You’re too old to practice yoga, and other lies

Back in the 90s and early 2000s there was something called a “yoga body.” There may still be, but I no longer pay attention to such nonsense. Back then, a yoga body referred to someone who was typically young, lithe, muscular, and flexible, with little to no visible body fat. You often saw these bodies upside down on Instagram, possibly with a foot or two behind the head or in a split.

The biggest problem with this particular label for these bodies was that it created limitation. It created a false and narrow sense of what many people thought was the purpose of practicing yoga: getting a yoga body. While yoga can strengthen muscles and help someone lose weight, you could do that with weight lifting or cardio. Also, you don’t practice yoga for what it gives you on the outside, but for what it gives you on the inside. It also made it harder for people who didn’t have that body to think that they belonged on a yoga mat.

I have been practicing yoga for over 30 years now, and my practice and teaching has evolved, shifted, and changed over the years, as any of my students can attest. Many of the lessons I have learned have allowed me to release the lies that I told myself, including what yoga is and isn’t, and who it’s for.

What is a true yoga body?

A true yoga body is a body that practices yoga. Period. End of sentence.

Yoga is for all bodies, all shapes, all sizes, all ages. Being able to touch your toes is not a prerequisite. Saying you’re too stiff to practice yoga is like saying you’re too dirty to take a shower. You lose stiffness every time you practice. You might find yourself eventually being able to touch your toes. Imagine how much easier it might be to put on shoes and socks.

A mat practice involves moving your body, holding poses, and breathing. There’s no magic, though it feels like it sometime. Yoga builds strength, mobility, and balance that you take with you off the mat and into your life. Yoga cultivates an inner calm, a feeling of peace and groundedness. You can let go of the day that’s already happened and the day that’s yet to come, and simply meet yourself on your mat.

You’re not too old to practice

There are no age limits on practicing yoga. There was a yoga teacher named Tao Porchon-Lynch who lived to be 102 and was still teaching yoga when she was 100. Most likely she was older than you are now, so if she can do it, so can you.

The beauty of yoga is that the practice can change as you do. When I was in my 20s my practice was filled with “trick” poses, like arm balances, poses that required contortionist flexibility, and spending much of the practice upside down.

Today, at age 54, I still do the occasional headstand or shoulder stand, but I focus more on what my aging body needs: strength, balance, and mobility. I hold my poses a bit longer than I used to for their muscle and bone building benefits. I do stretches that assist me in daily life and make walking, sitting, driving, and taking stairs feel more comfortable. When I am 90, I want to be able to stand up from a toilet unassisted and do poses to help with that.

Practicing yoga, in my opinion, helps you with the aging process. Morning creakiness is more common, and yoga is like the Tin Man’s oil can. A 30 minute practice loosens you up and gets you ready to take on your day. When you don’t notice your body through the day, that’s a good thing. It means you’re not in pain.

Be in the body that you have

Back when I was dancing, there was always the pressure to look a certain way. I remember doing a workshop at the Alvin Ailey school and there was an incredible dancer who took my breath away every time she danced across the floor. In every single class (2-3 per day), the teacher would comment on her weight. She didn’t have a typical Ailey body, neither did I, but she moved with such grace and fluidity.

While that company had a particular aesthetic, she was as good a dancer as any of the people in the company. I’m sure she got as frustrated as I did, even more so, that no one was looking at her dancing.

One of the things I love about yoga is you get to practice in the body that you have, just as it is. No need to fix or change anything. You can practice yoga if:

• you have all your original parts or have replaced some
• you are still breathing
• your toes are within reach or nowhere near your fingers
• you have a belly and thighs, or you don’t
• you have a body, regardless of how it works

Why practice yoga?

There are many reasons to practice yoga. There are the physical reasons that I mentioned, like strength, balance, and mobility. There’s also the inner work of yoga that’s the most profound. While you do poses, the philosophy soaks into you like a sponge. Ideas such as Ahimsa/Non-Harming, Santosha/Contentment, Tapas/Discipline, and Svadhyaya/Self-Inquiry start to integrate no only into your practice, but into your life. When you let yourself rest in Child’s pose, you might let yourself rest when you are tired, rather that doing one more thing.

Over the years I have learned to be kinder to myself in my self talk. I have learned to love my body, just as it is, even though it doesn’t look the way it did when I was younger. The body holds incredible wisdom, and when I listen to it, I am able to give it what it needs. That might be rest, movement, water, food, sleep, or a good cry.

Yoga taught me to listen to my body rather than ignore it and push on. The body speaks in the language of sensation, rather than words. It doesn’t say “I’m anxious,” instead you feel the tightness or racing in your heart center. I never says “I’m exhausted,” but you’ll feel your eyelids closing or a heaviness in your muscles.

Each yoga style is different

There are many styles of yoga since there are many people on this planet with different needs. Finding a yoga practice that suits you will keep you practicing for the long term.

There is Chair yoga if you are wheelchair bound or have trouble getting on and off the floor. There’s Vinyasa yoga (which I teach and practice) if you want to flow like a dance from one pose to the next following your breath. Iyengar yoga has you hold poses and learn alignment principles, using lots of props to fit the practice to your body. There’s Yin yoga which is more of a restorative practice, letting gravity assist you in your poses. And so many more.

Your time on your mat is for you. You take time out of your busy life to focus on your body, your mind, and what’s in your heart. It’s so easy to get busy and ignore your own needs. Yoga gives you the opportunity to pay attention for a little while and give yourself exactly what you need. Even if that’s only a bit of self love and care.

If you’re interested in learning more about yoga philosophy, check out my book Living Yoga: One Yoga Teacher’s Journey to Surrender. Click the button below to learn more!