This article is written by my friend Kailas, which I will always be grateful for all the knowledge and wisdom to share, and send me your articles to share with you. Some time ago I asked him to tell me what it felt like to give classes of yoga for seniors , and this was his response. Thank you Kailas!

My older

Has long wanted to write this, I owed. I take years teaching Yoga for seniors . Older people, for me, is someone who after dedicating his life to the work activity whatsoever, paid or unpaid, has reached the time they can devote herself more, do things you enjoy, enjoy last stage of his life with joy. Perhaps they are called so, retired, why …

When I was offered the opportunity to teach this population segment specially for them, I confess that I felt a bit “lost”. What would I teach who already knows everything about life? What could I do to who had done everything for others? And yet there I was, in front of a group of elderly people, people who already passed sixty and many, seventy, even more than eighty years … As we started to do asanas (or something …) I started to realize the limitations of the limitations of these people to move or do anything like an Asana. With patience and dedication, I was adapting the practice of Asanas his “way” to move, his way of being in the world … I had even “invent” some Asana, so they could work your body and thus approach the which usually we can be done in any kind of Yoga. But most important is what I could be learning with them.

The first thing I learned is how important is the continued practice. They have shown me what happens when you stop doing what you have to do. The retreat you experience and what it costs again “take the tone” when you return to engage in the practice. Perhaps the most commonly practiced these techniques of Yoga, we are not very aware of it, because then we come back to them as before. But this is not always the case, it will not always be so …

The second thing I learned relativity them is all that matters to us. Image, improvement, “reach …” to be “…….”, And many other things. Do you think it is important to look not know what, when it could be that tomorrow will not return to class because you are no longer in this world? Do you think it is important to have so many things that we have rather “trapped” ourselves when you could lose everything at any time? What do you think “you” when what you have is closer to the possibility of no longer being? It is what makes time someone described me as being “in the line of fire” (some have experienced firsthand the national race) and know that at any moment can happen whatever. This situation “precarious” and feeling of “impermanence” is something that is much talk in Buddhism, but not always easy to make it real, live it, right?

And another thing that this experience of teaching classes of Yoga for seniors, is that allowed me to learn GRATITUDE . Yes, we thank more or less politely in multiple situations. Sometimes, even compulsively, as an excuse to not feel bad, or not attract anger and rejection of others. But is it really? Are we really grateful for what life gives us every step through people and circumstances that come our way? When I see that little spark that leaves them these higher at the end of the class, how well they feel that someone has been “busy” to make them feel good, how grateful we feel for having had the opportunity to live that moment, is something everyone we should learn, and it never ceases to amaze.

Then there are the stories from the most sad when someone stops coming because, you know, they leave this world. Or when the irremediable deterioration of physical matter in which is involved our Alma makes it impossible to continue attending classes.

I remember “Nita” coming from the arm of her husband because she did not herself remained standing and did Asana with a chair next to grip it and be able to sit or rise from the floor … until he stopped coming; the next time I saw her , she was in a wheelchair.

And the most amusing anecdotes, like when I bring something of their “harvest” (vegetables or fruits from the garden, wine, …) as if it were an old “village priest.” Although the funniest thing happened to me is that while he was doing the final relaxation class, listening to a little noise between things (clothes, umbrellas, …) they had left class people on a table, until suddenly see appear one of the baskets chicken head … VIVA! He had brought its owner to sell it in the town square when finished the class !!! Of course, the chicken was relajadísima, because it made no noise until it appeared the edge of the bassinet …

Finally, a hugely rewarding experience, which I have had much learning and I am very, very grateful. When I look into your eyes to these older, I see in his eyes the eyes of my parents, all parents of us all. And have been better or worse people have been our parents. We are here because they have brought us, whether we like it or not be here, and we owe it to them. And we believe that we have not asked for it or not like it here, we have a duty, a sacred duty, to thank them. Anything we can do for them is little.

With love and gratitude,

Kailas