Bacall - Stay young with easy yoga : how to be healthy, strong, flexible, and focused in your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond

2015 Patricia Bacall

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Benesserra Publishing

1827 Barry Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025
800-931-7007

First Edition
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-5085291-9-4
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9863577-0-1

DISCLAIMER

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, they do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any injury, loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Patricia Bacall and Benesserra Publishing specifically disclaim liability for incidental or consequential damages and assume no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of the use or misuse of any of the information or content contained herein, and assume or undertake no liability for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use or misuse of any information or content or any reliance thereon.

The purpose of this book is that of education and entertainment, and it is not intended as a substitute for the advice and guidance of a qualified yoga teacher or the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/ her health, particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional. Consult with your healthcare professional to design an appropriate exercise prescription. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga. If you experience any pain or difficulty with these exercises, stop and consult your healthcare provider. Common sense and caution should be used when embarking on any physically demanding endeavor.

No PainAll GainYou Get the Benefits without the Discomfort

You Can Customize Your Yoga Workouts

Bone Health for the Long Haul

Your Joints and Muscles Are More than Hinges and Pulleys

Circulation, Oxygenation, and Your Brain

Be an Upstanding Citizen

Get Started Now for Best Results

How Yoga Can Change Your Life at Any Age

Keeping Your Mind and Body Vital

De-stress Yourself

Your Tummy Will Love You

Breathing Easier

Slowing the Inevitable Effects of Aging on Your Body

Strength and Flexibility

Slowing Father Times March

Promoting the Positives in Your Life

Sleep Like a Baby

Dealing Gracefully with Stress Overload

Standing and Walking Young

Equal Standing

The Skin Killer: Chronic Dehydration

How Much Water is Good?

Water Boosts Your Energy

Dehydration and Kidney Stones

Boosts Immune System, Keeps You Better Able to Fight Off Illnesses

Drinking Water vs. Other Fluids

Definition of Yoga

The Formal Definitions of Yoga

Yogas Ancient Beginnings

Learning to Live in Divine Harmony

An Inner Vision of Reality

Establishing Behavior that Leads to Liberation

Being Here Now

Yogas Explosion of Popularity in the West

Which Path is Right for You?

Breathing Awareness

Ujjayi Pranayama: Ocean Breathing

Dirga Pranayama: Three-Part Breath

Sama Vritti Pranayama: Calming Equal Breath

Kapalabhati Pranayama: Skull Shining Invigorating Breath

Progressive Relaxation Breathing Technique

Counting Breaths Pranayama Exercise with Progressive Relaxation

Shitali Pranayama: Cooling Breath

Common Bad Breathing Habits

Exercise for Concentration

Becoming More MindfulWhat to Do When You Dont Feel Like Doing a Physical Practice

What Does Mindfulness Mean?

Equipment

Getting Started

On Being Good at Yoga

Finding Motivation

You must be flexible to start

Yoga is slow and boring Yoga is too complicated for most people to follow

Yoga is only for people who are fit and thin

Yoga is just for young people

Ill have to adopt a religion other than my own

Yoga is only for women

Yoga is bad for people with injuries or chronic pain

You must have sixty or ninety minutes to devote to every

yoga session or it wont do you any good

You cant hurt yourself doing yoga

With your Easy Yoga practice, you can gain without the pain. Forget high-impact workouts that wrench your muscles and jar your joints. Yoga gives you low-level and gentle stretching and strengthening that comes with a host of benefits without all the strain that can cause more harm than good in the long run. You simply start with the willingness to improve your lifewhich yoga will do in many waysand you practice at your own pace. The practice itself draws you forward into ever-greater challenges that you choose yourself. No one is barking at you to work harder, faster, longerfeel the burn! My motto at Easy Yoga is Practice to practice another day. And if that means taking it easy on yourself so you can consistently get on the mat (with enthusiasm and without fear), then that is whats right for you.

You get to know your body, so that whether you are practicing on your own or with a class or a yoga DVD, you know how to modify the postures to suit your degree of flexibility and strength (remember our motto above). One of the beauties of yoga is its ability to adapt to any physical ability and fitness levelyou can even use a chair. With the yoga modifications youll learn here, you never have to match the person next to you or push yourself too far. The postures are intended to act upon specific structures and organs in the body. However, there is room within your practice to adapt the posture to fit your strength, flexibility, and experience. You adapt the postures to your skill level, not the other way around. You are never expected to twist, bend, or otherwise torture yourself into a specific posture if it doesnt feel right. And there is a growing field of chair yoga that allows you to enjoy many yoga benefits without worrying about balancing.

Your bones will thank you for taking up yoga at any age. Bone health is a major issue for older adults, particularly the threat or existence of osteoporosis. A regular yoga practice has been shown to improve overall bone health, by not only helping to halt loss of bone density, but also by actually promoting bone gain. When the muscles are stretched and flexed, it stimulates new bone growth as well as provides weight-bearing activity. So even though you cant see it, every time you practice yoga, your bones get a great workout and will thank you for it in the long run by staying strong.