By Katherine Tweed WebMD Feature

You can do yoga at any age -- really! It's just a matter of picking what type of yoga you do and working within your abilities.

It might even help you age better, keeping you flexible and building strength through low-impact moves.

6 Things Your Doctor May Have Trouble Telling You

Patients often have trouble talking to their doctors. It can be hard to get the words out when the topic is emotionally charged or one youd never bring up in polite conversation. And for various reasons, sometimes including their own embarrassment, doctors may find it hard to bring up certain topics -- and that can compromise the care their patients receive. Communication is an inexact science, says Bob Arnold, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and...

Read the 6 Things Your Doctor May Have Trouble Telling You article > >

We lose about a half-pound of muscle per year for each year were not regularly engaged in resistance training, says Jessica Matthews, assistant professor of exercise science at Miramar College in San Diego. Strength training also helps keep your bones strong.

Yoga is a great option because it does not require specialized equipment and can be done anywhere. Matthews says her yoga classes are filled with people of all ages and skill levels, and she has seen more older adults embrace the practice in recent years.

One of the most important things is taking great care to understand what your body needs, Matthews says. If you have arthritis, limited mobility, or other health issues, she says, there is a modification for almost every yoga pose to accommodate your physical needs.

Whether its at a yoga studio or community center or in your home, yoga is a great way to gently build your endurance while also fostering a mind-body connection.

More:
Am I Too Old for Yoga? 6 Yoga Poses That Age Well

The practice seriously lacks diversitybut some studios are trying to change that.

Teacher J. Cole Thomas leads students Rochelle Citizen (left) and Kris Williams (right) in tree pose. (Rosalie Murphy)

Thick, glossy copies of LA Yoga, Yoga Journal, and Yoga Magazine cover the rickety folding table in the lobby of Green Tree Yoga and Meditation. The magazines share tales from Malibu, Santa Monica, and Pasadena. Nearly every spread features a thin woman, usually in slim yoga pants and a tight tank, stretching her arms toward the sky or closing her eyes in meditation. Nearly all of these women are white.

But in South Los Angeles, where Green Tree opened last year, fewer than one percent of residents look like the people in those pictures.

You can look at all those journals and you'll not see one woman of color, said Raja Michelle, herself a white woman, who founded the studio. We associate yoga with being skinny, white, and even upper class.

You go to classes and youre the only black person, or there are very few, said Robin Rollan, who practices yoga in New York and D.C. and runs the popular blogBlack Yogis. People who find my blog say, I thought I was the only one.

The magazine images may seem like stereotypes, but theyre grounded in reality: About one in every 15 Americans practices yoga, according to a 2012 Yoga Journal study, and more than four-fifths of them are white.

You have to have an education about yoga. Otherwise people think it's some kind of devil-worship.

Racism is so implicit that you never even notice that its a white girl on the cover every single time, added Amy Champ, a PhD from the University of California, Davis, who wrote her dissertation on American yoga. But when you begin to ask yourself, What does yoga have to do with my community?, then you begin to question all these inequities.

L.A. yoga studios are heavily concentrated in wealthy white neighborhoods. In a corner storefront beside a tattoo parlor and across from a used car dealership, Green Tree recognizes that religious, economic and social divisions underlie yogas racial divide. Its neighborhood is about 80 percent black and 20 percent Latino. Household incomes hover around L.As average, but crime rates are high and college diplomas are rare.

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Why Your Yoga Class Is So White

Nosara, Costa Rica (PRWEB) July 08, 2014

Nosara Yoga Institute (http://www.NosaraYoga.com), a Yoga Alliance-recognized yoga teacher training center located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, announces the opening of its new Nosara Yoga Village accommodations and resort facilities located immediately adjacent to the Institute. In addition to serving its students, the Nosara Yoga Village is open to the public, serving guests seeking a yoga vacation or hosting their own yoga retreat. (http://www.NosaraYogaVillage.com)

The Nosara Yoga Village enables us to offer accommodations to serve the needs of the international yoga community who visit Costa Rica as well as our students, is the fulfillment of a dream, said Amba Stapleton, Nosara Yoga Institute co-founder and co-director with husband Don Stapleton, Ph.D. This expansion reflects the growth and success of the Institute as a prestigious center of yoga not only in Costa Rica but also around the world. More importantly, when guests stay here for yoga teacher training, yoga vacation, R&R, or as part of a group retreat, they will cherish how the Village and grounds create a setting of serenity and meditation that complements and deepens their entire yoga experience.

Offering a yoga-centric alternative to local Nosara hotels, the Nosara Yoga Village can accommodate up to 56 people in a variety of shared and private rooms and configurations. Each fully furnished bungalow features air conditioning, overhead fan, stone sinks from Bali, private open air showers, free Wi-fi, top-of-the-line bedding, jungle views and other amenities.

The bungalows are positioned near the main building named Ananda Kutir (House of Bliss), which houses the reception area, canopied outdoor dining area, boutique, and juice bar. Guests can relax poolside, as well as enjoy a 25-meter saltwater lap pool. Public yoga classes are taught daily in the Institutes beautiful yoga pavilions. Massages, manicures and pedicures are optional services offered in our Spa. Two (2) sumptuous vegetarian lacto-ovo meals are served daily and are included in guests stays.

Notes Canadian developer and Nosara Yoga business partner Gary Edwards, who directed all aspects of the Village construction and expansion, Our focus was to create a memorable stay for each and every guest, while preserving the natural jungle beauty that surrounds this property through the use of sustainable, environmentally-friendly construction materials and building methods. The feedback from our guests has already far exceeded our expectations.

The Nosara Yoga Institute and Village grounds are located within an 8-minute walk to the stunning beaches of Playa Guiones, where aqua-hued lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean beckon both swimmers and surfers alike. In addition to yoga, the Nosara Village staff is available to assist guests in taking advantage of nearby recreational opportunities capitalizing on the country's beauty and terrain, such as eco-tours to view rainforests, active volcanoes and waterfalls, zip-lining, horseback riding, kayaking and hiking.

Detailed information, pricing and reservations for accommodations and group retreats can be found on the Nosara Yoga website at NosaraYogaVillage.com.

About Nosara Yoga Village (http://www.NosaraYogaVillage.com) Nestled amid the lush green Costa Rica jungle that creates a haven of serenity and introspection, the brand new Nosara Yoga Village, adjacent to the Nosara Yoga Institute, offers both students and guests alike accommodations, vegetarian meals, yoga classes and resort amenities within a yoga-oriented meditative setting that will enrich their entire yoga experience. Yoga teachers who wish to host their own retreats will also be able to choose from a variety of yoga pavilions based on availability and group size. Located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, the Nosara Yoga Village is just a few minutes' walk from the breathtaking Pacific Ocean and its pristine beaches.

About Nosara Yoga Institute (http://www.NosaraYoga.com) Internationally recognized for its successful professional career training curriculum in yoga education, Nosara Yoga Institute is a registered Yoga Alliance school (RYS) specializing in 200-, 300-, 500- and 1,000-hour yoga teacher training tracks and RYT certification programs. Located amid the stunning beauty of Costa Ricas Pacific coast, Nosara Yoga was founded in 1994 by Amba and Don Stapleton, PhD and author of Self-Awakening Yoga: The Expansion of Consciousness through the Bodys Own Wisdom. Nosara Yogas approach to teaching yoga goes beyond traditional poses and yoga styles to offer a vitalizing, life-opening experience of studying and practicing yoga. Specifically, it integrates the concept of inner inquiry into each training, resulting in a transformative and more gratifying individualized approach to teaching yoga.

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Nosara Yoga Institute Opens Nosara Yoga Village, a New Yoga-Centric Alternative to Nosara Hotels for Costa Rica Yoga ...

Beijing: India today held its biggest yoga summit in China in a bid to reclaim its ancient legacy over the iconic spiritual practice.

Yoga has, in recent years, become a rage in China but also stirred up concerns that its popularity is being cashed in by poorly trained coaches.

The six-day summit was formally inaugurated at picturesque Dali city in Yunnan Province in which renowned Yoga teachers like Geeta Iyengar, daughter of Yoga Guru B K S Iyengar and Hollywood model Yogi Cameron are taking part.

Top local officials as well as Indian Ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha took part in the inaugural ceremony.

The event is being held as part of the 'Glimpses of India Festival' to celebrate 2014 as Year of Friendly Exchanges between India and China.

Around 1,500 yoga practitioners from all over the world, majority being from China, participated in the event besides local government officials, media and academicians.

The theme of the Summit is 'Science of Yoga' during which lectures, physical demonstrations and video presentations on different aspects of yoga will be made.

Elaborating on the initiative, Kantha told PTI that as yoga is gaining traction at the popular level, there is need to teach correct techniques and engage in dialogue with practitioners.

Seventeen prominent teachers of yoga from various disciplines have been invited to take part in the summit to address the concerns that correct techniques are not followed, he said.

"These masters will engage in dialogue with yoga practitioners. This interactions will benefit them," he said.

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India Holds Biggest Yoga Summit in China

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Walking into Open Barre studio, you are greeted by all the essentials of a yoga class: big open space, mats and barefoot patrons. However, there is one other addition in this studio. Suspended from the ceiling by sturdy straps and secured by military grade hardware are a series of individual hammocks made from a stretchy, jersey material.

It's so weird. It looks like a little bat cocoon or something, said instructor Ryann Pinkerton of her usual workout scene.

This studio is tailored for aerial yoga, the latest evolution of the centuries old practice. It combines the stretching poses of classic yoga with the challenging lifting of aerials- choreographed movement in the air.

It just combines to make this fantastic workout that works your body head to toe. You'll sweat, but at the end of it you feel so relaxed. It's just a beautiful thing," said Pinkerton.

Pinkerton has the petite, lean frame one expects of ballerinas. She has an extensive background in both yoga and aerials, which is why she makes motion of pulling your entire body up into tangled positions seem so easy. Believe me, looks can be deceiving. I'm no yoga guru, but Ive taken my fair share of classes and I do some strength training.

When Open Barre invited me to try their class, I felt confident that I could keep up and maybe even relive some of my own days as a ballerina. The class started out pretty easy with some of the traditional yoga warm up stretches: versions of cat, cow and downward dog. It wasnt long though, before the skill level escalated.

As the class stretched over the hammocks, contorted into the hardest crunches Ive ever done and pulled our bodies up into gravity defying poses my muscles shook, twitched and burned with the effort. Each move, even the "easy" ones, felt like it worked every muscle in the body. However, its the core that is hit the hardest. Pinkerton told me later, that is the whole point.

"Everything radiates from your core, everything starts from there. That is your base, the beginning of your being," Pinkerton explained.

There are classes for every skill level, and the moves get easier with experience.

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Aerial yoga sweeps students off their feet

Hanna Weiss stretches during a free yoga class at Senior Center park Sunday, July 6, 2014 in Ocala, Fla. Julie Jenkins instructs a class on the first sunday of every month.

By Carlos E. Medina Correspondent

For Julie Jenkins, yoga has become such an important part of her life that she wants to share it with as many people as possible.

Thats why Jenkins began teaching a free monthly yoga class at Tuscawilla Park offered through the Ocala Recreation and Parks Department.

We started in March. The very first class we had low numbers, but today we had eight, said Jenkins, who also teaches at several gyms and offers classes to Marion County employees through their Health Happens program.

The one-hour class is held on the first Sunday of every month under the thick canopy of the parks oaks near the southeast corner of the expansive property. The classes run through October and start at 2 p.m.

Its a beautiful setting for those wanting to come outside the confines of a yoga studio or fitness center and connect with nature while we explore our own true nature, Jenkins said.

The class is offered for all levels and nothing more than a beach towel and some drinking water is necessary.

We can modify to all levels from first timers to the very seasoned, she said. Anyone who can breath can do yoga. Its really about breath. The misconception is that you need to be flexible. Flexibility really comes in the mind. The byproduct of yoga is flexibility of the body, but its not a necessity to begin.

For Holly Sadler, the class was her first outdoor yoga experience.

Read more here:
Locals find peace in park yoga

Yoga, in general, is not a competitive sport. Repeat.

Hows that for a mantra? This past week, I tried hot yoga, or bikram yoga, for the first time. Ive done yoga on my own for years on and off basically in times of high stress such as finals or to combat freaking-out-about-work induced insomnia. I practiced and learned yoga when I was 14 years old. I was staying (read: exiled) at Sacred Heart Monastery in Richardton, North Dakota, for about a month with my aunt who was a nun there. During my time at Sacred Heart, I volunteered for the sisters, helping out with the llamas, potato patch, dishes, cooking, etc. One night, another volunteer at the monastery asked if I wanted to practice yoga with her in the evening. I told her in the same breath that I had no idea what she was talking about but, yes, of course! During our time there, she taught me about the importance of breathing during yoga and how to turn something which feels and looks like a simple stretching routine into an actual workout. A non-competitive workout.

The anticompetitive nature of yoga is honestly why Ive only practiced it on and off for the past 10 years since I learned the basics of it. I like sports to make me fight for a win. There is no winner or loser in yoga you cant exactly make a competition out of trying to out-breathe the person doing pigeon pose next to you. Also, the mental part of yoga that asks you to shut your brain off and just focus on your breath is hard for me, akin to asking the Hulk not to get angry. I think thats true for most people. We spend so much time worrying, wondering and planning or focusing on our electronics, social lives or what were having for supper, giving our brain a break from life seems impossible.

Hot yoga, however, does actually force you to focus on your breath in order to avoid noticing the 105-degree heat of the studio. Even with this intense level of concentration, you will still notice your shins sweating. Your shins have sweat glands? Who knew? This distraction and realization aside, youll notice your heart rate slow if you do the yoga-breathing properly. If youre not doing the deep breathing properly, then you are just a person sitting in a hot box contorting yourself into strange positions at 6:30 a.m. because either your nightmares are that bad or youve got issues, bro. Youll find it easier to move through the positions as your body adjusts to the heat its actually been recommended for people with stiff joints or who have muscle injuries as a low-impact way to rebuild strength.

Overall, this is a Never Have I Ever I throughly enjoyed checking off my list. I mean, I am sensitive to high heat so I did nearly pass out once, but now I know what to expect from a hot yoga class. I know how much more water Ill need to drink throughout the day, and I know how relaxed Ill feel after a class. Heres to getting out of my comfort zone and finding something new to do in the Vail Valley! Namaste!

Ali Murray is a copy editor at the Vail Daily. For this article, she attended class at Vail Hot Yoga in Edwards. If you have any comments or ideas of things for her to try in the Vail Valley, please email her at amurray@vail daily.com.

There is no winner or loser in yoga you cant exactly make a competition out of trying to out-breathe the person doing pigeon pose next to you.

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Vail Daily column: Hot yoga is not a competitive sport