Senior News - On the Cover This Month

Yoga works. It has been clinically shown to lower blood pressure, increase circulation, build muscle tissue, increase flexibility, relieve stress and stress-related symptoms, and strengthen the respiratory system. Other benefits include relief from symptoms of menopause, counteracting osteoporosis, cleansing of internal organs, energizing the nervous system, balancing out the digestive system and relief from headaches and lower back pain. As a spiritual practice, yoga can be a pathway to greater enlightenment. It benefits the body, mind and soul, and the choice to enjoy those benefits is yours.

Choosing to live a full and

active life, and to live it comfortably in your body means taking responsibility for your present physical condition, no matter what it may be. Taking good care of yourself deserves a pat on the back, as well as enjoying the benefits of being stronger and healthier. If you know deep down inside that your physical condition leaves something to be desired, what are you willing to do about it?

As we age, we come to realize that staying in neutral regarding our health and vitality is not an option anymore. The days when we could demand that our bodies ski, party or hike ten miles without rebellion and next day repercussions are gone. There is no neutral anymore. It’s not a matter of “Do I feel like exercising?” Everyday, we make a choice to become less fit or more fit.

What is your choice in creating the life you want? Are you willing to listen to the messages your body sends you and can you make a commitment to respond to yourself with compassion, love and respect? Health and fitness is a choice. Aging does not automatically mean weakness, pain and degeneration. How do you want to feel? How can you live life to the fullest if you’re dealing with discomfort or pain? Through yoga, you can tune in to your body and create a life of strength, vitality, flexibility and relaxation. You can choose to live a more dynamic and inner-directed life.

For 5,000 years, yoga has been a path to health and living consciously in these bodies we inhabit. Here, in the West, we’re just discovering what has been known in India for thousands of years, that yoga is a personal fountain of youth. Through yoga, we can increase our physical vitality, mental clarity, and heighten our spiritual awareness, regardless of our age or physical condition.

Would you enjoy your body serving you more comfortably and with greater strength? Have you heard your body talk to you lately? Yoga is training in listening to our bodies. By tuning in through awareness of our breath, through conscious movement in the poses and in the transitions between the poses, we can receive an amazing amount of information from our bodies.

The stuck places, the places where energy is blocked, cause us discomfort in order to get our attention. What is that “stuck place” in your body trying to tell you? Yoga helps you tune in and focus your mind on the area of discomfort or contraction. You can mentally go inside it, breathe into the area, expand it with your breath, then relax, open your mind and ask your body what the stuck area is trying to tell you. Be open to the message. When you receive and accept the message is when the healing begins, and your body will tell you that, too. The discomfort will begin to melt away, the blockage will open up and you’ll feel free!

I teach a gentle, yet very effective beginning yoga program especially designed for seniors. I have been amazed at how quickly so many seniors, even those who have never done any exercise before, have positive results from just two hours of yoga a week. “Yoga for the Young at Heart” is a soothing and healing practice. It creates a format for you to tune in to your body and consciously, with great respect for inevitable limitations, build strength, stamina, flexibility and vitality.

It’s from this place of living life to the fullest, of respecting and nurturing ourselves, that we become relaxed and comfortable. When we are whole and at peace, that’s when our true potential can be expressed. That’s when we create peace within, in our relationships and in all the corners of our world.

We are incredible, powerful spirits having a physical experience. The quality of that experience is in our hands.

Have you heard this before? “You are responsible for your experience!”

Ancient yogis in India took that to an extreme. Imagine choosing to sit naked in the snow and creating such energy within your body that, not only would you not be cold, but steam would rise off your body from the heat you generated!

We choose our experiences, too. Are you “sitting in the snow” in some area of your life? Do you choose to sit there and shiver and moan about how cold

you are? Or do you choose to gather your energy, your internal fire and radiate such joy and love around you that you transform your experience and that of everyone around you?

That is the yoga of life, and it begins right here, with your personal yoga practice. Carl Sagan asked, “Why are we here?” I think I’ve discovered why we’re here! To remember why we’re here! Why are you here?

I believe we’re here to grow into our most healthy, creative, and joyful selves, and to create peace and harmony in our corners of the world.

Susan Winter Ward is the creator of the award-winning DVD series, Yoga for the Young at Heart, an instruction series that makes yoga accessible for people of all ages and physical abilities. More information is available at www.yogaheart.com.

“Healthy living is a mindset,” according to Dr. Rob Streisfeld, a doctor of naturopathic medicine. “The choices we repeatedly make become our habits, and improving these habits takes a blend of motivation and education.”

If you have the motivation, Streisfeld can provide the education. A passionate health educatior and a trained Gourmet Natural Foods Chef, Streisfeld teaches ways to create a healthier lifestyle, approaching well-being from a wholistic perspective and addressing the effects of nutrition and environment on physical and emotional well-being.

“Your body is creating itself every day,” said Streisfeld, “and the damaging effects of harmful foods can be cumulative. Making good dietary choices is an investment in a healthier ever after.” Regardless of your age, every positive change you make can have a beneficial impact on your future health.

“Learning to live, and live well, is a lifelong process,” Streisfeld said. “Regardless of your age, physical condition, or current health status, it is essential to continue to look for new information, products and methods to enhance your quality of life. It is not about living perfectly, but more about being a conscious consumer. This means caring about yourself and your overall well-being.”

Streisfeld offers easy steps you can take at any age toward a healthier lifestyle.

• Get active. “It is important to incorporate more exercise into your lifestyle, and make it something you enjoy doing,” Streisfeld said. He stresses the importance of choosing activities you enjoy so exercise doesn’t become a dreaded obligation. Committing to a regular group activity adds the benefit of social interaction, and keeps you accountable for showing up. Streisfeld especially encourages yoga practice, since it offers demonstrated health benefits and can be done by people of all ages and levels of physical ability.

• Fish oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which must be obtained either through diet or supplements since the body does not produce them. Streisfeld cites research on the benefits of essential fatty acids, including less depression, reduced risk of breast cancer, and reduction of cartilage breakdown due to arthritis.

• Laugh often! Laughter reduces stress-related hormones, improves immune function, increases production of disease-fighting t-cells, and lowers blood pressure.

• Pay attention to food cravings. Sometimes they are the body’s way of signaling a nutritional deficiency or other state of imbalance. Streisfeld recommends consulting a dietician or naturopathic doctor for help in deciphering the needs behind your cravings.

• Consider water filters for your home. Chlorine and other impurities in tap water can have negative effects on your health. Filters are available for your kitchen faucet as well as your shower.

• Sleep is essential for good health. For better sleep, don’t eat within two hours of bedtime, practice stress-management techniques, and avoid substances that interfere with sleep cycles, such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol and artificial chemicals.

• Use high-quality vitamin supplements, and take them in divided doses with meals.

• Eat frequent, small meals rather than three large meals, and focus on fresh foods rather than processed.

Taking positive, proactive steps toward better health is important at any age, of course, but sometimes the passing years -- and the body’s messages to us along the way -- signal that improvements are needed.

“There are going to be signs as we age that tell us things aren’t working like they used to,” Streisfeld said. “The ability to move around and be active is something we often take for granted. I believe in using time-tested natural therapies and natural products whenever possibel to not only treat but to prevent dis-ease in the body.”

Streisfeld points to the healing power of the shea plant as an example. The shea plant has been used medicinally for hundreds of years in Africa, where the plant originates.

“There are now numerous clinical studies showing that the extract from the shea nut can effectively reduce symptoms associated with joint problems, like pain and inflammation, without the side effects, contraindications, and concerns often linked to most pharmaceuticals.

“Simple, safe, and effective are what I consider to be logical guidelines to living A Healthier Ever After,” he said, referring to his new book.

“When you integrate healthier food choices, exercise, and relaxation, working towards more balance in your life, you can actually enjoy your life more fully,” Streisfeld concluded. For more information, visit the website at www.docrob.com.