Finding Stillness After 60: How Hot Yoga Transformed My Retirement Journey
Yoga for Life
Before I talk about how yoga made my life better, I wanted to share a few thoughts about being an aging adult over 60 to help you understand the reason I chose yoga. My life started to feel a bit overbearing because older adults are transitioning mentally and physically into the world of retirement; now, this was something I wanted.
Still, I had questions about that big event: “What will I do?” “How will I stay busy?” I worked for 44.7 years. Like many older adults, my pre-retirement days involved waking up early, breakfast (if I could get it in), work (skipping lunch too often), caretaking, a workout when feasible, dinner, and bed.
The days felt like a repetitive loop, and while that structure gave me comfort, there was also boredom and fatigue. I had fallen into “Routine Comfortable”. I was running on autopilot; I did not need to think, my mind and body knew the daily program. By the way, I counted on that habit because it was safe, but it zapped my creative thinking, and I felt stuck; I know that now. After retiring last year, I decided I wanted off the merry-go-round and spent time thinking about how I imagined my future self.
Let me shout this out before moving forward: there is nothing wrong with a routine; it offers predictability, and it helps plan your day. Therefore, I am not giving up on keeping a routine in my life or stating it’s bad because it is not, and for good reason, such as setting time to prepare meals, exercise, and getting adequate sleep.
I needed to slow down and calm my mind to connect to my new journey in life.
Practicing Yoga
I practiced yoga pre-retirement, but felt there was more I could do during yoga classes to enhance my life. I thought about my practice and whether it was mechanical, like working out at a gym. After all, it’s not just about poses; yoga is an intentional practice. I was struggling with stillness and silencing my mind. The years spent working involved days filled with busyness and noise; it was difficult to be still. My retirement forced me to examine how yoga could help renew my connection to stillness to improve my achy bones, flexibility, and focus. I had to surrender and be more present during practice to fully embrace all that yoga provides. This is what surrendering meant to me, which directed my yoga journey.
Surrendering to yoga
Acceptance – Opening up and finding peace through a nurturing relationship with self.
Developing compassion – Requiring action by taking care of oneself, and creating space for healing to alleviate pain.
Releasing expectations - Cultivating acceptance and observing thoughts without wanting to seek a certain outcome.
Fostering mindfulness – Staying grounded and exploring one’s feelings and thoughts from a non-judgmental place through the body-mind connection.
On the Path
As I began to develop stillness, I started to notice my transformation. My breathing was deeper, and I could feel myself releasing tension. I was gentler with myself in the poses, and I stopped the self-bashing when I could not do the pose. I listened to my inner voice, which allowed me to consider other ways to practice, which included practicing regularly, using props (i.e., blocks), and asking the instructor for a modification of the pose. Changing my mindset, encouraged letting go, and allowed me to relax, experience silence, and activate healing.
My renewed practice started with developing my relationship with stillness, and the rewiring of how I was thinking helped my positivity, staying present in mind, and living a life mentally and physically abundant. Yoga can be challenging, and I struggle sometimes because bending and stretching the body to its limits takes hard work and commitment. The practice of yoga makes me feel good and helps me to listen to my body and reflect kindly on my internal world.
It has been a year since I retired, and yoga remains an essential part of my continued journey of healing and self-discovery.