Adapting the Asana Practice to Suit Aging Bodies and Changing Energy

Walking the Eightfold Path: Part 3 | Asana

“The posture should be steady and comfortable.” — Yoga Sutra 2.46, sthira-sukham asanam

Yoga is often visually represented by the shapes we make with our bodies. While posture (asana) is just one of the eight limbs of yoga, it is often the entry point for many modern practitioners—especially in the West, where yoga has been widely commercialized into a practice focused more on flexibility and fitness than on inner stillness. But in the lineage of classical Hatha Yoga, Asana is far more than movement. It is a discipline of presence—a way of training the body to be a calm, steady container for spiritual practice.

Beyond the Shape: Asana as a Spiritual Practice

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, only three sutras refer directly to Asana. Rather than emphasizing elaborate poses, the focus is on cultivating a posture that is stable (sthira) and easeful (sukham). This reflects yoga’s original intent: to prepare the body for long periods of seated meditation. In this way, Asana becomes a practice of harmonizing body and breath, creating a supportive foundation for the deeper limbs of yoga—like breathwork, concentration, and ultimately, liberation.

Changing Bodies, Changing Energy

As we age, our physical needs evolve. Injuries, joint changes, reduced flexibility, or simply different levels of vitality mean that the physical activities we once did in our 20s or 30s may no longer serve us in our 50s, 60s, or beyond. And that's not only okay—it’s wise.

Honoring these changes is not about doing less, but about practicing with greater attunement and compassion. Asana, at its heart, is not a performance; it is a practice of listening inward. It’s about how the posture feels—not how it looks...This is where the real yoga begins.

What Adapting Looks Like

Adapting an Asana practice might include:

• Using props like blocks, straps, or bolsters to support balance, comfort, and alignment.
  
• Practicing on a chair or at a wall to reduce pressure on joints.
  
• Emphasizing breath-led movement over striving for depth in poses.
  
• Incorporating restorative postures that invite the nervous system to rest and reset.
  
• Exploring gentle or slow-flow sequences that build strength, improve circulation, and cultivate stillness.
  

There is no "lesser" version of yoga. A modified pose, practiced with care and awareness, is far more potent than a perfect pose performed with strain or ego.

Reclaiming Yoga from Commercialism

In a culture that often sells yoga as a youth-preserving workout or a trendy lifestyle, it’s easy to feel left out if your practice doesn’t look like what’s on Instagram. But traditional yoga was never meant to be a billboard spectacle. It was designed to meet each practitioner where they are, offering tools for inner transformation.

Reclaiming yoga means slowing down. It means showing up on the mat as you are, without apology. It means using the body not to impress others, but to tune in, heal, and prepare the vessel for deeper inner work.

Qualities of an Authentic Yoga Teacher

As you continue to walk this path, the guidance of a skillful mature teacher becomes invaluable—especially one who understands the needs of older bodies, perhaps even being near to your own age physically and perhaps even spiritually.

Look for a teacher who:

• Encourages a non-competitive, inclusive environment.
• Offers adaptations and welcomes all abilities.
• Emphasizes breath, awareness, and self-inquiry.
• Models humility, presence, and ongoing learning.
• Honors the lineage and philosophy of yoga—not just its poses.
  

Yoga is not about achieving something. It’s about uncovering what is already within you.

On the Mat This Week

• Explore a gentle sequence with a focus on sthira (steadiness) and sukham (ease).
• Use props or supports that make you feel safe and relaxed.
• Try ending your practice in a longer Savasana, noticing the breath and energy as they move through you.
  

Off the Mat This Week

• Notice how you carry your body throughout the day—can you find ease in your standing or sitting posture?
• Reflect on how your energy levels change. How can you honor your body’s wisdom instead of resisting it?
• Ask yourself: What does a “steady and comfortable” life look like for me right now?
  

Walking the Path

Asana teaches us that strength and softness are not opposites—they’re companions. In a world that urges us to push, achieving balance often begins by yielding. By adapting our practice to honor the body’s wisdom, we step more fully into the essence of yoga: union, presence, and peace.

“Asana is a steady and comfortable seat, a posture that brings stillness to the body and serenity to the mind.”

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References

Patanjali. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Translation by Sri Swami Satchidananda, Integral Yoga Publications, 2012.

Lasater, Judith Hanson. Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times, Rodmell Press, 1995.

Stiles, Mukunda. Structural Yoga Therapy: Adapting to the Individual, Red Wheel/Weiser, 2000.

Fishman, Loren M., and Carol Ardman. Yoga for Healthy Aging, W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.

Desikachar, T.K.V. The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, Inner Traditions International, 1995.

Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Yoga, Schocken Books, 1979.

Farhi, Donna. Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living, HarperOne, 2004.