My mentor yoga teacher for bone strengthening yoga, Kay Hawkins, teaches a daily practice for improving balance. (As we get older the information highway from the nerve endings in our feet to the synapses in our brains slows remarkably. According to Kay, the average amount of time folks can stand on one leg  decreases each year to 0 secs by 80 years of age.)

Yoga practice for INCREASING your balance and DECREASING your chances of falling and breaking a wrist or hip:

1. Stand by a wall. Hold on if you need to, at first.

2. Close your eyes and breathe into your feet and stabilize yourself.

3. Stand on one foot, with eyes closed, for 30 seconds. (It doesn’t matter if you have to put your raised foot down many times, it’s a practice! )Switch feet.

4. Count you exhales and learn how many breathes 30 secs is for you.

5. The wobbles all help wake up and strengthen, so delight in them. Practice DAILY.

I’ve heard several folks tell me their doctors have been telling them to do this for balance improvement and for building strength in muscles and bones. It’s so simple. Practice it until it is as automatic as brushing your teeth.

Here’s to strong and healthy aging