14 DAY TRIAL // She’s 83, but Australian yoga instructor Bette Calman can put even her most flexible grandchildren to shame with the poses she can pull and hold. Hailed as living proof that yoga really does work wonders on the body, Calman still teaches about 11 classes a week and can do whatever challenging pose without even breaking a sweat – or ruining her impeccable hairdo, News.com informs.
When she relocated near her daughter’s home eight years ago, Calman had every thought of retiring, but her daughter’s agenda included other plans for her. At the time, she had already made a reputation for herself as a yoga instructor, had written a couple of books and had appeared on more television shows than she could count. First, she was asked to help out at her daughter’s health clinic – then she became a fixture, and continues to be so to this day.
The secret, she says, is learning to comprehend that the “body is an instrument,” which means that age has nothing to do with how we should feel. This is why, while other women and men her age have problems tying their shoelaces or stooping to pick something up from the floor, she can do the raised lotus, sit on her head and hold the peacock, where the entire bodyweight is supported on the arms alone.
“I’m proof that if you keep at it, you’ll get there. I can do more now than I could 50 years ago.” Calman says, as quoted by the aforementioned source. She doesn’t plan to give it up either, not now that she has just become to be so comfortable with her body. “You’re never too old. The body is a remarkable instrument. It can stretch and stretch, and get better all the time. Forget age. Even a basic posture, or just going to a window and breathing deeply, can have big benefits.” she further explains.
Not only does she attribute to yoga her excellent physical condition but also her feeling so young. As already noted, at 83, she can put most people even half her age to shame with the things she can do. “Yoga keeps you young. Never have I gone to a yoga class and wished I was somewhere else, because I know I’m going to come out feeling on the top of the world. There’ll always be yoga.” Calman explains.