Things have not changed in the last few decades. The CDC reports that falls continue to be the source of health complications1 for elders 65 years and older. More than one out of four older people falls each year.
Over the course of 27 years, I’ve developed methods to help thousands of people get up and down safely in my therapeutic yoga practice.
Since we do yoga primarily on the floor, that means that each student of mine has had to get some experience moving down to and up off the floor independently. I like to make sure that every person that I work with can move down to the floor and then get up off the floor with as much grace as possible.
The most effective method that I use to do so is called the Therapeutic Sun Salutation©. I teach it to everyone—young and old, fit or frail. Everyone that I encounter gets their own version of this important practice.
I especially love this practice because once a client learns how to use it, they can reduce their risk of being stuck on the floor in the event of an accidental fall. They can also use it to check in with their body and do a self-assessment of how well they are moving and functioning in that moment.
