Show 1065: How Can Yoga Benefit Everyone, Fit and Flexible or Not?

The idea of yoga classes usually brings to mind images of young, fit people twisting their bodies into difficult poses while breathing deeply. But does yoga benefit people who don’t fit that stereotype? Yoga for People with Pain or Disability: Both our guests teach yoga to people who are neither young nor fit. These are people with arthritis or disabilities that may make some yoga poses impossible. But the practice of yoga still offers rewards, even for those who are far from fit or flexible. Learning to breathe properly and move mindfully can help everyone live better. Will you get a yoga benefit? This Week’s Guests: Matthew Sanford was injured in an automobile accident when he was 13 years old. Although he has lived with paraplegia for 38 years, he has become a nationally recognized yoga teacher. His book, Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence, describes how the practice of yoga has enriched his life. He is the founder of Mind Body Solutions, a Minnesota-based organization that serves people living with trauma, loss and disability. Find him online at www.matthewsanford.com and www.mindbodysolutions.org The photo is of Matthew Sanford. Carol Krucoff, C-IAYT, E-RYT, is a yoga therapist at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Many of her classes focus on people with health challenges such as arthritis. Ms. Krucoff is also an award-winning journalist and author of several books, including Healing Moves and Yoga Sparks: 108 Easy Practices for Stress Relief in a Minute or Less. She is co-director with Kimberly Carson of the Integrative Yoga for Seniors Professional Trainings, helping yoga teachers make the practice safe for older adults. They are co-authors of Relax into Yoga for Seniors: A Six Week Program for Strength, Balance, Flexibility and Pain Relief. Carol Krucoff’s website is www.healingmoves.com. It contains a free, downloadable guided relaxation breathing practice, the “Six Minute Stress Reducer:”  http://healingmoves.com/media/free-mp3-download/ The Yoga for Seniors website:  www.yoga4seniors.com. Listen to the Podcast: The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free. Download the mp3