While the 200 hours yoga teacher training course in India, gives you comprehensive knowledge about yoga kriyas, anatomy, cleansing methods and teaching methodology, it is more of a generalized offering. You are, of course, well equipped to handle a wide genre of students. After you complete the yoga teacher training in India, you get students who are teenagers, college-goers, middle-aged adults, and seniors as well.
As medical technology advances, life expectancy has also increased manifold nowadays. So, you will find people living till 90 years as well. After retirement, most seniors find themselves lacking family attention and companionship, loss of memory and also imbalance. Moreover, most old people tend to be lonely, as children and grandchildren are busy with their jobs and school. Thus, the time is ripe to address the needs of the older generation.
How To Teach Yoga To Seniors?
Now, the word ‘senior’ covers a wide range of age groups. From 55 years onwards most of us refer to adults as seniors, and then there are septuagenarians and octogenarians. While you may be adept at curating yoga class sequences for people till 50-55 years, the age group that comes later can be a challenge for many. Sometimes, you may feel lost or under-confident regarding the approach and safety aspects to take care of.
So, here are the approaches listed herein, so that you can specialize in yoga for seniors.
This is the first thing that you ought to do. Take your time to analyse each elderly who approaches you. Everyone is different from the other, so you must not stereotype. When you know a particular person’s concerns, then you can also structure the training in a particular manner.
When seniors approach you as a yoga teacher for training, the second thing which you must do is to learn of their concerns. Many seniors will be concerned about their flexibility and fear injuries, too. Many even fear that starting yoga practice at a later stage, can result in muscle sprain and spasms. Many will also be concerned about being able to sit and stand properly. There will be queries from the elderly regarding handling knee problems. As that is one of the problem areas of the aged.
This is also very important, as every elderly in the group will have a different set of issues. So, you should not come up with a rigid plan for the yoga class. Be flexible, so that you can teak the sessions according to the requirements. If you tweak the postures and also modify them according to the elderly’s condition, then they will also appreciate you. In any case, each individual even in a normal group will have different requirements. The supine poses are most suitable for the elderly. After that, you can navigate to prone poses. These will be helpful, as you can determine the fitness levels, from the speed at which the students get back to seated or standing postures.
Educate Yourself About Capabilities
You must educate yourself about the physical capabilities of the students. Finding the age-appropriate challenges will help you to determine the progress status of the individuals. You can also read up some of the common age-related diseases and their symptoms. So, that will also help you to determine if the incumbent is suffering from any such disease. If someone complains of stiffness in the legs and back, it can be a sign of Arthritis.
Set The Sequence And Speed Of The Class Accordingly
In your senior yoga class, you are supposed to adjust the pace of the class as per your students. If the seniors are above 70 years, this becomes all the more necessary. If you have an elderly student who has the habit of practicing yoga, then it can be a little difficult to make that person practice slowly. Sometimes, it may become difficult to ask such students to slow down, as they might take it upon their ego. If you maintain a slow pace, it can benefit everyone in general. Moreover, it can also give rise to greater confidence. This can also reduce all the competition, if at all the elderly are doing something of that sort.
Use As Many Props As Possible
You must always use props, no matter which age-group you are teaching. It is both relaxing and therapeutic. Most seniors will look for therapy in a yoga class. Additionally the usage of props make it easy for students to ease into the poses. They can also hold the poses for a longer time. So, make sure that you always have an adequate number of props in the yoga class. The elderly will also feel supported. Some of the most common ones that you can embrace are pillows, blankets, bolsters, backrests, wraps and belts, and so on.
There will be some common concerns to keep in mind, while you are teaching an elderly group of students.
Things To Keep In Mind While Teaching The Elderly
- Menopause – This is a common point of concern for women. So, you might have to deal with hormonal imbalances. Some of the common poses to suggest in such situations are twists, lateral movements, and deep breathing. The vagus nerve needs a lot of attention in this case.
- Prostate Health – This is a point of concern for the males. So, you must ask them to do more pelvic movements. Standing postures are also encouraged.
- Bone Health – As one grows old, bone health also deteriorates. Osteoporosis is a common concern in the old. So, you can draw a plan with weight-bearing exercises in mind. Squats and arm circles are also likely useful.
- Joint Health – You must suggest more joint and muscle stabilizing exercises to the elderly. Muscle balance is extremely important in such cases.
- Lymphatic Circulation – As one ages, lymphatic circulation takes a hit. So, circling movements and self-massage techniques help.
You must always keep in mind that upper body strength and stamina is the key for the older population. So, design your modules and sessions accordingly.
Final Words
Join Shree Hari Yoga School, for the right direction in your life. The teachers will help you to master the intricacies as you learn yoga TTC. The seniors are vying for support and you ought to deliver with all the knowledge you gather.