Tapping into the Wellness Market:
Teaching Yoga to Older Beginners

More and more people over 50 are coming to yoga to reap the many health benefits and finding ways to better manage the aging process.

Yoga has much to offer in this respect. A regular yoga practice can help restore resiliency and tone to deconditioned and stiff bodies, improve balance and proprioception, and mitigate or reduce some of the effects of age-related changes in physiology.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a yoga class suited to aging bodies. A vigorous yoga class geared for younger yogis can be counterproductive for people with more mature bodies. At the same time, while the 50+ yogis may not be ready for a vigorous physical practice, they also don’t want a class that treats their bodies with kid gloves.

At the same time, many yogis in the middle years are coping with life changes, career challenges, and in some cases, dual caretaking responsibilities for their children and parents. They need stress-reduction strategies they can incorporate easily into their over-booked schedules.

In this course, Yoga Therapists Eva Norlyk Smith and Lynn Crimando will demonstrate how yoga teachers can create classes that reflect age-related changes in physiology while at the same time creating safe sequences and classes that are stimulating, engaging, and physically challenging. They will also cover quick-fix yoga breaks that can help provide a calm oasis in the storm of life in the middle years.

What You Will Learn:

• Joint-aware sequencing that reflects the needs of bodies with age-related conditions such as arthritis, stenosis, and compromised disc space.
• Sequencing to progressively build tone, resilience, and fluidity in deconditioned bodies
• Key information about health conditions that arise in middle years including heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, chronic pain, and joint replacement.
• A skillful method for adapting yoga practices to mature adult bodies that reflects the dual goals of safety and challenge
• Techniques to enhance and refine your own voice as a teacher
• Techniques to build body awareness
• Meditation, relaxation, and stress reduction techniques that can be done any time of the day

Take a Sneak Peek at the Course Slides:​​

Why Is Yoga the Best Exercise Solution for Aging Boomers?​​

Joint Aware Sequencing - Keys to Preempting Pain Issues

Do's and Don'ts for Movements of the Spine when Teaching Older Beginners​​

A Yoga Sequence for Neuromuscular Integration​​

The Functional Aging Challenge:
How to Maximize Functional Longevity

Smart Sequencing Strategies for Older Beginners