You Absolutely Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
Especially because you’re not an old dog, and there’s nothing wrong with getting older. Yoga builds skills, not tricks. It’s never too late to learn something new.
The older you get, the easier it is to get stuck in your ways. You eat the same foods, you have the same schedule, you do the same errands at the same stores. These things are comfortable, familiar, and calm anxiety because you know what to expect. The body likes a routine and regularity, but the brain benefits from being exposed to new challenges. When it goes on autopilot, you can lose function over time.
In an article published in Scientific American on June 29, 2023, the writers discussed the results of three interventions they did with 33 adults ages 58-86, where these adults took three classes, two hours each, over the course of three months. In each class they learned a new skill, like singing, Spanish speaking, using an iPad, and more.
Over the course of the intervention people significantly improved their cognitive scores for memory and attention. In a follow-up study, we discovered that the participants not only had maintained their gains but had improved further: their cognitive abilities after one year were similar to those of adults 50 years younger. In other words, giving these seniors a supportive and structured three-course routine—much like an undergraduate student’s schedule—seemed to eventually improve their memory and attention to levels similar to that of a college student.1
Learning a new skill keeps your mind sharp and keeps you engaged in your life. Yoga is a practice that can keep your mind sharp, especially when each class is different than the ones before. Maybe you learn a new pose or a new transition. Maybe you learn something new about how your body moves in space. You might be suddenly aware of how your feet feel on the floor and how you can shift your weight more intentionally from one foot to the next.
Why starting something new is hard
Starting something new can be hard for many reasons. If you are a perfectionist like I am/was (I’m recovering), not knowing something can be a blow to the ego. For many years, being a beginner and not knowing something felt deeply shameful. My mind told me, “I should be able to do this” even if I had never done it before. Not being the best or even good at something was a source of deep shame for me. Sometimes I wouldn’t even try.
The beauty of practicing yoga is that every moment is a new opportunity to start again. Whether you’ve done a pose once or a thousand times, you approach it with a Beginner’s Mind, as if it were the first time. You can explore what it feels like to press your entire palm into the mat in Downward Facing Dog. Each day your balance might feel differently and you might need to shift your hip over your ankle in a way you haven’t before.
Yoga teaches you awareness of your body and mind. You get to observe how your body feels and how your mind reacts to those sensations. This teaches you a lot about your beliefs about yourself. If you believe you can’t do something you might surprise yourself!
Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right. ~Henry Ford
Shifting your mindset
Lots of people think of yoga as 20 year old white women standing on their hands or putting their foot behind their head. Yoga is not one fixed thing or a fixed practice, it is a way to connect your mind to your body. How you do it might vary throughout your life. There are numerous styles of yoga to suit all types of bodies. There are dynamic practices, like what the 20 year olds practice, but there are other practices that are more suitable to older adults.
I started practicing yoga when I was in my early 20s and was attracted to the dynamic yoga. Back then I was definitely standing on my hands and putting my foot behind my head. I was into the “tricks” and would compete with other yogis in my classes. This wasn’t what yoga was supposed to be, but my Type A perfectionist personality was doing the best it could at the time.
Over the last 30 years or so, I have shifted my mindset so that my yoga practice is less about “showing off” and more about connecting to my body. The poses that I practice build strength, balance, and mobility in a way that benefits me in my daily life. I feel those benefits when I go up and down stairs, when I pick up a heavy laundry basket, and when I get out of bed in the morning.
As a 54 year old woman, my yoga practice focuses on movements and poses that help me cross-train for life. While I use my body to practice, the focus is internal. What is my mind telling me about myself? How do I speak to myself? Am I kind and compassionate or am I being unnecessarily critical? My yoga mat has become a refuge from the nonsense. It’s a place where I can meet myself where I am, gently and lovingly.
Beginner’s mind mindset shift
The biggest impediment to older adults starting something new is thinking you can’t do it. As I mentioned earlier, the past I’ve felt like if I couldn’t do it perfectly or know what I was doing the first time out, I shouldn’t even bother trying. This mindset shift is about embracing the Beginner’s mind every time you step on your mat, whether it’s the thousandth time or literally your first.
What if it was okay to not know? Can you approach each moment with curiosity, wondering what is going to happen next? A curious mind is a mind that’s open to growth and new experiences. A fixed mind is the one that says “I can’t, why bother.” Just like with muscles and bones, unless you use your brain in a way that challenges it, it gets weaker.
Exploring yoga poses both mentally and physically is good for your brain and nervous system. It challenges you to stay in the moment, listen to directions, and feel what’s happening in your body. It challenges your beliefs of what is possible. Sometimes you can balance all day in Tree pose, other days you fall over. What is today going to be like? You are allowed to let go of expectations and just show up on your mat, as you are.
You’re not an old dog, you have the capacity to learn at any age
It’s easy to become comfortable and get in a rut. Your exercise routine, your daily schedule, even what you eat every day. While on the one hand, we love routine and predictability, when you do the same thing every day, you go on autopilot and your brain doesn’t need to work as hard any more. Like a muscle, if you don’t challenge your brain regularly, it gets weaker.
Yoga challenges both the body and the mind. You discover new ways of moving, using muscles you didn’t know you had. Yoga also encourages you to change how you see the world and yourself. You learn to be kinder to yourself and be more compassionate toward those around you. You build physical strength and challenge old ways of thinking that no longer serve you.
Each yoga practice is different, so you can never predict what’s coming next. You need to be present to listen to directions, honing your focus as you do. Keep your mind open to learning as you age. The more you practice, the better you’ll get, no matter whether it’s yoga, or mahjong, or hiking a new trail. Challenge your mind a little every day!
Thank you so much for reading Yoga Living 50 and Beyond. Aging isn’t easy, and all the messages out there say we shouldn’t. I disagree. I write about embracing aging through the lens of yoga, and how to apply your yoga practice to your life. What you practice on the mat you take with you off the mat. Click the button below to get biweekly blog posts delivered right to your email inbox. Subscribe on Substack! I appreciate your support, whatever it looks like. ~Janine
Join me on the mat!
I teach online yoga classes for active adults over 50 who want to stay active for the long term! Yoga teaches you to accept yourself and meet yourself where you are. Every day is a new opportunity to show up as yourself. Your yoga mat is a safe place to do that. Your mat doesn’t judge you, why should you? I teach daily live classes and have an extensive video library for you to practice on your own. Click the button below for a 10 Day Free Trial to Purple Room Yoga!
1 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-stay-sharp-as-you-age-learn-new-skills
I don’t always remember put this graphic in, but it’s always true. All of my essays are 100% written by me, not AI. They are my thoughts, my words, and my experiences from over 30 years of practicing and teaching yoga. Thanks for reading! 💜 Janine
