NO TIME TO
RETIRE
Margaret Forshaw ran six yoga classes a week until lockdown closed her venues. Aged 80 and with 40 years of teaching behind her, she could have retired gracefully.
I sometimes wonder ‘what am I doing here’? but I never think ‘Am I too old to be doing this? “I didn’t know if I could do it and it often went horribly wrong – it still does! But I didn’t want to have any regrets just because something was outside my comfort zone.”
The voice of common sense said ‘it’s a good time to stop’”, said Margaret. ”But I like doing this so I started thinking of ways to carry on. The trouble was I’m hopeless with technology.” She tried emailing sessions, but by her own admission she’s no typist and putting them down on paper was a laborious task. The prospect of doing lessons online terrified her – but Margaret took a deep breath and announced to her students that classes would be via Zoom.
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It wasn’t plain sailing, but she battled against the adversity of dodgy links and awkward camera angles. “It was very stressful, especially as people had paid in advance, but I was immensely proud of myself, and surprised to find that people actually liked it. Now I’m showing other teachers how to use Zoom!” Her interest in yoga was inspired back in the 70s by TV’s Richard Hittleman. She and a friend found a local yoga class. The friend backed out, so Margaret went alone. When her teacher fell ill Margaret was asked to take the class. “I was petrified – the teacher was highly respected, all I could think was ‘they wanted him and they got me!”
As her reputation and her children grew Margaret felt it was time to do some ‘proper training’. After four years of study with the British Wheel of Yoga, she was gripped by myths, legends, physiology and anatomy. 40 years on and flexible as ever, Margaret is a role model for her classes of mainly mature folk. While others of her age are watching their horizons shrink Margaret is looking for ways to broaden hers. “I went paragliding in Turkey a few years ago – the rest of the group were less than half my age, but it was less scary than the drag show we went to afterwards! I sometimes wonder ‘what am I doing here’? but I never think ‘I’m too old to be doing this.’” What would her advice be to fellow octogenarians? “I’d never tell anyone what they should do, but if they asked I’d say ‘you never know what you can do till you give it a go.”
Find a yoga class near you with the British Wheel of Yoga: bwy.org.uk
