We rely on our bones to hold us up, and to keep us moving. So what are we doing for our bones in return? As we age, bones can become more brittle and fragile, and often balance becomes more difficult, setting us up for falls and fractures. But we can build back our bone density with – guess what – yoga! I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Loren Fishman, a Manhattan-based physiatrist and yogi, who has designed a series of yoga poses that help improve bone density. He has run several clinical trials comparing his yoga method to osteoporosis drugs with impressively positive results. I am trained and certified in his method (and, as a person who has osteoporosis herself, am a dedicated practitioner of the poses!) and recently offered an online workshop to to a large and enthusiastic group from Health Advocates for Older People. I would like to offer a similar workshop to you.
There will be two sessions: in the first one, I will be presenting information about osteoporosis and bone density and will then demonstrate the poses. The second one is a practice session in which I will demonstrate the poses again but will then watch you so that I can offer corrections, suggestions, and modifications. The presentation will be recorded, and I will also make available a video of me doing the poses.
The workshop that I taught to Health Advocates members was tailored to older people who often have difficulty getting down onto a mat or doing some of the more intense stretching poses, so I modified the poses, making extensive use of props – wall, chair, and a strap. In this workshop, I will demonstrate the full poses but also offer modifications, including use of props, so that you can practice whichever poses make sense for your body.
I am offering this workshop on Zoom on June 18 at 4PM ET. The follow-up practice session will be held on June 19 at 4PM ET. The cost for both sessions and for the recordings is $50 (see my “shop” page for details on how to pay). If you can’t attend live, you can still access the recordings. Please let me know by June 10 if you will be attending.