YOGA FOR SENIORS doesn’t include poses like this. Instructor Kristi McDaniel emphasizes that older people start with easy movements.
KRISTI MCDANIEL chooses a flowery meadow to do some yoga poses. She says stress reduction is one of the activity’s benefits.
ENDING EACH SESSION with some relaxed poses is a way to maximize yoga’s positive mental effects.
Kristi McDaniel attended her first yoga class in 1999 to lose some weight and get into better shape.
She soon realized the activity includes more benefits than that. Now McDaniel teaches a yoga class at Northwest Workouts Studio in Ridgefield, as well as in her home or at her clients’ residences.
McDaniel, 39, wants to include seniors among her students for all the good yoga can do for them.
“I get really excited when I hear seniors are interested in yoga,” she said. “Anyone can do yoga. Yoga is basically stretching and strengthening the body while you focus on the breath.
“The great thing about yoga is that it can be customized to the individual. Many of our more active seniors would be able to come into Northwest Workouts and join us for a Level One yoga (and) stretching class.”
She focuses her students on their breathing while performing poses that improve balance, which is especially important for seniors. Working to develop better posture and alignment is part of it, too.
“For our injured or less active seniors, I would encourage them to contact me about a one-on-one session that can be customized to meet their bodies at the level they are at right now,” McDaniel said. “Even coming into a simple lunge pose can be challenging for a lot of people. We try to take one foot off the ground and do a simple stretch, always working those muscles that will give balance.”
She acknowledges that some people believe yoga includes spirituality, but says that’s up to the individual.
“It can be whatever people want it to be,” McDaniel said. “There are so many different kinds of yoga. It’s just about finding something that fits you.”
Stress relief is a big part of yoga’s popularity, she said.
“When you come to class and you move at a slower pace, and you bring the breath in, something happens and at the end of class there’s a glow I see out of people that is very amazing. I often go into a class with a head full of stressful thoughts and come out of class feeling relaxed with a positive perspective on life.”
McDaniel always includes a relaxation pose at the end of class so students can unwind.
“I talk through a whole relaxation sequence to let all the muscles relax and slow down the mind and the thoughts for the day,” she said.
Getting started in yoga is easy, and should begin with simple movements, the instructor said. That might mean starting by sitting in a chair or laying or sitting on a mat. Even little movements can be powerful enough “to make us feel better and lead a healthier and often happier life.”
Class session at Northwest Workouts Studio usually last an hour while McDaniel’s private clients have classes lasting about an hour and a half.
McDaniel’s business is called Inspired. She can be reached at (406) 539-3948 or kjmcdaniel3@gmail.com.
Northwest Workouts Studio is at 112 N. Main in Ridgefield, with an entrance in the back. More information about the company, owned by Stacy Hope, is available at (425) 941-8801.
