Reflections on Yoga for the Prime of Life
Whenever I have the opportunity to share with my dear friend and loving mentor Dr. Larry Payne and the wonderful Prime of Life Yoga community, I feel as though I am sitting with family. Larry and I first met many years ago, and what began as a professional acquaintance soon blossomed into a friendship rooted in mutual respect, shared values, and a deep love for yoga. Such connections are among life's greatest blessings because they are not accidental—they are conscious choices.
And perhaps that is where I would like to begin.
I believe the greatest superpower we possess is not physical strength, wealth, or intelligence. It is the power of choice.
Modern neuroscience tells us that while a part of our brain is programmed simply to keep us alive and another delights in emotional highs and lows, the prefrontal cortex gives us something uniquely human: the capacity to pause, reflect, and choose our response. Yoga strengthens this capacity. It teaches us that between what happens to us and how we respond lies a sacred space. In that space resides our freedom.
Life, of course, does not always unfold according to our plans. Illness comes unexpectedly. Relationships change. We lose people we love. As a physician, as a yoga therapist, and simply as a fellow human being, I have experienced these realities myself. When my young son was diagnosed with a chronic health condition, I travelled through every stage of denial, anger, grief, bargaining, and finally acceptance. It was only when acceptance dawned that constructive action became possible.
Yoga did not change the diagnosis, but it transformed the way WE met it.
This is why I often say that yoga's greatest impact is not on our muscles or joints, important though they are. Its greatest impact is on what happens between our ears. Yoga changes our worldview. It helps us discover the quiet centre within ourselves where the storms of life may continue to rage, but we remain steady, peaceful, and capable of responding with wisdom rather than reacting with fear.
"The greatest gift of yoga in our later years is not greater flexibility of the body, but greater flexibility of the mind and openness of the heart."- Guruji Rishiputra Balayogi Dr Anandaji
One of the beautiful aspects of our yogic tradition is that every posture carries a psychological message. A gentle forward bend is not simply a stretch for the back. It cultivates humility, calmness, and acceptance. Through what I describe as the somato-psychic mechanism, the body teaches the mind. When we consciously soften, bow, and surrender, the mind gradually learns to let go of resistance as well.
Conversely, when we open the chest in a mindful backbend, we nurture courage and healthy self-esteem. I do not mean ego, but the quiet confidence that says, "I can. I will. I am able." These were words my beloved Ammaji often repeated, reminding us that human consciousness is defined not by helplessness but by possibility. Every mindful backbend becomes an affirmation that we are ready to face life with an open heart.
As we move into the prime of life, we naturally become more aware of ageing. Ageing itself is inevitable; how we age is our choice. We often worry about grey hair or wrinkles while neglecting the remarkable structure that supports our entire existence—the spine. A healthy spine requires movement, hydration, awareness, and above all, respect.
Yoga teaches us to move intelligently, never forcefully.
When practised with mindfulness, it is one of the safest and most effective ways to maintain vitality throughout life.
I also remind my students that yoga is not a calorie-burning workout. If your goal is simply to burn calories, there are many excellent ways to do that. Yoga serves a different purpose. It helps us burn away unconscious habits, reactive patterns, and limiting beliefs. It develops what I call the capacity to respond rather than react. That transformation is infinitely more valuable than any number on a fitness tracker.
As I concluded my conversation with Larry and his wonderful community, I returned to a simple truth that has guided my own life: the safest place we will ever find is not somewhere outside ourselves. It is within. Yoga gently leads us back to that inner sanctuary. There we rediscover calmness, purpose, resilience, and love.
If yoga can help us make wiser choices, respond with greater compassion, and age with grace, then it has fulfilled its highest purpose. And that, to me, is what living the yogic life is truly all about.
"Growing older is inevitable; growing wiser is a choice. Yoga gives us the awareness to age with strength, dignity, and an open heart."- Guruji Rishiputra Balayogi Dr Anandaji
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