Yoga Ojai

Dear Yoga Students,

I'm in the process of completing my fourth book on yoga for older people

--myself included! As you may know, my interest in yoga began many years ago

while I was a home health-care provider for convalescents and the elderly. I have taught yoga since 1972 and there are now in print over 100,000 copies of my books on yoga for people at midlife and older. BKS Iyengar wrote the Foreword to my second book, The New Yoga for People Over 50. These books are available in several languages, including English, German, Russian and Portuguese and are recommended as resources by teachers around the world.

This new book will explore selected topics from my previous volumes in much greater depth. The working title for this book is "Yoga for People Over 60: A Comprehensive Guide for Older Students and Their Teachers". The lead photographer is Jim Jacobs, based in Berkeley, California. Jim is a longtime student of Iyengar Yoga with a special interest in photographing older yoga practitioners.

One of the features that sets my books apart from the multitude of books on yoga are the personal stories. I would like to invite you to participate in this project by sharing your stories, testimonials, photographs and resources pertaining to the practice of yoga for people over 60. I am especially looking for vignettes of real people who have used yoga to improve the quality of their lives. For example, I recently learned about a 94 year-old student named Bernard Spira, who studied with B.K.S. Iyengar for the first time when he was in his 80's. (Visit Bernard's web site www.senioryogis.org).  I feel his story deserves a wider audience and I look forward to featuring an interview with Bernard and his teachers in my forthcoming book.

I am also seeking quotes and stories from longtime practitioners describing how their practice has changed and the benefits of practicing yoga in the later years.

Currently, there is no set length for submissions. Your contribution can be as little as one or two sentences or several pages. I will edit as needed and give you the opportunity to review any changes before incorporating your words in the manuscript. I can also take your contribution by means of a telephone interview, or possibly meet in person if you visit or live in Southern California.

All contributors will be acknowledged and given proper credit. Contributors will also receive at least two complimentary copies of the book. (Please note: I can't guarantee that your contribution will be used but all will be acknowledged. Sending me your quote/story constitutes permission to reprint in the book.)

If you offer a special program geared specifically to the needs of older practitioners, I would appreciate information about your program for possible inclusion in the resource section of this book.

It would be most helpful to receive submissions by March 15, 2006. If you are interested but need additional time, please let me know. If you would like more information or have any questions, please contact me by email, phone or mail as noted below.

Thank you for your time and consideration.  I look forward to and welcome your participation in this project!

Namaste,
Suza Francina