Section I: Q&A
What is Yoga?
Do I have to be flexible to do yoga?
What do I wear and bring?
How often should I practice?
Which class is right for me?

Section II :
Guidelines

Section III:
The Listed Benefits of Yoga
Yoga Compared to Conventional Exercise

Section IV:
To Avoid ‘Boomeritis,’ Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

Questions and Answers

What is Yoga?
Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning union. Developed in India over 5,000 years ago, yoga is a practice that encompasses many elements, one of which is the conditioning of the physical body. Hatha Yoga, the yoga of effort, is a system of physical postures called the asanas which were developed to heal the body by releasing tension, building strength and creating a stronger mind-body connection. Each physical posture, or asana, has specific benefits that help to create calmness and balance in the mind, body and spirit.

Do I have to be flexible to do yoga?
No, there is no pre-requisite of being flexible to do yoga. It's a misconception that one must be flexible in order to do yoga. Practicing yoga will make you more flexible and help increase strength, but anyone can do yoga, regardless of age, weight, flexibility or strength.

What do I wear and bring?
We suggest that you wear clothes that are comfortable and easy to move around in (no jeans). We practice yoga with bare feet. We have cubbies in which you may leave your personal belongings, socks and shoes. We provide mats and towels, although we do recommend bringing your own if you have them.

How often should I practice?
We suggest beginning with one or two classes a week. You will want to find a time that is convenient for your schedule. You will also want to find a teacher that you resonate with. We often suggest trying several teachers to see which style and which teacher is right for you. Over time, you will notice that you will naturally want to practice more frequently.

Which class is right for me?
Several of our classes are designed for beginning and intermediate students. Again, we strongly suggest that you experiment with different instructors or at least read about their style of teaching and approach and find the classes with which you best resonate. The instructors will provide modifications for each level. Please be sure to mention to the instructor if you have an injury or special need and they will be happy to accommodate you. We also recommend speaking to one of our staff members so that they can help you decide which classes to try based on your schedule, preferences and physical abilities.

Guidelines

1) Wear comfortable clothing. No jeans, socks or shoes.
2) Do not eat 2-3 hours before class. It is best to keep the stomach empty for yoga class. You may drink juice or eat some fruit about an hour before class, but we recommend not eating heavily before practicing.
3) Drink plenty of water about an hour before and immediately after practicing.
4) Arrive about 10-15 minutes before class to sign in. Changing rooms are available. If you are late, please enter the classroom quietly, especially during meditation, as a courtesy to both the instructor and your fellow students.
5) Yoga mats are available for use during each class, or you may choose to purchase your own mat.
6) Please inform your instructor of any injuries or illnesses that you have, even if you are not currently experiencing severe pain.
7) Please avoid wearing heavy fragrances and perfumes to class as this may disturb the practice of others around you.
8) Please enter the yoga studio quietly
9) Be compassionate to yourself. Breathe deeply and listen to your body. Honor wherever you are in your practice, regardless of what others in the class are doing. Your practice will only develop with careful patience, so try to focus on making each experience enjoyable for yourself.

The Listed Benefits of Yoga

- Reduces stress
- Reduces anxiety and depression
- Improves posture
- Improves circulation
- Revitalizes the body and mind
- Strengthens the immune system
- Slows heart rate
- Lowers blood pressure
- Helps to detoxify the system
- Improves function of internal organs including digestion
- Improves balance and hand-eye coordination
- Increases Strength and resiliency
- Increases endurance  
- Increases energy level
- Normalizes and helps control weight
- Improves sleep
- Increases immunity
- Decreases physical and emotional pain

Yoga Compared to Conventional Exercise

Yoga
- Parasympathetic nervous system dominates
- Subcortical regions of brain dominate
- Slow dynamic and static movements
- Normalization of muscle tone
- Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
- Low caloric consumption
- Effort is often relaxed
- Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
- Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
- Noncompetitive, process-oriented
- Awareness is internal with focus is on breath
- Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness

Traditional Exercise
- Sympathetic nervous system dominates
-Cortical regions of brain dominate
- Rapid movements
-Increased muscle tension
- Higher risk of injury
-Moderate to high caloric consumption
- Effort is maximized
- Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
- Imbalanced activity of opposing muscle groups
-Competitive, goal-oriented
-Awareness is external
-Focus on reaching the reaching the finish line
- Reported boredom factor with continual repetition

To Avoid ‘Boomeritis,’ Exercise, Exercise, Exercise – by Jane E. Brody, New York Times

An apology to all baby boomers and beyond: I'm afraid that in our efforts to get everyone to become physically active, we've sold you a bill of goods. A 30-minute walk on most days is just not enough. There is much more to becoming -- and staying -- physically fit as you age than engaging in regular aerobic activity. (Of course, the same applies to those younger than 60.)

In addition to activities like walking, jogging, cycling and swimming that promote endurance, cardiovascular health and weight control, there is a dire need for exercises that improve posture and increase strength, flexibility and balance. These exercises can greatly reduce the risk of injuries from sports and endurance activities, the demands of daily life, falls and other accidents.

Musculoskeletal injuries are now the No. 1 one reason for seeking medical care in the United States. And falls, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month, have become the leading cause of injury deaths for men and women 65 and older.

Unless you do something to slow the deterioration in muscle, bone strength and agility that naturally accompanies aging, you will become a prime candidate for what Dr. Nicholas A. DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, calls ''boomeritis.''

"By their 40th birthday, people often have vulnerabilities -- weak links -- and as the first generation that is trying to stay active in droves, baby boomers are pushing their frames to the breakpoint," Dr. DiNubile said in introducing a November press event in New York sponsored by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

"Baby boomers are falling apart -- developing tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis and 'fix-me-itis,' the idea that modern medicine can fix anything," he said. "It's much better to prevent things than to have to try to fix them."

Dr. DiNubile pointed out that evolution had not kept up with the doubling of the human life span in the last 100 years. To counter the inevitable declines with age, we have to provide our bodies with an extended warranty.

Assess Your Fitness

In their recently published book, "Age-Defying Fitness" (Peachtree Publishers), two prominent physical therapists, Marilyn Moffat of New York University and Carole B. Lewis of Washington, D.C., provide the ingredients to help you make the most of your body for the rest of your life: a quick quiz and a five-part test to assess the status of your posture, strength, balance, flexibility and endurance, followed by five chapters with step-by-step instructions on how to safely improve the areas in which you are lacking.

The therapists describe what happens to these "five domains of fitness" as you age. Posture begins changing as early as the teenage years, the result of activities like prolonged sitting, carrying a heavy purse or briefcase, or working at a computer.

Strength declines as muscle fibers decrease in size and number and as the supply of nerve stimulation and energy to the muscles diminishes. Balance deteriorates as muscles tighten and weaken and joints lose their full range of motion.

Flexibility declines because connective tissue throughout the body becomes less elastic. And endurance falls off because of reduced flexibility, weakened muscles, and stiffer lungs and blood vessels.

Still not convinced you need to work on your fitness? See how you do on the therapists' quiz:
- Are you not standing as straight and tall as you once did?
- Is walking up a flight of stairs a strain at times?
- Are you getting up from a chair more slowly than you used to?
- Is it getting harder to look to the left and right while backing up?
- Do you get stiff sitting through a long movie?
- Is standing on one leg to put on your shoe difficult or impossible?
- Do you trip or lose your balance more easily?
- Does walking or jogging a distance take longer than it used to?

As a daily exerciser I consider myself a physically fit 65-year-old, and I did well on the quick quiz, but I flunked the tests for balance and flexibility. So I've added exercises to my weekly regime to improve these two domains of fitness.

"The antidote to aging is activity," the therapists wrote. "Inactivity magnifies age-related changes, but action maintains and increases your abilities in all five domains."

No Time to Waste

Dr. Vonda J. Wright, a sports medicine specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said at the New York meeting that "boomers are 59, and we must intervene now to head off what happens to those who age in a sedentary way."

Injury and arthritis are the main reasons people stop exercising, she said. She urged those in need of a joint replacement not to postpone the surgery, which she likened to repairing a pothole.

Marjorie J. Albohm, a certified athletic trainer affiliated with OrthoIndy and the Indiana Orthopedic Hospital in Indianapolis, cautioned against "cookbook recipes" for exercise. "The key to a good workout is customization," based on a professional assessment of flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, strength and balance, she said. "The goal is to minimize symptoms and prevent new injuries," Ms. Albohm said, and she urged people to listen to their bodies to avoid making things worse.

Ms. Albohm emphasized flexibility, saying it is "not optional" as you age. "To prevent stiffness and maintain joint mobility you should stretch daily for 15 to 20 minutes," she said "using slow, controlled movements, before or after your exercise program."

For cardiovascular endurance, she recommended alternating between weight-bearing (walking, jogging) and non-weight-bearing (swimming, cycling) aerobic activities three days a week for 30 to 45 minutes each time.

Muscle strength, Ms. Albohm noted, can be increased at any age, even in one's 90s, to protect against falls, maintain mobility, prevent new injuries and empower individuals. Especially important is strengthening the muscles in the front and sides of the thighs, which help support the knees, and strengthening core muscles of the trunk (back, buttocks and abdomen) to protect the spine and support the entire body.

Finally, we need to worry about our bones. At least 1.5 million "fragility fractures" occur annually in the United States. These are breaks that result when someone falls from a standing height or less, trips over the cat or lifts something heavy, and they affect men as well as women, Dr. Laura Tosi, an orthopedic surgeon at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., said at the New York event.

"A history of a fragility fracture is far more predictive of future fractures than a bone density test," Dr. Tosi said, adding that a major cause is a shortage of vitamin D, which lets calcium into bones.

"The current standard for vitamin D is not adequate," she said, and predicted it would soon be raised to perhaps 1,000 International Units a day. Vitamin supplements are crucial, because adequate amounts of vitamin D cannot be absorbed through diet and sunshine alone.

Note from Yoga of Los Altos

Yoga is superb for:
- Improving balance
- Improving flexibility
- Improving strength
- Improving bone density
- Improving cardiovascular endurance
- Better and smarter aging