So here you are, after having relearned how to stretch, flex, rotate, hinge or simply find body parts you hadn’t paid much attention to in years. You know the difference between your sit bones and tailbone — and what they’re supposed to do.

And you’ve given yourself a wonderful new skill: deep breathing to center, calm and collect yourself. But now, you’re almost at the end of our Gentle Yoga for Seniors series.

But this final gentle yoga workout is definitely not the final word on what continuing to practice yoga every day can do for your aging body!

Yoga for Older Adults: Looking Back

Think back beginning this journey, when our very special teacher Cat Kabira mapped out where you were headed and how you’d get there:

“… what we’ll be doing together is doing what we would call the asana practice, the yoga practice which is really the body movements that we do… it’s always been a practice for everyone… The primary practice of yoga is learning to listen to yourself in a very kind way and just seeing what does your body need.”

By sticking with the program, you probably gained a much clearer idea of what your body needs. But where do you go from here?

Yoga After 60: Going with the Flow

Has someone ever said to you “You can’t step in the same river twice?” That idea is based on the writings of the Greek philosopher Heracletus, who lived 25 centuries ago.

It’s unlikely Heracletus ever encountered a yoga teacher. But were he alive today, he might find Cat’s approach to her own yoga experience just his cup of (heavily diluted) wine:

“I always practice every single pose a little differently because I discover so many things in my body each time. So in reality, you’re never doing the same yoga pose the same way twice.”

As human beings, our physical flow changes from day to day — or even minute to minute. It’s like standing in the same river with different water constantly bathing our feet. Going with our bodies’ personal flow, Cat insists, is always the right thing to do!

The Gentle Flow Workout

Although this workout’s poses are ones you’ve previously done, your body’s already different for having practiced them. The trick is to find out what that difference is when you repeat them today.

The same holds true for every pose you’ve practiced (and with the easy-to-challenging versions Cat has presented for most of them, that’s a considerable number!)

Just don’t decide in advance that each pose should be easier every time you perform it. Keep repeating to yourself, “There is no perfect yoga pose,” because there isn’t. There are only the poses our bodies can do right now, which are the perfect ones for them!

Looking Ahead

Only you know where you’d like your yoga journey to take you. However far that is, our Gentle Yoga for Seniors videos are here to help you along the way, with this encouragement from Cat:

“Get on the mat every single day. Practice the poses that are your favorites, that make you feel good. Notice how you’re going to feel more strength and flexibility… The most important thing is that you’re taking care of yourself, that you’re listening to you and you’re doing something that truly nourishes and delights you.”

Now that you’ve completed our Gentle Yoga for Seniors videos, what changes have you noticed in your body? Which poses did you find most helpful? If you haven’t made a commitment to daily practice, what’s stopping you? Please join the conversation!