Yoga After 40? Yes, Please!
by Lucy Blenkinsopp
I started doing yoga when I was 49.
I had been to one or two yoga classes before then, but had never felt the love. Then, when I was in Denver Colorado visiting a friend, she took me to my first hot yoga class and it was LOVE at first bead of sweat. It was like I’d finally found my tribe.
Since then yoga has had a huge impact on me mentally, physically and emotionally.
Being a rebellious type I don’t like structure, but of course it is exactly what I need in order to perform, so mentally finding a very disciplined yoga system where I had to do what I was told, was challenging and strangely alluring. In my first class when the teacher told me not to drink, like a truculent teenager, I just picked up my bottle and swigged it back. Then, after a few sessions, I started to love the discipline and like everyone else in the hot yoga cult I learned to love to move together as one. Emotionally it changed me more than I could have expected - especially when I packed my bag at 51 and headed off from the UK to LA for 9 weeks to Bikram Yoga Teachers Training.
When I started Bikram Yoga I was already in the peri-menopause stage and was suffering with hot flushes and night sweats. For some extraordinary reason (and I’m not sure if there is a medical reason for this) but because I was spending 90 mins in a hot room on a very regular basis, my flushes and night sweats minimised and then eventually stopped. Another thing that happened was that my skin became extremely soft and I didn’t have to moisturise it, I also stopped using deodorant. The other thing about doing hot yoga is that you start to crave really healthy hydrating food and so without even thinking about it, your eating habits will change.
Physically, doing yoga has made my body very strong and I have lost some weight and I’m not quite so baggy at the edges. I still have a belly and my arms are not in any way perfect but I know I’m doing what I can. Yoga is all about stretching and twisting and because of that I haven’t had any problems with my waist expanding, and I do believe that there are certain yoga asanas which are particularly good for keeping the definition in the waist area and not getting the thickening aspect which is often associated with menopause.
Of course it's never too late to start, though I wish I had started earlier, but am just grateful that I just started.
Today is a good day to start wherever you are life.
Yoga will change the way you look, eat and feel and that is the truth. Now that I am nearly 57 I recognise that I am never going to be super flexible and I do get tired and stiff, but I am thankful that I have my yoga and that I’m doing the best that I can do for me, and my body, and my health. Just as a side note, I noticed a big shift in my energy and whilst I definitely do feel and look my age, I know that I giving my life the best shot and I can't do more than that, except of course, to spread the word and that is why I am so passionate about my Coaching.
To be honest I do see that there is much choice about doing yoga. In fact we are the only mammals on this planet who don’t stretch. Hundreds of years ago in India, when people used to go to the Dr. he would prescribe a Yoga Sequence to do to get them back to health and I can absolutely see how that works. There are many different types of yoga and there is something for everyone. If you have tried one type and you didn’t feel the love then please do try another. I do most of my yoga at home now and to be honest that works for me.
If you want any help finding your YOGA or reaching your Health, Wellness or Weight-loss goals then please get in touch. Health and Wellness are my passions and I love to help Women get back into or find their groove.
