The body begins the ageing process around the age of thirty. It is hardly perceptible in the beginning and speeds up the older we get. How we age is dependent on lifestyle, life experiences, mental health and attitudes, and our genes. Qigong and yoga give us tools to keep the body healthy by mobilizing the joints, strengthening muscles and keeping us flexible. The postures and sequences can be adapted to all conditions and abilities. Yoga gives us pranayama, breathing techniques which strengthen and calm the nervous system as well as infusing our body with prana (life force energy). Meditation quietens the mind and has been shown to alter structures in the brain causing us to become more peaceful and less reactive. Yoga is an inward journey, getting to know ourselves, becoming aware of our habits and finding that place of stillness and joy that is in each of us. Ayurveda offers many ways in which we can nurture the body and manage the effects of menopause, ageing and living in a stressful world.
On this retreat we will slow down and explore the offerings and take away what resonates and fits into our life.
Howard Lipschitz was the co-owner of the Jivananda Yoga Centre in Durban where he taught yoga and qigong. He has been practising and teaching yoga and qigong for over 30 years. He has taught around the world and still has an online class. He is passionate about keeping the body strong and mobile in later years and at the same time cultivating a calm mind.