The Most Popular Yoga Spot in Town

It's a Thursday afternoon at the Oconee County Senior Center in Watkinsville, and the most popular class of the day is just starting to begin. Yoga mats are on the floor as the most popular yoga session in Oconee County is set to begin.

Three years ago, two yoga instructors approached the center interested in offering yoga classes to the elderly of Oconee County. Since then, the beginner and advanced yoga classes have been the most popular offerings at the center, trumping cooking classes and the ballroom dancing classes.

Margaret Farr, a staff member at the Senior Center, says that she has noticed a real difference in people's health since the center added yoga classes. She says that one local resident cured her chronic hip pain after three weeks of regular yoga. Keeping seniors activity has been a challenge for the Oconee County Senior Center, but it seems that yoga has been a bit of a magic bullet. The importance of staying active as you age cannot be overstated, and the national Senior Fitness Association has a list of the benefits of yoga for seniors here, as well a series of poses that are specially tailored for aging bodies.

But aside from the direct physical benefits of regular activity, regular group yoga sessions also offer a much needed community connection. Depression and isolation can target the elderly as they age, especially if they lose connection with their family and friends, Farr said. She also said that when they make connections with those around them more freely, elderly residents take better care of them and show a higher sense of self regard.

It's easy to forget that our psyches as well as our bodies change as we get older, and that we should pay attention and take care of our mental and emotional health as well. After all, if the teachings of yoga are truly correct, then our bodies and psyches are permanently connected, and changes in one truly affect the other.