I am 63 and doing very well and give most of this to yoga - I know that I should make adjustments for age - but I don’t want to - I want to explore things that will allow my knees and back etc. to maintain and even increase mobility without pain. Things like knee pads, props, supplements - diet …any ideas ?
Should? I’m not so sure I’d ascribe to “should make adjustments for age”. One’s practice evolves. That evolution rests on a continuum with safety at one end and efficacy at the other.
One may explore as they see fit. To do so aggressively, mindlessly, or carelessly vectors that person toward injury. But as long as their eyes are wide open about the prospects I see no reason to avoid.
That said, yoga provides the consistent practitioner with an ability to take what comes along in life with grace and an unfocused mind. When you can do sirsasana, the yogi minds accepts this without ado. When you cannot (and have done what you can to do it) then the yogi mind accepts this without ado as well.
Hi Gordon, nice to see you are still keeping the fires burning here - I had a message not long ago that seemed as if this site was being abandoned or changed dramatically. I try and accept with equanimity , however I would like to do I can before I start to evolve towards less range of motion. Already my knees are saying not here in lolasana though my cobblers is still going well - I don’t need much but I feel I need some edge. I was looking to hear if people of an age had any success with Glucosomine/chondroitin for example or knee braces - or dietary changes.
Generally speaking it is the origin behavior where intervention is most helpful - the running, pounding, the inflammatory foods, and the negative thoughts and emotions left unprocessed.
bromelain helps some I believe - the origin for the wrist was falling off a waterfall at 17 and origin for the hips etc. was playing basketball a lot until I was 50 - the constant jumping up and down on hard surfaces gave me herniated disc L-3 to L-5. Keeping the psoas strong and flexible helps probably more than I know and the bromelain which I started maybe 2 months ago really seems to have helped the wrist - it helps digest protein and having too much protein in the diet has been linked to auto-immune conditions like arthritis. And warming up - like walking fast - getting blood down there helps a lot too - maybe the most.
Also, a great Australian yogi, Simon Borg-Olivier, and his blend of yoga and tai chi has helped keep the back and joints more supple with his emphasis on natural, unforced movement. He does stuff anyone can do until he suddenly does something amazing , which he does with natural ease believing , as he does , a relaxed muscle is a stronger muscle. Less is more in his philosophy