yoga for life....golden yogis

Namaste

so my previous blog was all about the celebrated yoga teacher #Tao Porchon-Lynch 98 years old          

( Named “Oldest Yoga Teacher” by Guinness World Records in 2012)

yes an amazing lady to say the least...

and yes, surprisingly, there are a lot of amazing older people out there who devote their lives to being healthy and fit and include yoga in their recipe for a long and healthy life. 

And funnily enough lycra leggings are NOT essential😉

The recent UCLA research took brain scans and memory tests, comparing the effects of 12 weeks of memory exercises with a course of yoga and meditation on 25 adults over 55. The latter not only had better improvements in their spatial and visual memories, but also more reduced depression and anxiety and increased resilience to stress. “Although this study is small, it suggests that we should be doing more research into the benefits of yoga and meditation as additional ways to keep our hearts and brains in good health as we age,” says Dr Clare Walton of the #Alzheimer’s Society.

There’s no need for hours and hours of headstands to benefit. In this study, volunteers did just one hour of #Kundalini yoga a week. This is a gentle form of yoga that incorporates breathing techniques, meditation and some chanting of mantras. The latter may feel silly at first but can be easier than other forms of meditation. The study participants also did 20 minutes daily of #Kirtan Kriya, a type of meditation involving chanting, hand movements and visualization of light.

there are many benefits that yoga can give to every one... but especially beneficial as we get older:

Increased flexibility

Strengthens muscles ( including ones that we may have forgotten about ! )

Creates mindfulness ( giving a feeling of empowerment, improving sleep, improving the way we breathe )

Improves Balance ( especially important as we get older )

Gives confidence ( an opportunity to join classes and regain a social life and companionship )

So be the best version of YOU at any age...its never too late to start Yoga

yoga nonagenarian ...there are no limits... Tao Porchon-Lynch

I look with envy at the beautiful supple healthy 20/30 something yogis...who bend their bodies into seemingly impossible positions....
Its this that I aspire to be....
And lets face it ...its never going to happen...I am never going to look like that again ( not that I ever did!! )
But it definitely gives me the motivation to push forward with my yoga practice...
because at the end of the day...I will be the best version of me...
so imagine my surprise and delight when I came across this
well prepare to be amazed as I was, whilst flicking through some yoga articles I came across this amazing lady...      
This amazing lady was born in 1918 and still teaches Yoga
And unlike the majority of all-natural, vegan yogis, Tao Porchon-Lynch wears big earrings, has brightly-painted nails, is always in high heels (well, except for when she’s doing yoga) and she loves wine.  She is definitely outside the box..bless her  

Tao Porchon-Lynch has always led an exotic life  - she was born in India, moved to London in 1940, danced for soldiers in Europe and then moved to Hollywood, during her fascinating life she’s spent time with Mahatma Gandhi, Noël Coward, Marilyn Monroe and the Dalai Lama.

It was whilst growing up in India that she discovered yoga: at the age of eight, she spotted boys on the beach contorting their bodies into strange poses. “I went to my aunt and said, ‘Can they let me be part of it?’ And she said: ‘That isn’t a game, it is yoga and it’s not for girls. It’s not ladylike.’ So I started doing it,” Porchon-Lynch told the New York Times.

This lady is a true inspiration to us all aspiring for that  healthy and long life...and she says that the ancient practice of yoga not only keeps her body young, but it improves her mind and soul as well....and adds that she eats small vegetarian meals and does not over eat or eat just for the sake of it..but that she enjoys a piece of chocolate

She admits that time has taken an inevitable toll on her health; just a few years ago, she had to have a total hip replacement, and in 2011 she broke her wrist... 

When I read this it certainly inspired me... especially as I am the other side of 50..and I often find myself wandering if I have left it too late to start a life and may be a career in this wonderful ancient practice.

'Tao's philosophy is: "There is nothing we cannot do if we harness the power within us."'

And if its good enough for Tao Porchon-Lynch.....