Where Many Yoga Teachers Go Wrong When an Older Student Walks Into Their Class

By Rachel Land for Yoga Journal.

One of my earliest experiences with an older student was during my one-on-one session with a student in her early 60s. Not having worked with her previously, I had planned a slow, floor-based class. I was stunned when she announced that her previous teacher had been helping her work on handstands. I had assumed she would want an unambitious practice based solely on her age.

Many yoga teachers learn through experience, as I did, that our responsibility is to teach to the actual students in front of us and not the impression we have of them. Each student brings different expectations and experiences to a class which often bear no relationship to their age.

Effective teaching means allowing each student, regardless of age or outward appearance, the chance to make their own decisions on how, where, and when they choose to push themselves. Many older students seek dedicated classes for seniors, restorative poses, or a practice supported by a chair or couch. But older students who are active and choose to attend all-levels classes at studios are often met with unconscious biases that are discouraging at best and discriminatory at worst.

To learn more about 4 common misconceptions about older yoga students, click here to read the full article on Yoga Journal.