Guest Author: Harry Cline
Getting older can come with its fair share of pains and struggles. Little things such as mood swings, hot flashes and achy muscles can become more frequent. Yoga and meditation can provide benefits to both seniors and caregivers as they get older.
Yoga and meditation can provide benefits that other exercises can’t provide. It will ease the burdens of life that seniors and caregivers face on a daily basis. Caregivers especially need some TLC since they are typically working around the clock caring for you.
Helps facilitate addiction recovery
Yoga and meditation can provide healing to people going through addiction recovery. For many people in recovery, having a good relationship with the physical self is just as important as the spiritual one. In fact, many addiction specialists are turning to yoga and similar types of therapies to supplement traditional 12-step programs. That’s because meditation focuses on mindfulness, which can allow the addict to experience feelings of peace and comfort. Yoga is also about community, because everyone in the class is breathing together, which can allow addicts to realize that they’re not alone in their recovery.
Improves blood circulation
For seniors or caregivers who are struggling to find low-impact exercises that don’t strain their joints and muscles, yoga and meditation can be great alternatives. It can surprisingly get your blood flowing without tiring you out. Yoga is a community activity because all attendees are there to breathe together and practice mindfulness. That means everyone supports each other, and they won’t judge you if you need to sit down during a class. It’s important to keep your blood flowing because it will give you the energy you need to get through the day.
Allows for relaxation
Practicing regular physical activity (yes, that includes yoga), can not only improve your body, but also it can improve your mental health. As you age, this becomes increasingly important. It will also benefit your caregiver because when you’re at peak mental health, it will be easier on them to take care of you. Because yoga allows you and your caregiver to practice mindfulness, you will also be able to relax. A lot of worrying may come into your life as you get older, and yoga and meditation are great ways to push those worries aside and enjoy the little things.
Provides community interaction
If you don’t spend a lot of time with others, yoga can be a great way to meet people in your community. Look and see if they have yoga classes in your area that are targeted toward seniors. Sign up for a class and get there a little early to try and meet a few people before it starts. Yoga provides an easy conversation starter and you can chat about how you enjoyed the class. It’s a great social activity, and working out with friends will keep you motivated to stay fit.
Ability to practice anywhere
If it’s not in your budget to sign up for daily or weekly yoga classes, you can easily practice it at home. That’s one of the biggest benefits of yoga and meditation — you don’t have to be in a professional yoga studio to practice. In fact, you can do it at home. Figure out an area of your home that you want to use as a meditation and yoga room. It should be an uncluttered space with some room on the floor for your mat. Make sure it’s quiet; you can even try lighting some candles to set the mood. Sit down on your mat and try to get rid of all the thoughts in your head and focus on the moment. Once you practice a couple of times at home, you’ll realize you don’t need to listen to a yoga teacher to meditate. Yoga is a great activity that you and your caregiver can do together at home.
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