ANOTHER REASONTO PRACTICE YOGA: IT IMPROVES YOUR BRAIN I subscribe to a Harvard Medical School online daily newsletter which often has fascinating new health information.  I think today’s article is especially relevant to us seniors who want to maintain our cognitive skills.  Here are excerpts from the January 8, 2022 article, Yoga for better mental health: With its emphasis on breathing practices and meditation—both of which help calm and center the mind— it’s hardly surprising that yoga also brings mental benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depression. What may be more surprising is that it actually makes your brain work...

RESTORATIVE YOGA Just this week I found out about restorative yoga.  This new style of yoga doesn’t involve moving or stretching—it’s more like active relaxation.  Once you’re in a pose, you simply hold it for 5 or more minutes.   The idea is to focus on your breath in a mindful way; as your body relaxes into the pose your breathing and heart rate slow, you become calmer and you feel less stress (and who doesn’t need reduced stress in this time of Covid?) Rather than going through 20+ poses at a normal hour-long yoga class, it’s recommended you practice restorative...