Australian Yoga Journal — November 2017

PHOTO: KEMTER/ ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; CHRIS POUGET

THIS IS THE YEAR I TURN 40.

This is the year when most women’s

magazines advise me to apply anti-

wrinkle creams on my face, consider

botox or dermal fillers to keep my skin

dewy, and amp up my fitness routine to

include weight training to combat the

slowing down of my metabolism.

As I contemplate my age, I am hit

with ambivalence. I am uncertain

whether I should celebrate this new

decade or fear it. I also realise how much

I have imprinted the widespread beliefs

that decry ageing in our culture. Is this

surprising? After all, who does not want

to look and feel youthful? Aren’t we

conditioned to venerate the beauty of

youth? In 2015, the global ‘anti-ageing’

market (i.e. goods and services that help

to ‘combat’ aging) was valued at $175

billion (US$140.3 billion) and is expected

to reach $271 billion (US$216.5 billion)

in 2021. That’s a lot of people all around

our planet buying and hawking

something to help us feel younger.

Yoga is not immune to this drive.

Many of us first try a yoga class because

we are attracted to the physical benefits

of yoga — we want to feel more toned,

fit, flexible and young. And, as a yoga

teacher, I am bombarded every day

with images of the ideal yoga body —

generally represented by a younger

woman.

Yet, with age comes insight. While

getting leaner and stronger was an

essential reason for my practice in my

20s, today yoga offers me something

deeper than the beautification of the

physical body. These benefits can be felt

Ages and

STAGES

44

november/december 2017

yogajournal.com.au

Embrace your age, listen to your inner wisdom, allow your good

health to flourish, and find peace and joy on your yoga mat.

By Insiya Rasiwala-Finn

by all of us, no matter what our age.

I return to my yoga mat for the

spaciousness and freedom to relax, to

release blockages, negative thoughts,

feelings or emotions such as anxiety,

anger or frustration. I know that when I

do this, I create the space to fill my well

up with the good stuff: the focus, peace

and joy that a yoga practice can offer

up. And intuitively, I have tuned into an

aspect of yoga that modern medicine

now views as powerful anti-ageing

medicine.

Consider that moment after the first

few sun salutations of a yoga class, when

your attention begins to focus on the

rhythmic movements, you slow down

your inhales and exhales and find

yourself letting go of your attachment to

your to-do list, or the emotion around a