TEACHING YOGA TO THE SILVER'S

Hi, I'm Priyanktha Iyengar, a co-founder at Proyog. I am a designer by education, an entrepreneur, a traveler and also an avid yoga practioner for the last decade or so.

I have been assisting in the Silver's batch in my yoga class for the last one year. The 'silver's' are the salt-and-pepper haired seniors, it's just as it sounds.

I got involved with the Silver's because I believed it would help me to further my understanding of yoga. I made time for it whenever I was scheduled to, except for when I was traveling

While this is the Silver's batch, the enthusiasm and commitment of the students is infectious. It is inspiring to see the improvement of some of the seniors. Many a times I have applied some of the learnings from this class on myself, in life and in practice as well.

There is a theme for the month that is set based on Jaya’s (my teacher's) class at the beginning of the month. I usually assist in the class before my own in order to get a sense of the flow. I then plan the sequence and send it to Jaya. Once it is okayed I practice the same, the day before, memorize the instructions and pray that I don't mess up in the class.

The seniors have certain limitations due to their age and health conditions. The asanas taught in these classes are modified with the use of props to help them along. The pace is slower. Also, there are a few students who require different variations depending on their ability and progress.

There is a marked improvement in most of the seniors. Their ability to translate instructions into action has greatly improved. In some cases the transformation is more visible, they visibly improve.

Sometimes when I am observing someone else’s class, like today, it's really amusing to watch the seniors obediently stand like little children after having finished one action and waiting for the next instruction. Their enthusiasm and willingness to submit and learn is childlike. They also seek approval from us, who are also students.`

I think this is one of the most fulfilling experiences in my yoga journey.

Connect with Priyanktha on Linkedin.