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One of my earliest experiences with an older student was during my one-on-one session with a student in her early 60s. Not having worked with her previously, I had planned a slow, floor-based class. I was stunned when she announced that her previous teacher had been helping her work on handstands. I had assumed she would want an unambitious practice based solely on her age.
Many yoga teachers learn through experience, as I did, that our responsibility is to teach to the actual students in front of us and not the impression we have of them. Each student brings different expectations and experiences to a class which often bear no relationship to their age.
Effective teaching means allowing each student, regardless of age or outward appearance, the chance to make their own decisions on how, where, and when they choose to push themselves. Many older students seek dedicated classes for seniors, restorative poses, or a practice supported by a chair or couch. But older students who are active and choose to attend all-levels classes at studios are often met with unconscious biases that are discouraging at best and discriminatory at worst.
4 Common Misconceptions About Older Yoga Students
Following are some of the mistaken assumptions and unconscious biases many of us have about students who appear to be older than 50.
1. They’re All the Same
Ever been irritated by a sentence that starts with “all women…” or “all Millennials…”? There’s no difference between that and when you make assumptions about “all people over 50.”
Stereotypes, by design, are massively oversimplified and tend to be based on internalized ageism. Although students in the same decade may share some characteristics, they’re at least as varied as the younger students you teach. Each student has a lifetime of different skills, experiences, expectations, injuries, illnesses, and yoga practice behind them that’s entirely different from that of anyone else.
Instead of assuming you know what your older students are capable of and interested in, observe and teach them as you would any student—with an open mind. And when in doubt, ask!
2. They’re “Cute”
If your idea of an older student reads like it’s out of an animated kids’ movie—a sweet grandma who loves to knit or a gruff gent with a heart of gold—you need to rethink your assumptions. Older adults are as complex and conflicted as any of us. They have loved and lost and navigated challenges in life that those of us who are younger are unable to imagine. It’s patronizing to regard older adults as anything less than that.
Avoid infantilizing your students. They’re not cute little children. Older students deserve the respect of being seen as a fully formed individual rather than a quickly formed stereotype, just as any of your other students.
3. They’re Frail
Our bodies change over time. Some older students may be managing changes in range of motion, vision, hearing, joint pain or stiffness, and other conditions, such as osteoporosis, that might require modifications to their practice. Also, older bodies tend to benefit more from varied movement than from deep dives in any one direction.
But these challenges are not universal. It’s as unhelpful to assume your older students are frail as it is to assume your younger ones are robust enough to be up for anything. Just as some people climb mountains, surf, or run marathons in their later decades, some are ready and willing to challenge their strength, stability, or stamina on the yoga mat.
When teaching any specific population–whether it’s pregnant students, athletes, first responders, or older adults—it is the teacher’s responsibility to be properly trained, beyond what you explore in a 200-hour yoga teacher training, to be able to offer appropriate options for any pose or practice.
4. They Don’t Want to Learn
Think older adults are done learning? You’d be surprised. Older students may or may not be keen to work toward poses that require extreme range of motion or extraordinary physical strength, but that doesn’t mean they’re uninterested in refining technique and building capacity in poses or practices.
In fact, since some older students have fewer work or family responsibilities than in the past, they may have more time and mental space to take in the information you offer than in the past. Given the perspective and self-awareness they’ve cultivated throughout the years, they might understand nuances of the physical and philosophical aspects of yoga better than younger students—and perhaps even better than you. In fact, older students tend to be keenly aware of the real-world effect of using their practice to build physical and mental resilience.
So instead of showing surprise when someone masters something you consider beyond their capacity, allow each student, regardless of age or outward appearance, the chance to make their own decisions on how, where, and when they choose to practice and even push themselves in your class. And be prepared to support their practice with options that address all manner of needs.
When you set your assumptions aside and observe with an open mind, it isn’t only your older students who benefit.
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