This entry was posted on Nov 26, 2025 by Charlotte Bell.
Not too long ago a former highschool classmate posted a meme that caught my eye. It went one thing like this: “At my age, once I drop one thing on the ground I’ve to determine whether or not it’s definitely worth the bother to bend over and decide 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 select one thing up off the ground. In that second, I felt such gratitude for yoga observe.
I began working towards within the early Nineteen Eighties, once 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 observe a number of the “fancy” poses. I loved the reward of my academics 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.
All the things Modifications, Even Yoga Follow
I’d all the time 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 right down to nothing. These hypermobile hip joints that had given me a lot ego satisfaction had reached their expiration date.
No quantity of yoga observe 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 without any consideration. I had to make use of my arms to select my legs as much as get them right into a automobile. I couldn’t sleep on my left aspect. If I dared to alter 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 speedy. A long time of yoga observe had cultivated energy, agility and steadiness in my physique. I used to be strolling with out crutches 5 days put up surgical procedure. Inside per week, getting up off the ground—with out utilizing my arms—was straightforward once more. I might flip over in mattress with out ache. My speedy restoration impressed timeless gratitude for yoga observe.
I not purpose to maintain working towards Monkey Pose or Full Pigeon if I make it to age 90. The truth is, regardless that my physique can nonetheless simply type these shapes, I’ve stopped working towards them.
As a substitute, I’ve long-established my observe with the intention of residing my greatest life on this physique going ahead. My yoga observe 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 observe that underlies all of it—that feeling of calm vitality that enables me to satisfy life’s challenges with extra grace.
Gratitude for Yoga Follow
Most of my yoga college students are in my age vary, a lot of them a lot older. Each single one among them can bend over and decide issues up, and observe yoga on the ground with out concern that they won’t have the ability to get again up. We’re all just about over the concept that there’s any profit to wedging our ankles behind our heads. What’s essential is with the ability to get pleasure from residing in these our bodies, whilst they evolve with age.
Fancy poses may be enjoyable. However direct your focus to these easy standby poses that may enable your observe to evolve with you. And each on occasion, bear in mind to replicate in your gratitude for yoga observe and the dedication you’ve made to maintaining your physique robust, agile and balanced.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started educating in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third guide 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 folks sextet Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards.