Ageless beauty

Staying young for a long time is a wonderful, blessed way to live. As women, we have so much to give as we mature, so much wisdom born of hard-earned experience and loving kindness to share. So let's keep our good health and vitality and reap the profit of a life well-lived. The practices in this part of the book focus on just that. Yoga keeps us well-oiled as we age, and you'll find a few exercises that help prevent arthritis, as well as yoga that maintains good bone density and helps prevent osteoporosis. Just for the fun of it, and because we women love to look and feel beautiful, I've included yoga for your face and a special yoga set for enchanting beauty. Enjoy, and feel like the beautiful soul that you are!

Bending circles

This exercise aids in the prevention of arthritis. It improves spinal flexibility and helps you feel young and energetic. If you have arthritis or bursitis in your shoulders or back, use slower, smaller movements.

1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your spine straight, and your knees soft. Bring your arms straight out to the sides of your body.

2: Counting out loud from 1 to 8, begin to bend forward slowly from the waist while moving the arms in forward circles, about the size of a dinner plate.

3: When you reach the count of 8, you will be bending forward as far as possible. Then make backward circles with the arms as you slowly rise up again, counting from 8 to 1. Continue for 1-3 minutes.

Lioness pose

This pose works on firming your neck muscles, exercises your eye muscles, and opens your throat. The strong breathing that you practice in this exercise releases toxins from the body.

1: Sit on your knees in Rock pose. Then place your hands on the ground in front of your knees, palms down.

2: Draw your chin in toward your chest. Stretch out your tongue as far as possible. Open your eyes wide and breathe through your mouth, Make the sound of a lioness. Continue for 1 minute.

Queen dancer

Originally called King Dancer, Queen Dancer is a more appropriate name for this women's yoga book! It gives you a sense of elation and power, rejuvenates your spine and internal organs, and improves your sense of balance. A good sense of balance can help prevent falls, which can be a serious problem as we age, especially if bone density is weakened.

1: Stand straight with your arms at your sides. If you are a beginner use a wall in front of you as a support for balance.

2: Bend your right knee so that your right foot is behind you. Take hold of the inner side of your foot with your right hand. Straighten your elbow. Stretch your left arm up close to your ear.

3: Inhale and lean forward, lengthening the spine. At the same time lift your bent leg and arm up behind you as high as possible. Breathe deeply and look straight ahead. Hold for 5-15 breaths Then repeat the posture on the opposite arm and leg.

Plank

This pose strengthens the arms and legs and builds upper body muscle mass, which is a factor in helping to increase bone density. Spend a few moments in Child's pose afterward to relax the lower spine.

1: This pose is best done on a "sticky" mat. Begin on your hands and knees.

2: Extend your right leg back and place your toes only on the ground, then extend the left leg back. Balance your weight on your toes.

3: Lift your torso as you straighten your legs. Keep your shoulders directly over your hands. You body forms a straight angle from shoulders to heels. Tuck your chin slightly toward your neck and feel a stretch at the back of the neck. Continue to hold for 2-8 deep breaths. To come out of the pose, relax your knees onto the ground and come back to starting position.

To be enchantingly beautiful

This short set brings vibrant, radiant health and helps develop a meditative mind; it increases your beauty both physically and mentally. To become beautiful inside and out you need a flow of pranic energy to brighten your eyes and skin and generate glowing health.

Lion flex

This exercise increases flexibility in the spine, which is the true measure of youthfulness. Be aware of flexing each vertebra of your spine in a flowing movement.

1: Sit on your heels with a straight spine. Place the palms of your hands on the ground just in front of the knees. Bring your neck vertebrae in line with your spine by lifting your head and tucking the chin in slightly.

2: Begin flexing your spine to its maximum capacity, keeping the elbows straight as you flex: inhale and arch your spine, lifting your chest while keeping your head level.

3: Exhale as you round your spine so that your chest curls inward. Keep a constant rhythm as you repeat the pose. You may begin to sweat lightly on the forehead and spine, Continue for 2-3 minutes.

Venus lock stretch

This exercise brings circulation to your face and cheeks. Try smiling while you breathe in this exercise; the best face lift you can get is to smile as often as possible. Besides, you cannot think a negative thought when you are smiling - try it and see!

1: Sit in Rock pose. Bring the hands behind your back in Venus Lock: interlace the fingers so that the webbing between the left thumb and left index finger.

2: Straighten your arms behind you, lifting as high as you can without straining. The arms are positioned so that the palms are facing your back. Breathe and relax into the position for 1-2 minutes.

3: Relax your arms down and sit restfully in Rock pose for 2 minutes, breathing normally.

Lift and hold

This pose helps to relieve headaches. It also stretches and strengthens the sciatic nerves in the legs. There is a strong, automatic tendency to shake in this position, which strengthens the entire nervous system.

1: Sit with a straight spine and your legs outstretched in front of you with your heels together. Your hands are flat on the ground beside your hips.

2: Place your hands slightly behind your hips and lean back, keeping your chest lifted. Point your toes.

3: Bending your elbows, lean back as you inhale and raise your legs slowly to a 60° angle and hold. Keep your legs together and breathe deeply for 1-3 minutes.

4: Come out of the pose by relaxing your legs down onto the ground. Relax and sit straight or rest in a Forward Bend for a few seconds.

Feet up

Fifty powerful and continuous repetitions of Breath of Fire while in this position cleanse and improve blood circulation. It cleans the lungs and stimulates the prana so that you are able to retain your youth and power.

1: Sit with a straight spine and your legs outstretched in front of you with your heels together. Place your hands slightly behind your hips.

2: Bend your elbows. Lean back with a straight spine. Then bend your knees and bring them as close to your chest as possible. Hold your feet 6in (15cm) off the ground and balance. Begin 50 powerful repetitions of Breath of Fire. Inhale deeply exhale, and relax your legs onto the ground. Rest in a Forward Bend for a few seconds if you wish.

Forward stretch

This exercise invigorates the liver and spleen. Pressing your toes with your fingers stimulates reflexology points that help stimulate brain activity. The top back area of the big toe stimulates the pituitary gland. Chanting cleans the lungs and creates such a stimulation to the pranic life force that you can retain your youth, power, and work potency.

1: Extend your legs straight in front of you and place your hands on the und by your hips. Lift up slightly so that your pelvis straightens and you sit on your buttocks.

2: Reach up, then bend forward and catch your toes and press them. If you cannot reach your toes, loop a belt around your feet and hold onto it with both hands. Pull your neck back and tuck your chin in toward your neck. With your eyes closed, gently roll the eyes upward as though looking through the forehead. Breathe for 1-2 minutes and chant Hum.

To make your face innocently charming

This is a beautiful meditation. It is said to have the ability to make a woman feel happy and extend her life. The mudra (hand position) and breath affect the brain chemistry in ways that allow you to feel cozy and relaxed, and your face reflects an innocent charm. This is a relaxing meditation, perfect to do before bedtime or to feel refreshed after work. Do not practice it if you have work to do. You may like to practice for 11 minutes, a complete meditation cycle of time.

1: Sit comfortably in a meditative pose with your spine straight. Bring your hands in front of you so that the palms of the hands face each other. Curl the fingers of your left hand into a fist, then wrap the fingers of your right hand around the left with the heels of the hands touching. When you look down at your hands, your left index finger should be closest to you. Bring your thumbs together so the sides are touching, then rest them on the index finger of the left hand. They should not touch the right index finger at all. An air space is naturally created between the hands.

2: With the hands positioned 8—Win (21—24cm) from the face at mouth level, begin inhaling deeply through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, directing the air through the opening created between your thumbs. Exhale completely. Close your eyes and continue the breath meditation for however long you wish — even until you fall asleep.