Gentle yoga for seniors, and for many others, helps you start yoga.
How & why our VERY easy yoga allows everyone to get started.
Try Gentle Yoga, Backcare Yoga, Easy Restorative Yoga, or Women Only Yoga.
Gentle yoga for beginners, or gentle yoga for seniors, as well as for many others, evokes a chuckle from some of my students. Even beginner yoga at home students who learn yoga at home, and who I chat to online, sometimes have the same reaction.
Not because gentle yoga for seniors, or for any of the others, is a pushover! It’s because those who do it still find it a suitable challenge.
When I (Chris) first started yoga 29 years ago, everyone was in the same level class.
It was one level fits all!
For me, it was quite intimidating. I was too stiff and uncoordinated to be able to keep up. There was no such thing as an option for gentle yoga stretches for beginners.
I kept going to the classes only because I enjoyed how calm I felt after the classes, and how much better I slept.
It’s good that these single level yoga classes are now a thing of the past. These days, there are classes specially for beginners, plus for several other levels.
If you’ve heard enough, and want to give them a try, please see the deals to start or re-start yoga, at the bottom of this page.
You can learn yoga at home in LIVE classes, or in the studio, including with a FREE two week trial for beginners.
You can also go direct to the beginner course information page.
Easy Beginner classes, including Gentle Yoga For Seniors
At Flametree we have gone one step further. We’ve created a number of beginner yoga classes that aim to ease people more gently into beginner yoga.
These are a group of 4 “Easy Beginner” classes. We recognise that a regular beginner class is too strong for some.
It’s necessary because we live in very stressful times. Many of us are “time poor”, and haven’t been able to give enough priority to managing our health. As a result, people can be stiff, unfit, or not very strong.
In addition, jobs and family commitments have caused us to hold tension everywhere in the body. We are all stressed in various ways. This can help cause more stiffness, such as hunched and tight shoulders.
Many are also getting older, and often they tend to think there is no way back to flexibility and strength. From what I see in my classes every day, I can tell you that there is a way back. Science also proves it.
To be able to reverse decline, or to build what they maybe never had, people need to be able to stretch out around the shoulders and lower backs. Most importantly, they need to be able to do it in a relatively gentle way, at least for a start.
This is the journey that Flametree’s “Easy Beginner” classes are about. That’s why we created them. Their popularity indicates that many students agree.
Yoga helps you see yourself more clearly
Yoga is a practice where you use your body to understand the way your mind works.
Essentially, with each practice, you come to see yourself more clearly. You see your likes, your dislikes, and your habits, as well as your resistance to new ways of working and thinking.
The more regularly you practise the better you understand yourself. In turn, the more you come to feel at home inside your body, the more you can see that it is possible to change. Overall, it lets you live in a happier and calmer way.
Flametree has created 3 “Easy Beginner” level classes to help those who are stiff, unfit or are weak in certain parts of the body. The first two are Gentle Yoga, and Back Care Yoga.
The mixed beginner and non-beginner Women Only class is also within the gentler yoga category.
The Gentle Yoga is both gentle yoga for beginners, as well as gentle yoga for seniors. All classes are either beginner yoga at home, or in the Flametree studio, or both.
These “Easy Beginner” classes are part of Flametree’s beginner course group of classes. However, on average, they are easier than standard beginner yoga classes. Like all our so-called Special Focus classes, they are open to all beginners. Non-beginners can also join them if they wish.
Even if you are not stiffer than average, or you don’t have a condition you’re managing, you will still find these “Easy Beginner” classes useful. Among other things, this is because in any yoga posture, you can always take it to your particular limit.
For example, in a standing pose like Triangle pose, there is always further ways to improve the posture, or further to stretch, or both. I have been doing Triangle pose for 29 years, and I am still working on it!
If you just want to get on with it, you can learn yoga at home in LIVE classes, or in the studio. Learn more in the deals at the bottom of this page.
Gentle Yoga For Beginners for stretch, strengthening, & calming
In these “Easy Beginner” classes, you get to move and open every part of your body. But it’s done in a gentle way, often with the help of yoga props likes blocks belt, ropes, and chairs.
The props let you bear your body weight, extend you joints, and become stronger.
If you are doing beginner yoga at home, then you can use some household items as props, or buy a few dedicated yoga props, or both. We’ve explained those options in this post about yoga props.
In Gentle Yoga, Back Care Yoga, and Easy Restorative Yoga, you will get to open all joints, stretch your spine, learn how to strengthen your weak side, and learn how to correct poor posture.
You will also learn how to balance effort while doing the yoga class. Often, when new to yoga, many try too hard, and almost forget to breathe.
We teach you how to monitor your effort so you leave the classes feeling calm and rejuvenated.
If you have a particular back issue to manage, here is a great story about how Backcare Yoga worked for a Flametree student.
Easy Restorative yoga to relax & rejuvenate
Easy Restorative yoga is the fourth class in the Easy Beginner group. This class teaches you how to relax and unwind.
Relaxing is a learnt skill! It took me years to appreciate this.
In the West, we are brought up to think that going hard at exercise will, in due course, automatically deliver a relaxed, refreshed, and fit state.
Westerners often top off such an approach with over-indulgence in something they think will deliver relaxation.
Alternatively, if Westerners don’t choose to exercise at all, they just rely on over-indulgence for relaxation.
The outcome of such approaches can contribute to debilitating or deadly health conditions we all want to avoid.
The science of true rejuvenation, via easy restorative yoga, is to balance your “rev up” (sympathetic) nervous system, with your “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) nervous system.
Almost all conventional exercise, and much of the other things we do day-to-day, keep us all trapped in just the “revved up” nervous system. Restorative yoga gives you a systematic way to access your “rest and digest” nervous system, on a regular timetable.
Seniors suffer from stress and too much focus on just one nervous system, even though they may be no longer working. But, as you know, in the modern world, stress is a chronic part of life for all age groups.
Restorative yoga works via holding poses, & releasing hormones
In Easy Restorative yoga, you get to open and stretch your whole body, just like in Back Care Focus Yoga, Gentle yoga For Beginners, and Women Only yoga.
However, in the Easy Restorative class, you also learn how to use the props like bolsters, so you can hold poses longer. In turn, this lets you relax into the shapes the body makes.
The longer you hold the pose, with the help of props, the more benefits you can get.
Holding poses longer, as you relax into them, nourishes your “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) nervous system. It also initiates changes in your body and mind via the release of natural hormones into the blood stream.
Repetition of poses builds confidence & learning
In all four easy beginner classes, the programme is simple. You get to repeat many of the same poses each week so that you come to understand the poses. You also become familiar with how the poses work on your body and mind.
Each class you come to is a different experience. That’s because each time you practise you experience yourself differently. In addition, in each class, your body is building on what you have already learnt and done.
Among other things, this process of each class being a new but similar experience, also means that yoga is never boring. If you’ve done physio, gym or Pilates, you’ll know that those sorts of very repetitive exercises are often very boring. Yoga is not, and the time goes fast.
Overtime, you can expect to become confident enough to start to practise some of the poses at home on your own. Such practise can be as simple as doing a Half Angle pose over your kitchen table. Do this pose every day, and your whole back and shoulders will straighten, and your hamstrings will lengthen.
(In addition, there are so many other easy poses, just like Half Angle, that work for beginners, seniors, and even a more advanced yoga student).
In the classes you are given clear verbal and visual instructions on how to work in each pose. If you cannot manage a pose, you are given alternatives, as I outline further below.
Beginner yoga at home, as well as in the studio
Easy beginner yoga, like all the other online classes, can also be easily followed easily online (or in-studio).
Flametree teachers ensure this in various ways. Most importantly, we give clear, simple instructions and demonstrations.
Secondly, we use a tone of voice that’s clear and slow. We also wait for you to follow each part of the instructions.
Third, we have excellent audio equipment, set up by experts in their field. You get a clear sound.
Fourth, we ensure we position our camera, and ourselves, so you can see how to do the poses.
Fifth, teachers are watching students who are in the classroom, and online. They offer helpful tips as you go, based on what the teachers are seeing.
You can of course turn off your own camera if you don’t want to be seen. However, if you do have your camera running, we can, as appropriate, give you some discrete and anonymous extra guidance on getting the most from the poses.
With this sort of LIVE online teaching, you can learn yoga at home in LIVE classes. There’s also in the studio options, or combination options.
If you need help to get started with online yoga, contact the Customer Service team and they will talk you through the set-up.
The Customer Service contacts are at the very bottom of this page.
Give it a try, you’ll gentle yoga stretches for beginners, and much more.
Poses modified for each individual
Both I (Chris), and Belinda who teaches Women Only Yoga, and Renae (who also teaches Gentle Yoga), have many years of experience teaching yoga.
We have been trained and certified as teachers, over many years, to do each of the steps I outline above. I emphasise this because I’m well aware of the quality of teaching that is necessary in order to ensure that students have a pleasant and useful experience of the class.
As you can see, the teacher is trained to manage a range of factors to ensure the quality of your experience as a student.
If at any time you’re not getting what works for you, in a way that encourages you to keep doing it, then please let us know. There is likely to be things we can do to further improve your experience.
As the class progresses, alternative postures are also indicated, including gentle yoga for seniors options.
In other words, if the teacher thinks that one particular pose may not work for all students in the class, some other similar, but even easier poses will be shown as well.
Yoga can be for everyone, especially via Gentle Yoga for beginners
In summary, I am convinced that yoga can be for everyone, and that it should be for everyone.
You can learn yoga at home in LIVE classes, or in the studio.
When you are new to yoga, to help make it happen, it’s important to find classes that are the right fit for you.
Stiffness, age, or any condition you may have, need not be a barrier to starting yoga. Gentle yoga for beginners, and the other options I’ve outline, opens new opportunities for everyone to do low impact activity that works on an enormous range of fronts.
You just need to find the class that matches your ability so that you can be challenged, but not feel out of your depth.
If you’ve ever thought that yoga is only for those who are flexible, or you’ve found yoga too difficult, try “Easy Beginner” and gentler yoga.
It’s a level where you can stay for as long as works for you. When and if you want to move to other levels, the Easy Beginner or gentler yoga will also be excellent preparation for other levels.
As I said, you may think that a class which includes gentle yoga for seniors, or others, won’t challenge you sufficiently. Because of how we teach Easy Beginner classes, I think you’ll find plenty of challenge.
If you wish, feel free to ask your teacher about which level may be best for you. It may be that gentle yoga for beginners is best, or it could be some of the other Special Focus beginner classes. The timetable of all beginner class options is here.
Alternatively, get in touch with us via the Customer Service contacts at the bottom of this page.
Learn yoga at home in LIVE classes, or in the studio
The beginner packages offer, for beginner yoga at home, or for in the studio, includes a BEGINNER COURSE from time to time.
The beginner course includes all these gentler yoga options, and has up to 2 weeks FREE.
Learn more about the next 6 week beginner course.
For the beginner course, if you buy for two, you get 25% off. Learn about the beginner course DOUBLE pass deal.
The beginner course also includes gentle yoga for seniors, plus the many other good options you can see in the beginner timetable.
Weekly Beginner Deals
But you can still start beginner level classes at any time. Classes are taught to allow you to join at any time, and do the beginner courses when they run.
The week-to-week subscription deals, including for beginner yoga at home, also give you a full 2 weeks free, right at the start of your subscription period.
You need to provide a credit card, but there is no charge until the end of the FREE two weeks.
It’s obligation free. Just tell us if you don’t want to continue, once you’ve done the free two week trial.
Gentle yoga for seniors, or for others, is part of all these packages, plus much more.
You can do it as beginner yoga at home, or in Flametree’s studio in Darwin Australia, or both.
Check out these week-to-week payment deals, and see what you think. These week beginner yoga packages are for at home or in the studio, as soon as you want to start.
The unlimited IN-STUDIO weekly beginner pass is here ($15.95 a wk, after the free 2 weeks)
Beginner yoga at home deal (ONLINE) is here ($9.95 a week, after the free 2 weeks)
The COMBINED in-studio & online yoga classes pass is here ($19.95 a wk)
There are also ten pass deals for beginners, both online and in the studio. These can also be used for Gentle yoga for beginners, and all other beginner classes. There are separate ten passes for online or in-studio.
All our packages, including ten pass options, including to learn yoga at home, for both beginners and non-beginners, are here.
With the video, there a wide range of options, but if you wish, it can include gentle yoga stretches for beginners.
All passes can also be bought at the Flametree studio, using EFTPOS or cash.
For those who’ve done yoga relatively recently
Newcomers who can do yoga, or lapsed students, get 14 days unlimited beginner classes for just $29. Learn yoga at home in LIVE classes, or in the studio.
For non-beginners too, or those who are restarting yoga, the gentle yoga stretches for beginners can still be done in a way that you’ll get plenty from.
Learn more on the newcomer deal, for online yoga or in-studio