Proof It’s Never Too Late

This week, one of my students reminded me why I love teaching yoga so much.

A long-term student came to me after class wanting to show me a photo of herself doing a free headstand in the middle of the room (not against a wall!). She said she practises yoga every day, but hadn’t done a headstand for a while. She felt really good that day and decided to give it a go—and there it was: a perfect headstand. She hasn’t lost it!

She first came to yoga with me over 20 years ago. Back then, she found many things difficult, but she progressed quickly. I still remember her saying after her very first headstand, “I never thought I’d be standing on my head in my 60s.”

Well, she’s 80 years old now. Which means she was in her mid-to-late 50s when she started yoga. Just imagine how different things might be today if she hadn’t.

I also once had a student who was 90. She told me she only began yoga in her 70s.

Whatever age we are, we often think we’re too old to start something new—especially something physical. But think about yourself 10 or 20 years from now, and the difference it could make.

We often build quiet rules for ourselves about age, as if there’s a point where we’re meant to stop beginning things. But the truth is, starting later still gives you plenty of time to grow with it, enjoy it, and feel the benefits along the way. Whether it’s yoga or something else entirely, there’s real value in simply beginning—no matter when that is.