All Ages Can Embrace Pre-Yoga Classes
Not all of us are meant to be Arnold Schwarzeneggers --- and many of us don't want to be.
Most of us would be happy with a much more moderate level of fitness --- say, to be able to do an exercise class without hurting ourselves; or to just get a little more flexibility back, so a few hours spent at a desk on the phone or at the computer doesn't turn our necks and backs into cement.
Good news: There is something in Kansas City for those of us who couldn't kick our way through a Tae-Bo class without paying dearly for it the next day.
Barbara Anderson, co-owner of Body & Soul of KC at 59th and Holmes, has created a one-of-a-kind Pre-Yoga class that breaks down the basic movements of the body --- bending, flexing, turning --- and makes it easy to move like you did as a kid," she says. She's been teaching yoga on and off for the past 25 years, and specializes in helping those recuperating from injuries or years of couch potato-ism to undo bad movement habits, and get back to better fitness and health.
"Yoga movements work for people of all ages," Barbara says. "Our Pre-Yoga class is great for anyone who wants to warm up before taking a more difficult exercise class.
Body & Soul also offers power yoga for more advanced students and Yo-Bics TM, for a more cardiovascular workout. It also assures a lot less chance of injury when you tackle a game of tennis or golf tennis, golf, or other sports or exercise."
"Pre-Yoga is a less intimidating, less rigid way for beginners to learn basic postures the right way," she explains. "It's also perfect for those who just want to move and be stretched while better aligning their bodies."
This class loosens inflexible joints, warms tense muscles and fills you with a sense of mastery, control and well-being.
"The best part is you don't have to do it well to benefit," she adds. "It goes slow enough that you will learn postures the right way." Barbara's students range in age from their teens to their 80s, and classes have never been more popular than they are now. "It's a trend," Barbara confirms. "Yoga's always been there," she says. "People got injuries from aerobics, they got tired of the club scene. They want something quieter, something that builds more awareness, but they also want the strength and flexibility they were getting from aerobics --- without the injuries."
No doubt about it, yoga is hot. Cynics might say it took 2,000 years to turn up the heat. That's when a sage named Patanjali wrote a book about this classical Indian science that deals with the search for the soul. The word "yoga" signifies both the way to discovery of the soul and union with it. The pretzel-like postures, or asana, we visually link with the word yoga are just a part of the practice. Yoga is something people of all ages and fitness levels can embrace as philosophy, science, art, and therapy.
Each student gets something a bit different out of the experience. Ann Crockett, a high school English teacher who's old enough to get a little cranky when asked her age, has been taking yoga classes since 1974. "I really wouldn't be without it," she says. "A friend brought me in. It helps me think and rationalize before emotionally doing things," she says. "It keeps my arthritis down; it's something everybody should do." Retiree J.P. Jones says it's improved his posture and attitude, making him a calmer, happier person. "I can relax better, too," he says. "I never was aware of my movements, and I've learned ways to make standing up, getting out of bed, rolling over easier now. I have much more flexibility in my shoulders and back, after just two months of class."
David Stous, a 55-year-old geologist for Burns & McDonnell, has been doing yoga for the past six years. "My wife talked me into it," he says. "She liked it because it was good for flexibility and endurance." He uses the arm flexes and shoulder stretches he learns in class to undo the stiffness that comes with sitting at a desk most of the day. "It relieves a lot of stress," he says. "It calms the body and the mind." Dianna Freeman, 19, has been studying yoga for the past six months, and is using yoga to fight stress and recuperate from injuries. A figure skater for the past 14 years, Diana had some bad falls, and the yoga stretches are relieving lower back pain. "It's wonderful," she enthuses. "It has helped my stamina and flexibility." She has switched to speed skating lately and says, "I'm so much faster. It's enhanced my strength."
Students of yoga credit it for improving things a lot --- in some cases, perhaps a little too much. The trendy bimonthly Yoga Journal features regular articles touting yoga as a great support for meditation and healing; for playing a key part in cardiac health programs; for renewed energy; for great pre- and post-natal exercise; in short, for harmony of mind, body and spirit.
And who's not looking for that?
The ancients discovered that the act of quiet, centered sitting gave them a consciousness with clarity. Pre-Yoga is as easy as sitting cross-legged on the floor, relaxing hands, arms and shoulders, and breathing deeply. Want to go a little deeper? Dedicate yourself to a decisive length of practice time, intensity while you're doing it, inner attitude. You'll learn all the benefits of concentrating on breath, consciousness, and movement.
Pre-Yoga: Your Chance to Finally! Get Started on A Fitness Plan
Yes, you can actually do things with your body at 50 that you couldn't do before. Can't believe that? Go on, try a Pre-Yoga class and prove it to yourself. We dare you.
written by Linda Rostenberg
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