your yoga practice and your body and how it uses the food to keep you feeling good, no matter your age. Also, don't forget that you don't need to make these changes all at once. Start small. Setting small goals for changes will positively impact you in the end.

CONCLUSION

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oga's popularity has grown substantially over the years, all due to the various benefits the practice offers you. It's so much more than just the mind-body connection, but also the way in which it can address concerns associated with seniors, such as: flexibility balance bone density sleep patterns breathing Making sure you have the right equipment is essential to having a successful yoga practice. Not only will they prevent you from injuries, but they will also support you in the asanas where you need them the most. A good growth mindset will help you through the challenges you will inevitably face when starting a new activity. But, that's the beautiful thing about yoga; how it challenges you in ways you might never have been challenged before. For example, no yogi master had ever walked into a yoga school and thought they would be a master when they stepped onto a mat the very first time. Also, be realistic about your goals. Setting lofty goals might set your soul on fire, but it can feel discouraging when you feel like you are not achieving them fast. Look back through the 13 goal tips I suggested to you to help you

on your way. Each flow I have designed is one you can incorporate throughout the week. Find the flow that works best for you, but every one of the flows will provide benefits in one way or another. However, I want you to remember not to get frustrated when one pose is not going as you envision it. Instead, trust the process and trust yourself. Speaking of trusting yourself, don't forget to meditate! The action of meditating helps to soothe and calm your mind. Together with yoga, we connect our small self to our higher self. It allows us to handle whatever life throws at us while boosting other areas such as creativity and imagination. Whatever meditating version suits you best, try to incorporate it daily. The same goes for self-love and letting go. Don't just do yoga to get it done, do it because you know in your heart that it will guide you on a positive path. Lastly, treat your body like a temple. Even when it's cold outside, you should find ways to remain active, like doing yoga! Also, treating your body well means continuing to eat well and integrating superfoods that are rich in antioxidants. It also means staying hydrated so that your body can continue to thrive. I am proud of you for taking this step in your fitness journey and am thrilled to be a part of the ride! Now you have the knowledge and skills to take your health to a new level by incorporating gentle yoga practices into your everyday life to help you feel great every day…and that means you’re in the perfect position to help others do the same.

By simply leaving your honest opinion of this book on Amazon, you’ll show other readers where they can find all the guidance they need to reap the amazing transformative benefits of yoga. I appreciate your support. Together, we can help more people find the secret to greater health and happiness. With gratitude and grace, Jackie Help Others in Canada Help Others in the United States Help Others in the United Kingdom

YOGA POSE INDEX

ALSO BY JACKIE JACOBS Fitness Freedom for Seniors 15-Minute Strength Training Workouts to Reclaim Your Balance, Energy, and Confidence

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