Yoga in the Ojai Valley
In my articles here on the Ojai Post, I’ve discussed how yoga props make yoga safer and more effective for people with osteoporosis and other health issues.
People sometimes tell me, “But not everyone can afford to go to a yoga class or purchase all those expensive props like yoga bolsters, backbenders or wall ropes.” One person even accused me of being “elitist,” arguing that many people cannot afford to attend classes at fully equipped yoga centers and that they don’t have the money to purchase props for home use.
My reply is this: One year of yoga often costs less than a single day in the hospital! Plus there are convenient alternatives to standard props for situations in which yoga props are not available. In fact, the greatest props of all for improving your balance and building strong bones — walls, kitchen counters and chairs– are usually readily available.

Even though yoga has entered the fitness mainstream, its full potential as a preventive and rehabilitative component of our health-care system is just beginning to be explored.
In the last ten years, research has begun to document the effectiveness of yoga for improving many health conditions, including osteoporosis. As 78 million baby boomers (one in every five Americans) move into the time of life when chronic conditions combine with the long-term wear and tear on their bodies, more and more of them are turning to yoga for both prevention and rehabilitation.
Our society already recognizes the need for “props” in the form of mobility aids such as canes, walkers, transport chairs, and scooters and safety devices such as grab bars, shower benches, and nonskid mats. We don’t consider such items luxuries, but rather necessities. In the coming years, I believe we will see a paradigm shift in which yoga props will be viewed in a similar way.
Next: How to Use Walls, Kitchen Counters and Chairs for Better Balance and Building Strong Bones.
Note: cross-posted at Suza’s new blog, Yoga For Healthy Bones
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Photo Credit: Ruth Miller
For more Yoga in the Ojai Valley see:
The Yoga Splits, Hanumanasana
http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/02/yoga_in_the_ojai_valley_3.shtml
Your Daily Yoga Vitamin: Downward Facing Dog Pose
http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/02/yoga_in_the_ojai_valley_2.shtml
Supported Legs Up the Wall Pose
http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/02/yoga_in_the_ojai_valley_1.shtml
Backbends for a Healthy Heart
http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/02/yoga_in_the_ojai_valley_happy.shtml
Handstands for Healthy Bones
http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/02/yoga_in_the_ojai_valley_breath_1.shtml

Tagged as: yoga