Caregivers can benefit from yoga practice

February 24, 2014 Article 
As a caregiver, it can often feel as though you are the only one doing the protecting, nourishing and working.  You are likely stressed to the max and cannot imagine a minute of peace and relaxation.   Yoga to the rescue!

You may be thinking that yoga is the sole purview of the young and bendy.  If this isn’t you, don’t worry (and trust me, it is NOT most of the population).  It turns out that the over 2,000-year-old discipline can be extremely valuable for caregivers—no matter their age or ability.

A yoga practice isn’t just another way to work out, it is a personal journey geared toward repairing and maintaining the natural connections between a person’s brain, body, and breath.   Everyone’s yoga journey is unique just as each person is unique.  For the over-burdened caregiver, yoga has the potential to bestow a greater sense of physical and mental balance.   Taking the time to do a regular yoga routine will allow a caregiver (whose personal well-being is often put on hold because of their duties to their elderly loved ones) some time to let go and focus on themselves.

In general, people are not always conscious of the massive amount of tension they hold in their body.  This tension can manifest in tight muscles, overworked joints, and shallow breathing.   A caregiver can use yoga to take a step back from their harried life and recognize their own needs.  Devoting time to focusing on their breath and body alignment may allow a caregiver to experience freedom from some of the physical and mental strain of their obligations.  It’s reasonable to expect that emotions like anger and cynicism may get in the way of your practice sometimes.  These feelings are all understandable and acceptable elements of your yoga journey.

relaxCaregivers who devote some time and energy to practicing yoga correctly can reap some potentially life-changing physical and mental rewards. Research has shown that yoga can, among other things, help:

  • Reduce stress and help depression

  • Improve sleep quality

  • Enhance respiratory function

Realistically, yoga is not likely to bring perfect peace to the life of a caregiver.  Yoga can help the individual become more balanced and aware of where we are.   For an over-burdened caregiver, that balance and awareness may make all the difference.

Yoga won’t make doctor’s bills go away, it won’t change the fact that much of your life revolves around caring for someone who is not likely to get any better, and it won’t make an ungrateful elder any sweeter.  But, it just might smooth out the ups and downs of your journey.