Are you over 45 or 50 and think you're too "over the hill" to begin a yoga practice? Are you talking about how "old" you are? Frequently? Stop right now and "Think Youfully Now!" which is the title of a book written in the 1960s that I keep close by on my personal library shelf.And, I just found a wonderful video about a 92 (did you get that? - NINETY-TWO) year young yoga instructor, Ms. Porchon Lynch who exemplifies and exudes youthful vitality.
What is so touching about Ms. Lynch's story is that she can do poses like the crow and the full lotus which I still haven't mastered. Yet, she considers herself to still be a "beginner" even though has been teaching yoga for 40 years! She was a female maverick in her earlier years because she grew up in India and saw young men doing yoga and was told it was not a practice that women should engage in. She didn't listen and she certainly demonstrates the benefits of a lifelong practice. Yoga is the "dance of life," says Ms. Lynch and she emphasizes the importance of the energy you put into a practice.
Ms. Lynch's smile radiates her beauty inside and out and she is serene, humble, energetic, and giving. She admits to learning as much from her students as they do from her. She is also wise because she recognizes that people's physiques differ and that not everyone can do a particular pose the same way. She is not one of those drill-sergeant type of yoga instructors that some yogis have told me about! She revels when she hears her students say they are surprised at what they can do that they first thought was beyond their ability.
What an inspiration! My intention is to follow her lead and be able to continue to be vital, sharp, strong, and as genuine as she is 40 years from now!
Think you're too old to start yoga? Watch Ms. Lynch and give me a break! Change your attitude!
Yours for beginning a yoga practice at any age,
Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the beginner's yoga at home coach
She is certainly an inspiration! I have a co-worker who has never done yoga. She has had a lot of back pain lately. Do you have a good yoga pose she could do as a beginner? Thanks!
Posted by: Karyl | November 17, 2011 at 02:11 PM