This entry was posted on Nov 26, 2025 by Charlotte Bell.
Just lately a former highschool classmate posted a meme that caught my eye. It went one thing like this: “At my age, after I drop one thing on the ground I’ve to determine whether or not it’s definitely worth the hassle to bend over and choose it up.” Many different former classmates chimed in to commiserate. I used to be surprised. I by no means even assume twice about bending over to choose one thing up off the ground. In that second, I felt such gratitude for yoga apply.
I began working towards within the early Eighties, after I was in my 20s. On the time, I felt so lucky to have been born with a hypermobile physique that might do just about any pose. For years, I took full benefit of my pure bendiness to apply a number of the “fancy” poses. I loved the reward of my lecturers and fellow college students. In fact, my flexibility wasn’t one thing I’d labored for; I used to be born with it. However irrespective of, the reward felt good.
Every part Modifications, Even Yoga Apply
I’d at all times thought that I’d be doing poses like Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose) and Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Full Pigeon Pose) for the remainder of my life. However my 50s introduced a impolite awakening. The cartilage in my shallow hip sockets (aka “hip dysplasia”) had worn all the way down to nothing. These hypermobile hip joints that had given me a lot ego satisfaction had reached their expiration date.
No quantity of yoga apply might save my hip joints. In 2015 and 2016, I had either side changed. Within the years previous the surgical procedures, I skilled a little bit of what my classmate wrote about. As time handed, I misplaced easy features that I’d beforehand taken with no consideration. I had to make use of my palms to choose my legs as much as get them right into a automotive. I couldn’t sleep on my left aspect. If I dared to vary positions in mattress, I skilled searing ache. Getting up off the ground was awkward.
Dwelling with Ease
After the surgical procedures, the return to regular operate was virtually instant. Many years of yoga apply had cultivated energy, agility and stability in my physique. I used to be strolling with out crutches 5 days submit surgical procedure. Inside every week, getting up off the ground—with out utilizing my palms—was simple once more. I might flip over in mattress with out ache. My fast restoration impressed timeless gratitude for yoga apply.
I now not intention to maintain working towards Monkey Pose or Full Pigeon if I make it to age 90. In reality, though my physique can nonetheless simply type these shapes, I’ve stopped working towards them.
As an alternative, I’ve original my apply with the intention of residing my finest life on this physique going ahead. My yoga apply is now designed to permit me to stay gracefully on this physique, so I can negotiate stairs, hike in nature and squat in my backyard. I by no means wish to need to assume twice about selecting one thing up off the ground. And naturally, there’s the mind-body aspect of apply that underlies all of it—that feeling of calm power that permits me to fulfill life’s challenges with extra grace.
Gratitude for Yoga Apply
Most of my yoga college students are in my age vary, a lot of them a lot older. Each single considered one of them can bend over and choose issues up, and apply yoga on the ground with out worry that they may not be capable of get again up. We’re all just about over the concept there’s any profit to wedging our ankles behind our heads. What’s essential is having the ability to get pleasure from residing in these our bodies, whilst they evolve with age.
Fancy poses will be enjoyable. However direct your focus to these easy standby poses that may permit your apply to evolve with you. And each every so often, keep in mind to replicate in your gratitude for yoga apply and the dedication you’ve made to preserving your physique robust, agile and balanced.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third e-book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Purple Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards.
