The golden years of your life should be ideally spent in a relaxing and comfortable environment, pursuing soothing hobbies, eating healthy meals, spending quality time with loved ones, and doing yoga. Ageing gracefully can be quite a challenge when you are dealing with chronic medical conditions, loss of independence, and a limited financial budget. 

Many families may want to consider assisted living in India as the best option for providing care and assistance to the elderly. Old age homes or assisted living facilities offer day-to-day assistance in activities including cooking, grooming, cleaning, taking medications, etc. Such homes can benefit seniors who have lost the ability to do things on their own due to health-related or other reasons.

To handle the stress of staying away from their families and coping with the changing lifestyle, most senior homes are eager to teach them meditation and relaxation techniques. As an elderly citizen, if you do not wish to burden your life with constant worry and stress, you can start mindful meditation and other relaxing techniques to reduce stress and live in the present in a happy mood. 

Let us explore some benefits of meditation and relaxation exercises:

• It helps relieve your anxiety levels and keep you away from becoming depressed, it can keep you emotionally balanced and happy. 
• Such techniques can raise awareness in seniors to get fully involved in whatever activity they do
• Practising mindfulness meditation techniques can release some hormonal enzymes in the brain that work to minimise progressive medical conditions related to memory loss like Alzheimer’s. 
• Mindfulness meditation may also include yogic exercises and watching their thoughts or emotions. 
• The risk of cognitive and physical ailments is reduced significantly when one practises mindful meditation. 
• Meditation techniques can help seniors enjoy reaching out to more friends in assisted living Indian homes. 
• Education of older adults on adopting smart strategies in connection with mindfulness meditation can provide them with options for developing and sustaining healthy habits. 
• Old age homes often employ trained and certified therapists to teach mindfulness meditation to the inmates. 

Low-Impact Training – Yoga

Yoga is the ultimate exercise for the elderly, as it is slow and relaxing. It can slow down the continuous building of thoughts and help you to become mindful of all the thoughts entering your head. This is an effective relaxing technique that motivates you to let go of situations that are not in your control. It also helps relieve physical pains in the back or shoulders. 

Yoga is a quick mood booster, as the assisted living in India gentle movements slowly release natural endorphins in your brain so that you can relax and sleep much better than before. It can also lower your blood pressure levels and keep you healthy. Many seniors have tried the immensely beneficial laughter yoga technique apart from the conventional yogic training methods. 

The Golden Estate, a trusted centre for assisted living in India not only provides care for the physical needs of the elders, but it also inspires them to keep them mentally active and happy. Techniques like deep breathing exercises are some of the most perfect and tested yogic techniques that automatically reduce stress levels and provide immediate relaxation. Deep breathing can activate your parasympathetic nervous system which motivates your brain to stay calm and go into deep relaxation mode. 

The Benefits of Aromatherapy for Ageing Adults 

While exercise and physical activities have proved to be extremely beneficial to the human mind and body, simple techniques like aromatherapy also have their own usefulness. It is an old form of therapeutic treatment that involves the use of your senses to heal your mind and body. The use of this therapy dates back to ancient times. 

Even though some elders may not have a keen sense of smell, they can still enjoy and feel the relaxing sensation as subtle aromas are inhaled to activate certain positive changes in the body. Therapists may use diffused essential oils and offer oil massage and baths to the elderly public. 

FAQs

What is mindfulness meditation?

It is a form of guided meditation, which helps you become fully focused in the present moment. When you are sitting in complete silence and watching your thoughts without acknowledging them or passing any judgement, you can then assess the amount of thoughts that pass through your mind. It makes you more self-aware of everything, your thoughts and your body sensations. Mindfulness meditation can offer numerous benefits, although it can be a bit difficult at the start. You can devote 10 minutes in a day to meditation and slowly increase the duration of time as days pass by. 

What do you mean by progressive muscle relaxation? 

It can offer various benefits starting with controlling your stress, and relieving symptoms like headache and muscle pain. PMR can give you better sleep and relax your ageing muscles. You may start PMR taking one body part at a time and go forward. It is a self-guided technique and can be done even when lying down, in fact, it is said to be most potent when you are in a sleeping position. The practice is aimed at relaxing and providing a sense of calm to the practitioner. 

What is art therapy? How can the elderly benefit from it?

Art therapy is a simple yet powerful technique, to help you relax. It can do wonders for novice or professional artists. Seniors who practise art daily are observed as happier and calmer individuals. You need not be an expert artist to practise drawing or painting. It is often a guided procedure, taught by art therapists to guide seniors and introduce them to varied art forms. Art therapy can enhance their mental and physical well-being. This is a popular therapy and is best applied to senior art lovers who have cognitive issues or are always stressed. 

Conclusion:

Reputed centres for assisted living in India such as The Golden Estate can include one or more of the relaxation and meditation techniques to motivate senior inmates. From guided meditation to lively yoga sessions, dance and laughter therapy sessions, art therapy and gardening workshops, seniors can choose the technique that suits them best.