Seniors & Bone Strength

Course Duration: 52 hours

In-person online = 42 hours
Home study practicum = 10 hours)

Course Date:

Part 1: October 23-25, 2026. 09h00-17h00.
Part 2: November 27-29, 2026. 09h00-17h00

Prerequisite:

Enrolment in Sat Sangat Yoga Therapy training (application process includes forms and an intake interview).
The Mind (three modules).
Foundations.
Restorative Yoga.

Faculty: Itta Roussos (C-IAYT).

Teaching Format: This is a 6–day course which is taught in two segments and attended online. The course includes a combination of lecture, discussion, and case studies (with students working together in study groups), and an opportunity for small groups of students to provide components of a sample yoga therapy session for clients. There is a home study practicum assignment (10 hours) and the opportunity to engage in community service as part of the certification requirements for this module.

This course gives an overview of the physiological and psychological changes that commonly occur in seniors (60 years and older), and how the yoga therapist can help clients optimize function and emphasize the positive aspects of gracefully moving into this stage of life.

Since more and more people over age 50 are being diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, these conditions are also addressed in this course.

Students learn cautions that need to be observed for seniors and for those who are at risk for or who have low bone density, so that they can practice yoga safely, with a special emphasis on posture, yoga asanas, pranayama, and general lifestyle factors. Students will also learn and practice a variety of yoga interventions that therapeutically address the need for increased bone density for all who may be at risk for this condition, regardless of their age.

This course covers how to help older people:
Practice yoga postures and pranayama safely.
Use yoga asana practice to optimize bone strength.
Maintain muscle strength, flexibility, and balance.
Embrace a positive attitude about aging.

Further aspects included in the training:

Research on how Yoga helps to build bones and prevent age-related frailty.
Preventing fractures – bone physiology and yoga.
Exploring new developments in the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of osteoporosis.
Hyperkyphosis: assessment, medical treatment, yoga practice, yoga therapy.
Drawbacks of medicine for osteoporosis.

The community service aspect of this course requires identifying an elder residence and setting up a program to work with the elderly in their place of residence. If an elder residence is not accessible, students are required to find an elder in their community with whom they can complete their practice.

Itta Roussos