Americans of all ages are quickly awakening to the extraordinary benefits of yoga in daily life. Unfortunately, many people older than age 50 often perceive yoga as an activity for younger bodies. The Channel Islands YMCA supports our local community in breaking down that barrier through offering a range of opportunities for members of any age to begin a health-supporting yoga practice.
A guided yoga practice provides participants with an opportunity for integrating the breath with the body and spirit while calming emotions, lowering stress hormones, decreasing blood pressure, enhancing vitality and improving connection with our inner states of being.
A mindful practice will bring participants into a new way of seeing and relating to their bodies while educating them about the interconnections found through conscious breathing practices. Additionally, allowing each individual a sense of ease and confidence to begin where they are is vital in the process of opening the body, mind and spirit, and the Y loves providing this pathway to our members.
More than 125 years ago, the Y was founded on providing a supportive environment for members to grow through diverse offerings and yoga is one wonderful example of that as the centuries move on! The Channel Islands YMCA branches welcome novice participants on the exploration of yoga and many other forms of movement training.
While many of our wellness programs focus on improving general flexibility, an essential piece of any sound physical program, a yoga practice brings the Y member a centuries old and diverse series of poses and postures called asana. The variety of poses is wide-ranging and provides an opportunity for all skill levels. Our instructors are always available to discuss any special needs and sincerely enjoy helping members in the process of building new skills and abilities.
The Channel Islands YMCA’s dedication to the well-being of the community is why yoga programming has become an integral element available to all members. Careful attention is brought to an educational, supportive focus at the Y. For example, a gentle beginner’s yoga class will ease the participant safely toward greater understanding of the many benefits of this ancient method of mental, physical and spiritual alignment while individual progress is fostered safely. Some members will love participating in a beginner’s class for years while others may find a more advanced class is a fun challenge and healthful endeavor.
We invite the entire senior community to come and see for themselves all that the Y has to offer and to explore a class or two and/or meet with one of our professional staff to answer any questions that may arise for you.
— Constance McClain represents the Montecito Family YMCA.
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