Yoga for Seniors: Power & Surrender

Edited by Noa Glow

One of the most beautiful things about a 90-minute Bikram Yoga class is that, when you think about it, it’s just like life. In the first part of the session we must learn to use our will (for example, I have to call up every last ounce of my personal will power to do Standing Head to Knee); then, later on, we discover how to surrender (as in Savasana). These are the same skills we need to learn in life: how to use our power constructively when that is appropriate, and how to let go and be powerless when that is appropriate.

A lot of people, myself included, start off believing that life is all about seeking power, and that states of powerlessness and vulnerability are to be avoided at all costs. In recent years, however, I have discovered that obtaining power is only half of life. And, as in the hot room, the need for power is more pronounced in the first half of class, during the standing series.

What I’ve learned as an older person is that life is also about knowing when to let go, accepting what is and learning to receive at deeper levels. Far from being “weak,” the state of letting go, like Savasana, can help us access inner resources that are incredibly enriching and bring healthy balance to our lives.

I wish you all a healthy and alive 2013.

Naomi