5 Reasons Live Online Yoga Classes are Awesome for Seniors

Posture, Yoga & Exercise

This article was first published in the online magazine Sixty and Me.

The coronavirus has shaken us up. Even if you never get it, and don’t know anyone who has, the virus and our reactions to it have changed us individually and collectively. I’m an eternal optimist (my middle name is Hope), and I see one very positive and powerful trend – live online yoga classes.

We all know that there are a zillion yoga videos on YouTube. At this moment, I see 388,000,000. Sixty and Me created gentle yoga videos. I’ve made some myself. Those videos are a wonderful resource. I’m glad to know I can find so many yoga videos at any hour of the day.

But something new is happening. Plato said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Because many are home-bound, yoga teachers are offering classes and 1-on-1 sessions online.

Keep reading to find out why live online yoga lessons are awesome for seniors (and everyone else). I’m offering my lessons on ZOOM, so any technical references below are for that platform.

Accountability

Something’s missing in those 388,000,000 YouTube videos, and that’s accountability. The lovely yogi or yogini who recorded the videos might know that you watched it when you press “like” or leave a comment, but they won’t really know if you did the yoga.

With the coronavirus, or really anytime, most of us benefit from some commitments in our week. Retirees often float a while in the bliss of not going to work, but then find they need some structure to make life work.

We need to schedule time for important things like exercise and self-care, so that we don’t let it drift too late in the day and skip it.

With live classes, you generally have to register in advance and pay a fee. That small commitment makes you far more likely to continue committing when you put it on your calendar, get ready, and actually do the class.

I’ve recently started teaching online. I “arrive” to the video room early and check in with each of my students. I see them. As we are doing the class, I see them. If it’s a small class, I can notice when they are a bit off track with their alignment.

I may say their name and invite them to adjust. This ability will vary depending on the teacher and how many students are on the video connection. Just like in a local class, I will notice if a registered student does not show up.

Efficiency

When I started teaching online, I was extremely pleased with how efficient it is for me and my students. You can put breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the oven, do the class, and wrap up just in time to walk straight into the kitchen and eat!

You don’t have to drive in traffic or park your car. You can fold your laundry or walk your dog up until class time, and just plop down in your living room to do the lesson.

If you are a caregiver for kids, grandkids, a spouse, or another loved one in your home, you can take a short break from being a caregiver without travel time. It is good for your loved ones to see you doing something for yourself.

Privacy

Live online yoga lessons are ideal for people who prefer privacy. You may be an introvert. You may love being at home. Maybe you don’t want to chit-chat with people before or after class at the gym or yoga studio. You may feel a bit shy about going in public in yoga pants. You may have cat or dog fur on your yoga pants.

These are all excellent reasons to do yoga at home, in whatever clothes you want to wear.

If you don’t want anyone to see you doing the poses, simply turn off your webcam. In Zoom the individual users have the ability to turn off their audio and video at any time for privacy.

You’ll still benefit from the accountability because the teacher knows you are there even if he or she cannot see or hear you. You’re “in the room,” doing the yoga, and getting the benefits, on your terms.

There’s another element of privacy. It’s mental privacy. When you aren’t near other people, you won’t watch them do their yoga poses. You can focus internally, breathe, and feel what your body needs.

Yoga was designed as a personal spiritual practice and path. Practicing at home is ideal for that quiet mental space.

Global Impact and Connection

Online, amazing teachers and students can connect from anywhere. My yoga teacher lives only a 90 minute drive from my home. I have not made the trip in almost a year. When she offered online classes due to the coronavirus, I was happy to connect with her in that way.

I am now also taking online classes with a teacher in California, 3000 miles away. You can pick and choose from the best instructors in the world!

We can also connect with fellow students and dear friends. Depending on what video format your teacher uses, there may be a time and opportunity for students to see each other as well. In my first few online classes, I cried with joy to see friends and students joining me from other states and countries.

You can see your local friends at online yoga class, even if you are still home-bound.

Safety

Online lessons are safe for seniors because you choose your teacher and your class. You can choose a teacher with experience working with older adults.

It’s safe because you can stay home if you have a weakened immune system or allergies. You can stay home if you are self-quarantined because you’ve traveled.

And finally, of course, it’s safe during the coronavirus. You practice in your own space, on your own mat, with peace of mind.

What You Need to Know to Get Started

You will need some level of technical skill. You will likely need to register for the class online and feel comfortable paying online with a credit or debit card. You will receive an email confirmation. Usually you will have a link to click to view the class.

In my case, I allow 15–30 minutes before each class to make sure my students have logged on and can see and hear me.

An added bonus of live online yoga classes is that you have to make a space and put your mat on the floor. You have created a space for yoga in your home. This is a powerful step towards creating a habit!

Eckhart Tolle said, “Adversity is a great opportunity to deepen spiritual awareness. Use it, don’t waste it.” Adversity is also a great opportunity to try new things. We will all be glad when the coronavirus is over.

I cannot see ahead much further than a few days. I see live online yoga classes as a huge positive that has come from this situation. I am certainly open to continuing online classes even when we have the option to go to class locally.

I invite you to join me in online yoga classes and wellness services. Click here to book a complimentary phone or video consultation with me. I look forward to meeting you online!

What are you doing to stay connected to your favorite teachers and wellness guides? What online classes are you taking from home? What do you enjoy most about them? Please share with our community!

Let’s Have a Conversation!

How I Improved Insomnia with Meditation and Yoga Lifestyle

Meditation & Mindful Choices, Yoga & Exercise

This article was originally published in the online magazine Sixty and Me.

When it comes to health and wellness, most people probably think that I’ve got it all together. I am a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, personal trainer, and wellness coach. I do my best to “walk the talk” and practice what I preach. I exercise, meditate, practice yoga, and eat a whole foods diet.

For many years, though, I suffered with an invisible problem. I wasn’t sleeping well. Specifically, I wasn’t staying asleep well. And I’m not alone in this. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one third of US adults get less than the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

Chronic sleep debt is linked with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. It increases our risk for accidents and injuries. It’s a big deal for individuals, and it’s a big deal for communities.

Why Sleep Eludes Women Over 60

Many women over 60 suffer from sleep challenges, including aches and pains, nocturia (the need to urinate during the night), and hormonal changes. Additionally, they may take new medications due to age-related changes.

Research shows that the stereotypical “senior problem” of nodding off at 7 pm and waking up at 3 am isn’t just because you are bored in the evening. As we age, our internal clock really does change. It’s called “advanced sleep phase syndrome.”

Sleep aids are often prescribed when women voice concerns to their doctors. According to CDC, over nine million Americans take some form of prescription sleep aid. Sometimes sleep aids are necessary to get through a crisis time, but sleep aids are not designed to be used long-term.

Each has its own side effects. A big concern for older women is that sleep aids are associated with an increased risk of falls and fractures.

It’s essential to rule out sleep disorders and health conditions with your medical team. Concurrently, you may benefit from improving your sleep hygiene and sleep mindset. I’ll share what I did, and how meditation and a yoga lifestyle helped me improve my sleep.

Two Main Obstacles to Good Sleep and What to Do About Them

Sleeping well requires adjustments to our physiology and psychology. Sleep happens in our body, and our brain-mind must cooperate with the process.

I used the lens of yoga philosophy and practices to view my sleep challenges. Applying yoga philosophy to sleep helped me condense all the “reasons” that I didn’t sleep into two categories.

  • Not living in harmony with nature;
  • Not surrendering my ego to the Infinite.

Identifying the problems made the solutions clear.

Get in Harmony with Nature

For me, to live in harmony with nature means get up with the sunrise (or close to it), wind down with the sunset, and observe good sleep hygiene. I’ll go into more detail on that in a moment.

Surrender My Ego

On the yoga path to enlightenment, we ultimately do surrender our egos to a higher power, God, Ultimate Reality, Cosmic Consciousness, or whatever you want to call it. In Sanskrit, this act of surrendering is called Isvarapranidhana, and it’s one of the 10 core lifestyle principles of yoga.

On a more mundane level, it can mean letting go of the need to be in control, to be perfect, or to get one more thing done tonight. For me, it means recognizing that worrying about things instead of sleeping doesn’t help one bit, so I can just let it go and literally “sleep on it.”

Clean Up Your Sleep Hygiene to Get in Sync with Nature’s Rhythms

You likely know about sleep hygiene, but are you doing it? Connecting yoga principles and practices to sleep hygiene helped me do what I knew was good for me. Here are the steps I took that made the biggest impact and how I connected them to my bigger purpose.

Pratyahara

Pratyahara means we calm our senses inward instead of outward to stimulation. This step involves:

  • Making my bedroom dark, quiet, and cool (60-67 F);
  • No clocks with lights;
  • Nothing plugged in;
  • Cell phones and Wi-fi off.

Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya means continence. It is the conservation of vital forces. Yogis do not dissipate their energy with non-useful activities that distract us from what is good for us. Here I:

  • End screen time early (cut-off is 7:30 pm).
  • Use my computer and screen time in the daytime and “unplug” in the evening with non-tech activities.

Saucha

Saucha means cleanliness, which applies to our dietary habits. Eating processed foods and using caffeine and alcohol interrupts sleep.

Gut health and good digestion are key. 80 percent of our serotonin is made in the gut, and serotonin is necessary for the production of melatonin, which helps us fall and stay asleep.

This final step includes:

  • Minimizing/eliminating alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, and sugar.
  • Aiming to eat just the right amount at dinner so that I don’t need a snack or wake up hungry. I try to have dinner by 7:30 pm.

How Yoga and Meditation Help Us Sleep

When we breathe smoothly, and practice yoga meditatively, we send physiological signals to our brain and body that everything is OK. This helps us lower cortisol, feel calmer, fall asleep, and stay asleep.

Besides the lifestyle guidelines discussed above, yoga practice also includes postures, breathing, and meditation.

Ideal yoga postures for relaxation include:

You can learn these from a certified yoga instructor and practice them before bed, or any time, to relax.

There are many yogic breathing and meditation techniques. Meditation has been shown to aid in sleep and reduce the need for sleeping pills. Scientists believe this is due to the decreased stimulation and decreased cortisol.

Over time, meditation practices strengthen the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. This “command center” helps us do what we know is good for us and follow through on good sleep hygiene.

It also helps us adjust our sleep mindset and let go (surrender) what is not in our control. We can put worries to bed, and then put ourselves to bed!

Measure It to Improve It

I’m not done learning about sleep. Most of the time, my sleep patterns are far better than they used to be. I work at it every day and strive to make sleep a top priority. When I’m rested, I do better in all areas of life.

To help me and my clients stay on track with good sleep hygiene, I created a webinar and  Daily Sleep Habits Tracker.  The webinar goes into way more detail, including how to use Ayurveda to balance your mind-body constitution for better sleep. Click here to download both. 

 

Now it’s your turn. What do you do to make sure you sleep well? Please leave a comment.

 

Put Three Things in Morning Routine to Age Well

Meditation & Mindful Choices

This article was first published in the online magazine Sixty and Me.

Welcome new year and new decade! You may be thinking about your health and wellness goals. You may have a lot of them, and you realize that if you spread yourself too thin, you will not be successful. Or you may be wondering which specific activities will help you achieve the results you want.

To help myself, my clients, and you stay on track, I’ve come up with a KISS (Keep it Simple Sweetie) morning routine that will help you focus on the essentials and start each day with energy and vitality.

My morning routine consists of three simple steps: hydrate, meditate, lubricate. It’s simple and easy to remember. You can customize it for your personal preferences and needs.

Most importantly – it works! These three simple steps will keep you feeling good as you navigate each day of your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond.

Check out the video below, or keep reading to break down each step and then you can personalize them to apply in your own life.

Hydrate

Start each day with water. If I’m allowed to give only one piece of health advice for the rest of my life, it would be, “Drink water!” Water is the only beverage we truly need.

Water is the absolute first thing your body needs when you wake up. Overnight we lose fluids through breathing and sweat. You may crave tea, coffee, or other caffeinated beverage, but water should come first.

I start each day with warm water with lemon and ginger. Drink water to your preference – cold, room temperature, warm, or hot; plain or with lemon.

If you want to know more about water – how much you should drink, how to filter it, and whether you need expensive water merchandise – here’s my free Water Action Guide which provides all those answers and more.

Meditate

Immediately after I hydrate and take care of morning hygiene, I meditate. The benefits of meditation are now widely known and reported in scientific journals. Meditation lowers stress hormones, improves cognition, and strengthens our sense of well-being.

You can reap the rewards of meditation without aligning yourself with any particular system, faith, or dogma. Just sit quietly, relax, and breathe.

You may choose a different practice that helps you feel centered and peaceful. Consider prayer, journaling, visualization, and reading inspirational literature.

The important thing for me is to spend time each day in the quiet, before the day’s activities. It helps me be calmer, clearer, kinder, and more grateful. Meditation helps me be a better version of myself.

My personal meditation routine was inspired by the teachings of Kriya Yoga.

Lubricate

Lubricate has to do with your joints. As we age, we may feel stiff when we wake up in the morning. We notice that we feel better as the day goes on, after our bodies are in motion.

Motion is lotion, and there are many wonderful ways to move your body. Don’t wait! Hydrate, meditate, then lubricate. Do yoga or Pilates, go to an exercise class, make up your own routine, take a walk, or swim. It’s all good, and the most important thing about movement is to do it!

Strategies for Success

Here are a few strategies to enhance your KISS morning routine of Hydrate, Meditate, Lubricate.

Add Other Positive Habits

Build in more healthy habits around this three-part morning routine. For example, start your day with gratitude. Say, “Thank you! I’m glad to be alive. Today I’m grateful for…” Then get started.

Leave Social Media for Later

Hydrate, Meditate, and Lubricate BEFORE you turn on computer, tablet, or phone. Checking texts and emails eats up valuable morning self-care time. Those things can wait.

Create a Mirror Routine Before Bed

Consider making “hydrate, meditate, lubricate” a set of bookends for the day. End your evening with hot tea (only a little so that you don’t have to visit the bathroom at night). Pray or meditate. Then do a gentle stretch or a hot bath to ease your joints after the day’s activities.

​How do you start your morning? Do you have a KISS morning routine? How do you keep it simple and stick to it? Please share with our community in the box below!

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Holiday Fitness Tips for Boomers

Meditation & Mindful Choices
Get your follow-along challenge guide here!

This article was originally published in the magazine Sixty and Me.

Ladies, I know what you are thinking: “It’s the holiday season. My needs go on the back burner until January.”

I’ve observed this trend with many of my clients (and myself) over the years. Most people I talk to feel too busy as we go towards the “finish line” of the year. As women, we often sacrifice our exercise, sleep, or “down time” to fit in all the things we feel we must do.

When we feel tired, we may be drawn to sugar, caffeine, and indulgence foods to keep our energy up – and they’re easy to reach around the holidays!

As a woman over 50, you may be juggling multiple generations of family members, hostessing, and travelling. You may feel you need to have your home beautifully decorated, gifts purchased and wrapped, and the perfect holiday meals prepared.

You are likely balancing all of these holiday demands with your normal demands of work, volunteering, family, or community responsibilities.

The truth is that our closest loved ones will continue to love us even if we have not done those things. Our challenge is to love ourselves even if we skip the usual commotion!

In the spirit of keeping yourself happy, healthy, and SANE during the holidays, please enjoy these 12 tips. I encourage you to try them as a 12-day challenge between now and the New Year.

 You can print out this follow-along challenge guide, and watch these 12 short complementary videos (one for each day).

Get your follow-along challenge guide here!
 

Take A Walk

Now is the time to keep your exercise plan simple, flexible, and portable. Take a walk at any pace. If being with others at this time feels fun, include friends and family members on your walk. If you need to be alone to recoup some energy, use your walk to get your alone time.

Monitor Your Speech

Around the holidays, I hear lots of women say things like, “I always eat too much during the holidays,” or “Travelling is tough. I know I’ll gain weight.”

What you say is powerful! It enforces these limiting beliefs inside our own heads and hearts, and it impacts the people around us.

When you catch yourself talking like this, pause. Refresh, rethink, and rephrase. Ask a loved one to be a “speech monitor” with you, and help each other speak only the words you want to be true.

Put Your Feet Up!

Legs up the wall is my favorite yoga pose. Even if I only have a few minutes, it makes a huge difference in my energy level. If you cannot do that one, lie on the couch, floor, or bed with your legs and feet elevated.

Take a break from “running around.” This is especially helpful if you have had a busy day, and you also have a busy evening ahead of you.

Use the Rule of the Four “Reallys”

During the holidays, we are often surrounded by foods we don’t normally eat. There’s more sugar, more fat, more salt, more oil, more of everything! You may not even care about some of these foods, but somehow when they are in front of us at a party or buffet, we eat them even if we don’t love them.

In her book, Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, Dr. Michelle May describes the rule of four reallys. I love using this rule for holiday parties – and when I am given sweets as a gift. If I “really, really, really, really” love it, I eat it and enjoy it! If I don’t, I pass and choose something with more nutrition value.

Turn Your Phone Off

These days, people seem to carry their phones everywhere and look at them often. This behavior is not limited to the younger generations either.

During holiday gatherings, be an example of a wise woman who is fully present to the day and the people around you. Get where you are going, be where you are, and leave your phone off in your purse or another room.

Play Like a Kid and Have Fun

You may have children around you during the holidays. If you do, that’s an easy way to join in their fun and games. Children laugh easily and often, and you can join in! If you don’t have children as part of your holiday plans, find ways to be more playful. For instance, try some laughter yoga!

Get Your Heart Rate Up and Sweat

Walk, hike, bike, laugh, or move in any way your body allows. Again, keep it simple!

Prioritize Sleep

Your evenings may be disrupted by parties, guests, travel, or holiday activities. Nap when you need to. Most of the time, I limit daytime naps to 30 minutes. During the holidays, I have a “take it when I can get it” approach, and sleep whenever I feel I need it and am able to do so.

Anchor Your Healthy Habits to Your “Normal Days”

Even though most of the holiday season we have normal days and not-so-ordinary days. Firm up your resolve when your schedule is mostly typical. Make sure that whenever you can, you “stock up” with good food, sleep, and exercise.

Then when you cannot, the impact will not be as negative on your overall health. What we do most of the time is more important than what we do every once in a while.

Be a Nutritarian

Dr. Joel Fuhrman coined the term “nutritarian.” I’ve adapted from his original meaning. Aim for three one-half cup servings of vegetables each day. That is only 1.5 cups total. Get a head start by having vegetables for breakfast. If the rest of the day goes downhill, you’ve already gotten some good nutrition.

Go Outside

Go outside even if you have to bundle up. If you can exercise, do it outside. If you cannot exercise, you will still benefit from the sunshine and fresh air and new sights.

Breathe

Take three long, deep, wide, smooth breaths. Exhale completely. Do this when you wake up, before bed, before eating, before you drive your car, and before you say something you might regret. It’s always a good idea to take three breaths. It’s especially important during the holidays!

What will you do this holiday season to stay healthy, happy, and sane? Will you do it alone or with a friend? How often will you have normal days in-between the not-so-ordinary ones? How do you plan to spend them? Please share with our community!

3 Rules for Computer Posture After 60

Posture, Yoga & Exercise

This article was first published in the online magazine Sixty and Me.

Do you feel stiff after working on your computer? Do you find yourself slumping, hunching, and with forward head posture trying to look at the screen?

Are you looking for ways to do what you need to do on the computer, without sacrificing your posture or your health? Are you curious about “stand up desks,” but not sure if they are worth the investment?

My clients and students often ask me, “What’s the best posture for sitting at the computer?” Keep reading to learn the 3 rules for computer posture, and how to make a few small changes with items you probably have around the house.

The Risks of Poor Computer Posture

Whether you’re still working, partially retired, or completely retired, you likely still use a computer to stay connected to colleagues, family, friends, and the world.

Several of my students are using the computer for passion projects in retirement, like teaching classes, writing, or learning new skills online. And even if you think, “This will only take a minute,” you may end up sitting there longer than you thought you would.

It’s common knowledge these days that sitting with poor posture at the computer is bad for us. In our younger years, we may have gotten away with poor posture or uninterrupted hours working at a desk with few immediate side effects.

But as we age, too much sitting can lead to health problems like weight gain, hip and back pain, and tight muscles.

If we do all that sitting in poor form, we can experience all that plus a stiff, rounded upper back, pain, impaired breathing, pinched nerves, and worse.

The most important thing about sitting at the computer is that it should not be your primary activity. If you are still working at an office job, sitting at a desk for eight hours may be your current reality.

The American Heart Association has come up with a list of activities that you can try to incorporate to move more at work. Additionally, make sure you are walking, stretching, and moving in your non-work hours.

If your work does not require you to be on the computer, keep it to a minimum and take frequent breaks. Remember that when you retire, your #1 job is your health!

The bottom line is, poor posture at the computer makes us look old, feel old, and maybe even die sooner. Yikes! Let’s get right into what you can do about it!

Rule #1– Sit Properly

When you do sit at the computer, angle your body so that your knees are lower than your hips. This helps your pelvis stay in anterior tilt and your lumbar spine maintain its neutral curve. Evaluate your chairs and cushions to find an ideal fit.

Many retired people have traded in their desktop computer for a more portable laptop or tablet. Laptop keyboards and mice are small. To use the keyboard and especially a laptop trackpad, your arms turn inward. This makes your shoulders roll forward and can lead to problems in the rotator cuff.

Invest in a separate, full-size keyboard and mouse. Your keyboard and mouse should be an elbow level when your arms are at your sides. Make sure you aren’t in a sideways tilt to reach the mouse.

Whether you have a laptop or desktop, don’t miss an important step. Set up your monitor so that it is at eye level. Use books, boxes, or whatever you have to ensure that you do not strain your neck while looking down.

Rule #2 – Change It Up

“Stand up desks” are gaining popularity, because people know that sitting in one position for a long time isn’t good for them. Standing in one spot isn’t so great either.

Sitting on the floor is a great option for our bodies after 60 because it leads to more flexible hips, stronger legs, and better balance when we get up and down off the floor.

For several months, I researched many stand-up desk options. I was looking for a way to alternate between a chair, the floor, and standing. A colleague finally gave me the idea that solved my dilemma.

Check out this video to see a “behind the scenes” tour of my computer set-up, and how I use my ironing board to vary my computer work posture.

Rule #3 – Stretch and Strengthen to Make Up for Your Computer Time

No matter how mindful we are with our computer posture, it takes a toll on our posture and joints. In general, the front of the body gets tighter and shorter. The back of the body gets weaker.

These are the same challenges that we face during the aging process. Please trust me that it’s absolutely essential and feasible to counter these posture tendencies – or they will get worse!

You can do this with a regular yoga and exercise practice. Check out the Sixty and me yoga videos!

You can also do it at home, in regular clothes, throughout the day. Here are a few exercises to target your computer posture muscles.

The important hip flexor muscles connect our legs to our spine. They attach not only to the legs and pelvis, but all the way up to our lumbar vertebrae and into our diaphragm (breathing muscle). They get short when we sit too much. Try this quick hip flexor stretch to help you straighten up when you stand up.

While working on the computer, our upper backs can tend to get stiff and rounded. You know what this looks like! You can reverse it with the steps explained here.

Due to working on the keyboard (even if it’s full-size), our shoulders will tend to roll inward and forward. That can be fixed as well.

Bonus Tip

There are TONS of posture gadgets out there. (At this moment, there are 96,100,000 Google results for “posture device.”) They may work for your individual needs, or they may not.

I use a simple yoga belt posture brace to maintain better computer posture, and the good news is, you can make one yourself.

How do you keep from slumping at the computer? Do you have any favorite strategies to remind you to take breaks and keep moving? What is your best variation to work on the computer without sitting in a chair? Please share in the comments.

Joan Craig
+1 (864) 561 5925
joan@choosejoyfulhealth.com

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