Teaching Seniors
teaching iyengar yoga to seniors
An interview with Sally Haydon, Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher
Sally Haydon
Teaching seniors, over 65, in Ponsonby & Grey Lynn Community Centres.
Building Strength, Balance, and Belonging
When certified Iyengar Yoga teacher Sally Haydon began teaching yoga to seniors over 65 in Grey Lynn and Ponsonby Community Centre’s, the intention went far beyond physical movement. It was about connection, inclusion, and creating a space where older adults could feel supported — both in body and in community.
Sally has been teaching five free classes a week for the past four years, beginning shortly after COVID restrictions lifted and community centres reopened. The initiative started when Lisa Rogers, manager of the Ponsonby Community Centre, approached Four Winds Yoga with a request: was there a teacher who could run a class specifically for people aged 65 and over?
From the beginning, the goal was clear.
“It was about creating a social community for older people,” Sally explains. “Groups of friends coming together, being inclusive, welcoming new people into the group — helping them physically, but also creating a community of peers.”
Teaching with care and awareness
Sally was immediately aware that many students were arriving with multiple comorbidities.
“There were people recovering from knee replacements, breast cancer survivors, and others with general mobility, balance, and joint issues,” she says. “There were very different levels of physical fitness, coordination, and balance. Some students needed more support than others.”
Drawing on her experience as a long-term Iyengar yoga teacher, Sally felt confident she could meet everyone where they were.
“That experience gave me the skills to teach in a way that included everybody.”
Her students range in age from 65 to 83, and yoga equipment plays a central role in every class. Chairs are used for balance during standing poses, while softer props such as bolsters help open the chest during restorative poses at the end of class.
“Some students have said, ‘I’ve never used equipment before,’” Sally laughs. “But I’ve never had pushback. I tell them, ‘If you don’t like it, tell me. If you love it, tell your friends.’ It’s important that the class keeps growing.”
Free classes for seniors
5 classes/week
From first-timers to confident movers
Many participants had never practiced yoga before. Over time, the transformation has been remarkable.
“After teaching for five years, some of them are so good now,” Sally says. “People have come to me barely able to get off the floor, and now they’re moving with confidence.”
Teaching this group has been as much a learning experience for Sally as it has been for her students.
“I’ve learnt so much from teaching this class — teaching to different levels, offering alternatives. I always want to encourage new people rather than discourage them.”
Teaching in the moment
Sally doesn’t teach from a script. “A written plan doesn’t work for this class,” she says. “I’m teaching on the fly all the time, responding to the needs of the students in front of me.”
She steps back, observes the room, and uses her voice to respond to what she sees. Instructions are often repeated two or three times in different ways, with subtle adjustments when needed.
“I actually see more when I step back rather than focusing on one person.”
She also introduces Sanskrit names for the poses, and over time the students begin to recognise and remember them. Repetition is key.
“There’s a lot of repetition of poses. I see the importance of teaching less and letting them practise more.”
More than a yoga class
At its heart, this programme is about more than flexibility or strength. It’s about belonging.
The classes have become a social anchor for many students — a place to move safely, to be seen, and to connect with others who share similar life stages and experiences.
And for Sally, that’s exactly the point.
