For a little over the past decade, June brings with it the International Day of Yoga. Established in 2014, there may also be a theme each year. As I looked up information about the day, falling on the summer solstice this year, I saw this year’s theme was “Yoga for Healthy Ageing.” That theme really resonated with me.
If you’ve read other posts on here, you know I like to travel. Healthy ageing is something on my mind when I think about wanting to travel long into the future and on into retirement. I want to be able to continue exploring, walking cobblestone streets or packed dirt trails amongst giant fir trees. In my understanding, movement now is important for movement later. Continuing to move and to stretch for flexibility, and also still practicing to breathe deeply, all combine to work to help build and maintain physical and mental strength and resiliency.
It’s one reason why my yoga practice became so important to me. I know that things may and do come up that can knock me off my routines, and potentially more so as I get older. But building a practice that sustains me may, I hope, help better weather those times. Now it’s not just about being able to travel as I get older, but about overall quality and ability to enjoy more as I get older. And the connection I’ve found that I’ve built with yoga extends beyond just the physical practice. As I feel like I’ve developed that connection, I pay attention to nourishment and other kinds of movement, things that make me feel good and maybe even a little vibrant.
It’s also not just about preparing for growing older. I walk onto my mat and after an hour’s practice just feel better. Here. In the present. Whether it’s calmer or stronger, I’m grateful for the time I set aside for a class. There are times that life gets in the way, but my mat and my practice is always something I can come back to.
Since this year’s International Day of Yoga – and the summer solstice – fall over a weekend, I am eagerly anticipating what class I will take that day to celebrate this practice I’ve found (and the community and friends I have found over the years). And if you need something to look forward to after this year’s Day of Yoga has passed, I was happy to come across a World Meditation Day coming up in December.
This is the part of a series of posts for The Mat Yoga Studio, sharing my thoughts and observations as a student only. The views and opinions are my own experience.
