The document outlines an approach to geriatric care through the Gitananda tradition of yoga. It discusses how the practice of gentle Hatha yoga, pranayamas, partner work, and relaxation techniques can help seniors maintain physical, mental and emotional well-being as they age. The tradition emphasizes developing a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise and avoiding negative habits. Regular yoga practice can help seniors strengthen their bodies, activate important glands, improve spine health and cultivate a positive mindset to age gracefully.

1. AN APPROACH TOAN APPROACH TO
GERIATRIC CAREGERIATRIC CARE
THROUGH THETHROUGH THE
GITANANDA TRADITIONGITANANDA TRADITION
OF YOGAOF YOGA
YOGACHARYA
Dr ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI
MBBS, ADY, DPC, DSM, PGDFH, PGDY, FIAY
Chairman: ICYER at Ananda Ashram,
Pondicherry, South India - www.icyer.com

2. THE GITANANDA TRADITIONTHE GITANANDA TRADITION
• Codified by Yogamaharishi Dr Swami
Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj (Swamiji)
• Union of Bengali Tantric tradition (Swami
Kanakananda Brighu) and South Indian
Shaiva Siddhantha (Kambaliswamigal)
• Modern scientific expression
• Present Ashram Acharya: Yogacharini
Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani (Ammaji)
• Son and successor to the lineage:
– Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

3. SOME CORE CONCEPTSSOME CORE CONCEPTS
• Yoga as a way
of life
• Create Gurus
not followers
• Breath is life
• No option Yoga
• Step-by-step
approach
• Love for Indian
culture
• Bountiful
practices
• Yantra, in tune
with nature
• Mudras, divine
communication

4. YOGA AND AGING
• Thanks to the recent advances in
medical technology and better nutrition,
people are living longer than ever
• The aging process depends on a
combination of both genetic and
environmental factors.
• A healthy lifestyle is an especially
important factor in healthy aging and
longevity

5. • The senior years are a testing time
• Kriya Yoga of Maharishi Patanjali can help our
Silver Citizens develop & maintain a healthy and
harmonious state of being during the challenging
end years of their life
– Tapas as disciplined facing of challenges in senior life
– Swadhayaya as introspectional self analysis and
– Ishwara Pranidhana as doing one’s best and leaving
the rest.
• Patanjali promises Samadhi through Kriya Yoga
– for our silver citizens this high state of mind will
enable them to be at the very peak of their existence
when it is time for them to leave this world.

6. Cultivation of the
– Karma Yoga
– Bhakti Yoga and
– Raja Yoga
principles in daily life will help create a
sense of inner happiness and reduce the
friction that tends to build up in families
during the senior years.

7. Healthy Diet
• Fruits, green leafy vegetables, salad & sprouts.
• Vitamin C for better healing
• Grains, fiber, and fat-free or low-fat milk products
• Good hydration –health of intervertebral discs
• Limit foods with saturated fats, trans-fats,
cholesterol, sodium (salt), and added sugars.
• Avoid refined foodstuffs and junk foods.
• Honey in warm water or herbal teas are good to
cleanse the bowels and prevent constipation
• Avoid tobacco products and alcohol.
• Eat just enough calories to achieve or maintain a
healthy weight.

8. Avoiding Musculoskeletal Strain
• Avoid high-impact activities
• Warm fomentation is useful
• Avoid lifting weights
• Take short breaks while driving, watching TV or
working on a computer
• Work on the overall posture - neck aligned with
shoulders - curves of the spine
• Take adequate rest. When lying down it is best to
lie on the side. Avoid sleeping on the face.
• Use a thin and hard pillow for head and neck

9. Gentle stretching and
strengthening practices
• Jattis and other breath-body movement
activities to restore psycho-somatic harmony
• Can be done by most of the seniors
• A good way to introduce the Yoga practices in
a gentle, safe manner in the initial stages.
• Gentle Hatha Yoga Kriyas : Chatus Pada
Kriya, Ardha Kati Chakra Kriya, Pawan Mukta
Kriya, Chri Kriya, Sethu Kriya and the
Vyagraha Pranayama with awareness of the
spinal movements

10. Strengthening thigh muscles
• It is important to strengthen the thigh and
abdominal musculature especially in those
prone to arthritis of the lower limb
• Healthy and strong thigh and abdominal
muscles reduce the pain and improve mobility.
• This can be done by practices such as the
Uttanpada Asana, Ardha Utkat Asana, Veera
Asana, Nava Asana, Shalaba Asana and the
use of Moola Bandha and Uddiyana Bandha.

11. Thymus activation
• The thymus gland is vital for proper functioning
of the immune system
• Twisting postures create a healthy flow of
Prana into the Anahatha Chakra.
• Vakra Asana, Bharadwaja Asana, and
Ardhamatsyendra Asana are useful
• Use of Hastha Mudras : Namaskar & Garuda
• Paryanka Asana has beneficial healing
effects on the thymus when used with Hastha
Mudra sequences

12. For a healthy spine
• Weakness in the back and neck can be tackled
with practices that strengthen the back and torso
musculature as well as the paraspinal ligaments.
• Manduka Asana, Gomuka Asana, Sarpa Asana,
Shalaba Asana and Bhujanga Asana.
• The Brahma Mudra when done with the breath
sequences and appropriate Nada or vibrational
sounds such as AAA, OOO, EEE and MMM can
relax and energize the neck region and relieve
the frequent occurrences of a, “pain in the neck”.

13. Partner work
• For betterment of physical & emotional health.
• Includes simple aspects such as
– helping to push a bit more in forward
bending postures,
– supporting the partner in the back bending
postures,
– helping to improve the range of joint
movement in different practices and
– giving isometric resistance to the movement
helps improve strength of the musculature.

14. Pranayamas
• Link between body-emotions-mind
• Reduces stress and bring about
balance and harmony of the psycho-
neuro-immuno-endocrine axis
• Simple and safe
• Vibhagha and Pranava Pranayamas
• Bhramari Pranayama and
• Chandra Nadi Pranayama

15. Self Traction
• Turn the head from side to side so that the
head moves away from the body pulling the
upper part of the spine upwards.
• Then move the heels, one be one as if walking
away from the body downwards.
• Hold this spinal self-traction for 30 to 45
seconds
• Release and relax for a minute
• Repeat at least three times in the morning
before getting out of bed and at night before
going to bed.

16. Relaxation
• Yoga relaxation helps to relieve the stress
and produce autonomic balance
• Corrects numerous psychosomatic conditions
prevalent in older age
• Shavasana with Savitri Pranayama
• Spandha-Nishpandha Kriya
• Kaya Kriya, Tala Kriya and
• Jnana Yoga relaxation practices such as
Anuloma Viloma and Yoga Nidra are very
useful in this regard.

17. Inner aspects
• Dharana and Dhyana help normalize higher
functions, modulate perspectives cultivating
the proper attitude towards life.
• Brumadhya Drishti Trataka and Prana Kriya
to activate the Ajna Chakra and energize the
neuroendocrine axis
• Mandala Dharana and Chakra Dhyana with
special emphasis on the Anahatha Chakra to
activate the thymus and Ajna Chakra to
normalize the neuroendocrine axis
• Japa in the form of Om Japa & Ajapa Japa
that focuses on Hamsa-Soham Mantra.

18. CONCLUSION
• Though the process of aging is irreversible and
inevitable, the ability to learn and adjust is with
us throughout our life.
• Gitananda Yoga tradition promotes the adoption
of a healthy diet, positive habits & regular
exercise along with avoidance of negative habits
thus helping ‘Silver Citizens’ retain their mental
ability & prevent degenerative disorders.
• So many of our great Yogis even in modern
times have shown us that its is possible to grow
old without losing any physical or mental
faculties of youth.

19. • Kriya Yoga of Maharishi Patanjali can help
our Silver Citizens develop and maintain a
healthy and harmonious state of being
during the challenging end years of their life.
• With the adoption of a proper attitude and
lifestyle through the Yogic way of life, we can
rise above our own circumstances and old
age, despite the physical limitations, can be
a time of variety, creativity, and fulfillment.
• May we all grow old gracefully through Yoga,
the mother of all sciences

20. THANK
YOU
www.icyer.com