Nothing lasts forever, but an adaptable yoga practice, infused with awareness, sure can.

My mother loved practicing yoga. Her practice gave her energy and a sense of freedom in the body. Also, being able to hold asanas (the physical yoga postures) gave her a sense of accomplishment – being able to participate in something our entire health-conscious family valued made her appreciate her health and stamina.

She thrived on attending yoga classes regularly and practicing in community. However, this all changed with COVID-19 when yoga studios around the globe were forced to shut their doors. She was committed to yoga however, and started practicing at home alone in her living room, doing what she thought her body could still do, and without any instruction or guidance for her practice. As my mother entered her 80’s her arthritis worsened, but stretching and strengthening with her yoga practice relieved joint pain. Her body was also riddled with osteoporosis but she was determined not to let that slow her down.

Yoga ended abruptly for my mother at the age of 81, one summer morning in 2020. As she lifted her legs up over her head into halasana (plow pose), she experienced excruciating pain in her thoracic spine and collapsed on her living room rug unable to move. Luckily, she was able to contact my sister for help. X-Rays later revealed that she had suffered a compression fracture in her T12 vertabra that left her with muscle spasms and limited mobility in the lower body for the next six months. She was advised to never practice yoga again.

Halasana is a deep stretch of the entire posterior chain and is a challenging pose that requires preparation and deliberate engagement of the lower abdominal muscles. Hands on the lower back would have offered support, and if she was going to try it at all, my mother likely should have stacked folded blankets under the shoulders or rested her toes on the seat of a chair. There are certainly gentler ways altogether to stretch the back, including a simple yet delicious forward fold. My mother was simply not aware. And awareness is everything in yoga. The practitioner is learning to listen to the subtle cues from the body with greater awareness and sensitivity.

Yoga asanas are clearly not just for our bodies. Practicing asanas confers benefits to the body, nervous system and mind all at the same time – particularly if one focuses on moving consciously with proper alignment. Through asanas we dissolve tensions, build strength, eliminate toxins, increase mobility and circulate freshly oxygenated blood throughout the body. Asanas are meant to prepare the yogi for deeper stages of yoga, such as pranayama (breathwork) and meditation, by first preparing the physical vessel one is given in this lifetime.

I wish my mother still practiced yoga. As I delve into holistic flow yoga teacher training with Inner Dimension Academy, I hope to one day soon re-introduce her to the practice…because yoga truly is for everyone. I am confident that at the age of 85, restorative yoga, simple yin poses and lots of props will be her segue back in.

Cultivating mindful awareness in one’s yoga practice develops interoception. The more sensitive we become, the easier it is for us to understand the link between body sensations and skillful responses to those sensations. And that sensitivity can then be translated off the mat and into one’s life to live more intentionally. Every day a new body comes to the yoga mat, and the practice must be adjusted and evolved accordingly. If we work on tuning in to our vessel’s messages, yoga can be a practice to be trusted and savored for a lifetime.