Golden Goalies – hello, sun

Bea Loozer

Dana recently shared an article that was full of very helpful health tips. It covered everything from recommended vitamins to the need for sleep.

One of the healthful tips surprised me and took me back about 20 years. It was about the health benefits of doing a daily sun salutation. I do yoga just about every morning and have for 20 years, but my yoga routine these days doesn’t include greeting the sun, and it’s been about 25 years since I did sun salutation in a class.

Google refreshed my memory. I found several variations and more than one video on how to do it and why it has been practiced by millions for… who knows how long.

After that meeting, Trudy was telling me how much she loves tai chi and likes yoga, too. Whether you practice them in a class with a qualified teacher or use a DVD in the convenience of your home — either way, yoga and tai chi can become routines that your body will appreciate.

For beginners, attending a class to learn at least the basics of yoga is a wise choice. Every yoga instructor will remind you to avoid positions that hurt. When I started doing yoga with Rodney Yee via DVD, I found even sitting up on the floor was a bit too uncomfortable. Fortunately, my chiropractor urged patience and a slightly different approach, noting that we westerners are not used to sitting up like yoga practitioners elsewhere. Instead of getting a backache, I leaned against a couch for nearly a year before I could sit up comfortably in anything close to a cross-legged (lotus) position.

And if I attempt the sun salutation soon, I’ll do it cautiously — or with a good teacher. I’m not 25 anymore, or 50. And even if I were, I’d be cautious.

Find your own ways to keep moving safely. Many of our Goalies make it a priority.

Join us for good company and laughs. You will also find support, motivation and shared wisdom. Weigh-in is Saturday from 7:00 to 7:40 a.m. in Room A-8, near the Cottonwood Library. The meeting starts after weigh-in. Contact Rita at 480-223-8340 for more information.