As a yoga teacher, I am blessed to witness daily, the laws of physics turned upside-down.
This 5,000-year-old practice from India, which has popularizing trendy stretch pants and pretzel-bent workouts across the globe, can also, amazingly, reverse Sister Time and the effects of aging.
Yoga is no “miracle” creme, to be sure – but, over the years, I have watched many men and women, who’ve committed to a regular yoga practice, miraculously grow younger before my very eyes!
So, what is this fountain of youth, this nature-defying talisman, that seems to peel back the layers of time and give body and mind a nip ‘n’ tuck, without elective surgery?
This is the answer that has come to me, after hundreds of hours closely observing my students in class, and time spent on my yoga mat, being a student, myself:
Yoga looks at aging much differently than our popular culture does: it’s the flexibility of the spine – and the human spirit – not the number of years, that determines a person’s age, according to yoga philosophy.
This mind–body practice literally slows down the aging process by bringing greater elasticity to the spine, firming up the skin, eliminating tension from the body, building abdominal strength, toning flabby arm muscles, removing the possibility of a double chin, correcting poor posture and so on.
It won’t happen over night, to be sure, but through dedication and practice, yoga starts to seep into every facet of your life – soon you start to notice that you’re making different choices about what to eat, how to spend free time, how to deal with stresses at work, at home, and so on.
As you start to incorporate positive changes into your lifestyle, yoga lets you trade in characteristics of aging for those of youth.
The postures, breathing and mindfulness exercises don't just rejuvenate your brain, glands and organs – and make you look and feel younger – they improve your mood, help you to become more confident and optimistic, inspire creativity and enhance relationships with yourself and others.
Yoga will help you to live longer, and live better. It will increase your resistance to disease, boost your vitality and experience greater well-being – on and off the mat. So, why not come Om Sweet Om?
Blessings, Jennifer
Jennifer Parks hold an Honours B.A. in Cultural Studies from McGill University and has worked as a communications coordinator and journalist across Canada. She currently lives in Edmonton with her fiance, and two devilish but doting cats, Bear and Angel, in their dream-home-in-the-making. Jennifer hosts unique yoga getaways in Alberta, Canada.
To contact Jennifer by email: soulink@shaw.ca
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Fabulous At 50 | Jennifer Parks