Beginner Yoga For Individuals Over 45: Safe And Accessible

Want to start your yoga journey but worried about injuries or feeling intimidated? This yoga practice is designed with safety and accessibility in mind, tailored for individuals over 45! Join me as I take you through a series of gentle, easy-to-follow yoga poses that will help you slowly build strength, flexibility, and balance. Whether you're looking to reduce stress, improve your overall health, or simply feel more energized, this beginner-friendly yoga routine is the perfect place to start.

Transcript

Namaste everyone.

I am Apinya.

And to any individual out there who are 45 and above looking for a yoga practice that really focuses first on safety and also on accessibility,

I think you will find that this practice that I'm about to offer to you will give all that.

So you can leave the practice feeling more limber,

More energizing,

More relaxing and also feel confident that you are not going to hurt yourself from it.

Which means I want you to come to the practice beside a mat,

Grab a couple or even two sets of blocks,

Which means you're going to have fours,

And a strap,

Also a couple blankets and I will see you on the mat.

We are going to meet one another in a seated position.

Now check with your body,

See if you need to sit on two blankets stacked on top of one another or just one blanket or none.

It depends on how tight you are.

The tighter you are,

The more lift,

The more your hip should come off from the floor.

Okay,

Test that first.

And know that you have options to sit cross-legged or one leg crossed,

One leg extended out to the side or even both legs extended out to the side,

Which actually will be more comfortable for many of you that who are very tight in the hips area or have already some uncomfortable on your knee joint and your ankle joints.

Find your seat,

Then rest your palms facing up and let your middle finger and your thumb touch.

Put it on your side.

Engage your core and lift your spine upward with the inhalation.

Next,

Exhale,

Come draw your shoulder blades together.

It's going to move back.

Chest will extend forward.

Allow your eyes to close and come to your breath.

Breathe deeply in and out through your nose.

Allow your breath to be gradual and even.

Hold your spine upright from the power of your core so your neck,

Shoulder and jaw can relax.

Another deep full breath right here.

Exhale fully.

Please start to circle your neck.

Let's go to the right first.

Big circle.

One,

Four more.

One,

Four,

And two,

And four.

Now come back center and then go to the other direction.

Please five together.

One,

Two,

Keep your spine upright,

Three,

Five.

Then look straight ahead and take a deep breath in.

Tilt your head to the right.

Use your right hand,

Hold the left side of your skull and use the exhale to lengthen your head further to the right.

Now your left hand,

Lift it off from the thighs and let's dangling down toward the mat.

Two more breaths.

Exhale fully.

Feel your ribs.

Make sure that they are not protruding forward.

One more breathing.

Inhale.

Exhale nice and full.

And then come back center with your head and exhale.

Tilt your head to the left and then use your left hand.

Once again,

Hold to the opposite side of your head and then really lengthen your neck to the left.

Two more breaths.

Two.

Then release your hand,

Bring your head up center.

Now bring your hands back down to your thighs.

If your knees,

If you cross your legs,

Okay,

So you can hold your knee with your palms.

If you have your leg open,

You can hold your inner thighs or land your hands anywhere that feels supported and you are going to start to make a big circle with your spine while you are sitting.

So you do spinal circulation in your seat.

Keep moving.

When you start to feel comfortable,

Allow your neck to also go with it.

Keep your jaw really relaxed.

Two and other direction,

Please.

Keep going.

And then two more times here.

One,

Two.

Now bring your spine back center,

Rolling your shoulder up and back.

Next.

Really feel your shoulder move,

Okay?

Not your arms and use your hands.

Maybe you can hold your shoulder.

You can extend your arms out.

You can bend at the elbows.

Two more.

One.

Anything that helps you.

Two.

Go for it.

And then change the direction,

Please.

Deep breath.

Always.

Last two here.

One,

Two.

Then come back center.

Check with your spine.

Still elongated.

Your ribs draw more toward one another instead of open and move forward.

Alright.

Now have your hands on your thighs.

Lift your right arms up.

Inhale.

Palms facing your ears.

And then exhale.

Stretch to the left.

Then walk your left hand also further to the left.

And then bring it up.

Inhale.

Center.

Switch side.

Exhale.

Left arms overhead.

Inhale.

Come back center.

Right arm go overhead and go to the left.

Keep moving.

I want to add on something in here.

While your arms are over your head,

Make sure you can feel your shoulder blades draw toward one another on your back,

Okay?

So what I'm asking you to do besides side stretch is to not rounding your shoulder.

Keep your ribs under your chest.

Let's do one more on each side,

Please.

And then come back center.

We will move along from here to hands and knees.

The option here is that you either grab a blanket and put it on the mat and put your knees on them or put the knee pad on the yoga mat and put the knees on them if your knee needs support,

Okay?

And come to a tabletop position with your knees together.

Now your palms spread them apart.

Crawl the floor with your finger pad,

Okay?

And you feel four corners of your palms facing.

And you feel four corners of your palms are anchored down toward the floor.

And from here drop your hip side to side.

If flat palm doesn't feel good,

Make a fist and put the knuckle down.

Your wrist may feel more comfortable with this hand option.

And then come back center.

Now we're gonna go back to flat palms.

Knees now hip distance apart.

Crawl the floor with your finger pad.

Let's do cat cow here,

Please.

Inhale cow pose,

Arch your back.

Look up,

Tailbone up.

Exhale,

Cat pose.

Head down,

Tailbone down and round your back up toward the sky.

Inhale cow pose,

Belly move toward the floor.

Exhale,

Round your back up.

Head down,

Tailbone down.

I really want you to think more of moving your head and your tailbone than focus on your mid-body,

Okay?

Three more times because when you move your head and your tailbone your spine will go with it naturally.

Last two.

Inhale,

Tailbone up,

Heads up.

Cow pose,

Exhale,

Tailbone down,

Head down.

Push the floor away from you.

Last one here.

Inhale,

Look up.

Exhale,

Round your back,

Tailbone down.

Inhale and find a neutral position.

Now from here let's go into an easy Y thing,

Please.

Grab a block and put it underneath your left hand.

The hand you can make a fist or a flat palm on the block.

Now see which one feels good,

Okay?

Start to turn your body open to the right side of the house which means that your left leg,

The shin should move it parallel to the short side edge of your mat.

Your right leg then you can kick it straight.

You look on the bottom your left hand,

Left knee and your right leg should be in one straight line and you take a deep breath in.

Then exhale,

Push the floor away from you with your left hand.

Shift the weight toward your right foot and also from your right foot lengthening sideway all the way out to your right fingertips and you turn your chest up toward the sky.

Take a deep breath in,

Exhale,

Draw your shoulder blades together on your back.

Push the floor away and lengthen the toe to your fingertips and another breath here.

Inhale,

Exhale,

See if your chest can diagonal a little bit more up towards the sky and then come back down.

Square your chest toward the short side edge of your mat then shift to the other side,

Please.

Do an easy Y thing on the right.

So the blocks is underneath your right hand.

Turn your body open to the left side of the house.

Make the bottom part from your right hand and your right knee to your left leg straight.

Take a deep breath in and then exhale.

Push the floor away from you,

Weight toward your left foot and from there lengthening all the way to the side out to your fingertips.

Two more breaths after that.

Exhale,

Shoulder blades toward your back,

Your heart diagonal up toward the sky,

Long left side body,

Another breath here and exhale.

Remember length from the foot to the fingertips and then you turn toward the floor.

Now have two blocks and put your hands on them with your knees together and you drop your hips side to side.

I hope you're feeling a little bit more space in the body.

Then you come back center.

Now make the block a little higher.

Step your right leg forward,

Left knee on the floor and tuck your left toes under.

We're going to go up to Anjaneyasana.

Bring your body upright,

Take a deep breath in,

Draw your core in and exhale,

Lunge forward.

When you lunge,

Please make sure that your right knee remains over the ankle.

Inhalation,

Please root your tailbone down and lift from the front body out to the crown of your head and at the same time your shoulder blades draw together on your back.

Exhale,

Lunge.

Inhale,

Root down and you can rise up and out.

Two more breaths.

Inhale.

If you have your shoulder blades onto your back,

Maybe you can lift your arms up as high as you can keep your shoulder blades together on your back,

Okay?

So I don't want you to lift your arms and you start to round your shoulder.

Get that?

And then carefully put the power into your right foot and push the floor away from you.

Allow your trunk to move forward and have your hands come down onto the block.

Step your right leg back behind you and step your left leg forward.

Go into the Anjaneyasana on the other side,

Okay?

Now your right leg,

Tuck your toes under.

Bring your torso upright,

Inhale.

Palm facing forward,

Shoulder blades onto your back.

Exhale,

Lunge.

So you're going to let the hip move forward.

Knee over the ankle at all times.

Inhale,

Tailbone go down,

Belly come in and grow out from that all the way toward the crown of your head.

And exhale,

Lunge.

Keep your shoulder blades onto your back.

Inhale,

Length.

Neck is nice and long.

Lunge.

Two more breaths.

See if you can keep your shoulder blades onto your back.

Maybe you can do a cactus arms.

So you can really feel your heart open.

Another breath right here.

Many times when you're tight,

You bring your arms up alongside the ears.

Most of the time people actually have a round shoulder.

Our hands come down onto the block.

Step the left leg back behind you.

Let the knees meet once again.

Palms on the block.

Make a fist of flat hand and drop the hip side to side,

Okay?

And come back up with your hip to stop.

Next pose is a pyramid pose.

You may have to make the blocks a little bit higher.

Step your right leg forward,

Point straight forward.

Now come off from your left knee and then plant the foot down toward the floor.

So the heel should be on the floor.

Now look toward the floor and imagine you have a clock that's surrounding.

Like you're practicing yoga in a clock,

Okay?

Your right foot,

Your front foot should go to the 12 o'clock.

The back foot should point to 11 o'clock,

Okay?

And when you have that,

Now your hands have it on the highest block possible just to make sure that your spine can elongate.

So get that part right first.

See how high the block needs to be in order for your spine to lengthen.

When you have that,

So keep your spine elongated,

Okay?

Now without moving your feet,

Scissor them isometrically to feel your hip move.

So your right hip goes back,

Left hip comes forward.

Take a deep breath in,

Inhale,

And then push the hand into the block.

Draw your core in and exhale.

As your spine lengthens forward,

You are going to start bringing your spine down toward the floor without rounding your back.

And you have three more breaths here.

One breath at a time.

Challenging your hamstring,

Two more breaths.

Two more breaths,

Okay?

I'm gonna add more breath here.

Challenging your hamstrings muscle without compromising your back.

Last breath here.

And then you bend both knees,

Step the left leg forward to Uttanasana.

Standing forward,

Forward,

Your knees bend deep.

Feet hip-distance apart.

Then you are going to just gonna step your right leg back,

Okay?

Go into the pyramid pose.

So this time your left foot point at 12 o'clock,

Your right foot point at one o'clock.

Bring your hands underneath the shoulder and once again start by making the block as high as your body needs to make your spine to remain lengthened.

Do you find your height?

And after you have that,

Take a deep breath in.

See so your legs hug your thigh,

Core lifts and exhale as you're lengthening your spine forward,

Bring your spine downward toward the floor.

And you have four more breaths to go.

Take a deep breath.

In,

Don't move yet,

Just check the alignment and exhale.

Go a little bit deeper toward the floor and keep planting your feet firmly on the big toe side edge of them.

Two more breaths.

Challenge yourself to get the best out from your hamstring muscles without compromising your back.

Another breath here.

And exhale.

Try to go as deep as you can toward the floor.

Then bend both knees once again.

Step your right leg forward with your knees bent to Uttanasana.

Now inhale,

Straighten both legs,

Move your hip back,

Move your chest forward,

Bring your block as high as you can,

Keep your spine nice and long.

And as you exhale,

Send your chest down toward the floor as your knees bend.

Inhale,

Straighten the legs,

Spine lengthens.

Exhale,

Bend both knees,

Chest goes toward the floor.

Now we're going to stand upright.

So ground down onto your feet,

Open your arms,

Inhale out and up toward the sky.

And open your arms,

Exhale out and down toward the floor.

Find the Tadasana.

See how you feel.

From here,

Let's shift from facing the short side edge of the mat to a long side edge of the mat,

Okay?

It makes your feet wider apart.

Let's swing the body side-to-side.

Twisting is such a good movement.

I feel like for us who are older.

It doesn't mean that I don't like any other stretch at all,

But twisting just feels right.

Now come back to start,

Okay?

Let's do some standing poses.

Let's do a couple of them.

Open your feet a distance apart.

No,

Facing the long side edge of the mat and open your legs wider than your hips.

We're going to do warrior two.

So make your right foot 90 degrees with the long side edge of the mat.

Turn your left foot out all the way to the short side edge of the mat.

Now make your left heel in line with your right arch,

Okay?

Hands onto your hips for now.

Take a deep breath in.

Now exhale,

Bend your left knee.

See how far you can bend your left knee and keep moving your left foot as far as when your left knee stops and you cannot go any further.

It's just right over the ankle,

Okay?

We're going to find that first.

So I want you to find the right width.

Now when you have the right width,

Now with the inhale,

Straight your left leg once again.

Open your arms out,

Palms facing down.

Look toward your left shoulder.

Neck is nice and long.

Take a deep breath in.

Engage your core and exhale.

When you bend your left knee,

Push from your right foot,

Okay?

Go,

Send the energy out to your left knee.

Two more breaths.

Inhale,

Stretch your left leg slightly.

Exhale,

Bend your left knee a little bit more.

Inhale,

Stretch your left leg slightly.

Relax your jaw and exhale.

See,

Can you go a little bit deeper into your left leg?

Make your right foot also anchor toward the floor.

And then next inhalation,

Stretch your left leg completely.

Have both hands onto your hips.

Turn your left foot in 90 degrees.

Turn your right foot out completely.

Right heel in line with your left arch.

Move your hip back slightly.

Take a deep breath.

Take a deep breath in.

Lift the heart and shoulder blades onto the back.

Exhale as you bend your right knee.

Bring your arms out,

Palms facing down,

And draw your shoulder blades toward your back.

Two more breaths.

Inhale,

Stretch your right leg just slightly.

And use that exhale to feel and go deeper to warrior two.

Strong feet to the floor.

One more breath.

And then exhale.

Then stretch your right leg completely.

Bring your hands back down toward the hips.

Turn your right leg in.

Now we are going to turn both feet out into a goddess pose.

So let them turn out comfortably.

Do you have that?

So you feel that your feet are firm toward the floor when you have it.

Then inhale,

Anchor your tailbone down,

Engage your core.

Lengthen long out to the crown of your head and draw your shoulder blades together on your back.

Then exhale,

Bend both knees and feel that the energy just shoot out through your knees and your arms start to extend out and then up straight,

Palms facing forward.

Inhale,

Stretch both legs.

Bring your hands down by the side.

Push your feet into the floor,

Spine long.

Exhale,

Extend your knee out and away from one another and extend your arms out and then inhale.

Just stretch the leg,

Not completely.

Exhale,

Extend.

Now stay right here and just kind of move yourself from left leg to right leg.

Shuffle,

Shuffle.

And see,

Can you sing a little deeper?

One more breath right here.

And then push into your feet,

Stand nice and tall and bring your hands toward your hips.

And bring yourself back up standing and let's shake the wrists and ankle.

One standing pose together right here.

I would love you to practice balancing.

If you still have a challenge with the balance,

Maybe do it against the wall.

So if your body starts to lean or fall,

Then you have the wall for you.

So we're going to go into three poses.

Balance on your left leg first and you turn your right foot out so your right knee goes to the right and bring your right foot maybe start right on the floor next to the left foot and hug that right heel into the shin of the leg.

If you think you can go off on the floor,

Maybe just a little bit and have the foot press the shin and you'll be happy right there.

Now for anyone who can go further,

Maybe go up to the thigh or maybe go all the way to the groin area.

See where is your body today.

Now wherever you are,

Hug both legs toward one another and you lift your core and you draw your core in and lift your heart up toward the sky.

Inhale,

Shoulder blades together on your back.

Exhale,

Let the breath go.

Two more breaths.

Relax your jaw.

Now don't hold the pose with your neck,

Jaw and shoulder.

Hold your pose with the strength of your legs and your core.

And then relax.

Exhale,

Let's shake the wrists and ankles.

Then swing the body side to side.

And let's go right into the other side.

Please balance on your right leg.

Now point straight forward.

Another key thing that you need to know when you do three poses is that try to come back to the big toe side edge of that standing leg.

I said that because you're going to see if you're weak,

You're going to roll on the little toe side edge very quickly.

Now turn your left foot out.

Get your left foot maybe meet the right foot or go up into the shin.

Stay close to the floor or go higher if you like.

Palm facing forward.

Take a deep breath in and then exhale.

Push your feet together.

Lift the heart.

Shoulder blades together.

Take a deep breath in.

Lift and exhale.

Let the breath out.

Two more breaths right here.

Leg energy is even.

Tailbone rooting down.

Last breath right here.

Make sure your hip is not being pushed forward.

And bring your left leg down.

Shake your wrist and ankle one more time.

And once again swing the body side to side.

Come back center.

Bring both arms up toward the sky.

Inhale.

Feet hip distance apart.

Shoulder blades onto your back.

Hold your left wrist.

Ribs together and stretch to the right.

Come back center.

Inhale.

Switch side.

Stretch to the left.

Inhale.

Come up center.

One more each side please.

And come up center.

Hold your right wrist.

Shoulder blades together and stretch left.

Neck is long.

And then you come back center.

Now bring your hands together in Anjali Mutra and exhale.

Let it move through the center of the body.

And you stop them right in front of your heart with your eyes closed.

And come back to connect with your breath.

Relax your jaw.

And allow the breath to flow smoothly.

Allow yourself to make room for whatever happening in this moment without your mind quickly trying to judge or make sense of it.

Can you just embrace what is and let it be.

Allow yourself for once to be in the moment.

To live in the moment.

Without the worry of the future and the concern of your past.

Two more breaths please.

Thanks so much for joining me.

Please just know that the older we are,

I'm actually 49 this year,

The stiffer,

Tighter and less range of motion we become.

We actually have to do more work to keep this body healthy.

And inspiration is everything.

I hope you feel it today.

Until then,

Namaste.