If I had to choose just one activity – one thing that tops the list in my quest to reverse the ticking of the clock, I would choose yoga. Over and above any other exercise (except walking), facial/body treatment – even diet. Here are my reasons why:
1. Yoga is the catalyst to positive change: If you are trying to lose weight, eat healthier, de-stress, eat less meat – whatever it may be, yoga will help you. If you find a good class/teacher, the first thing you learn it to be in your body. By learning to breathe correctly, by stilling your mind, by become present in every tissue and organ or your being, you start to become attuned to what you really need. By practicing yoga regularly, you learn to listen to your body, mind and soul – in this way it becomes easier to give yourself exactly what you need.
2. No humps: As we age, particularly in our modern-day society where we crouch at a computer for way too long, our body will inevitably morph into a shape that it’s not supposed to be: our pectoral muscles shorten, our collarbones and shoulders hunch forward and eventually create that “old person’s hump” in our upper back. Yoga completely reverses this because the asanas are designed to elongate your entire spinal column, and help the muscles surrounding the spine, become supple and healthy.
3.De-Sress: Modern-day stress is a huge aging factor. Look at anyone you know who had gone through an unnatural amount of stress – they age almost overnight. Stress takes it’s toll on every organ in our body, eventually resulting in not only visible signs of aging, but also disease. A good yoga teacher will teach you how to relieve your stress by way of breathing and mediation.
4. Life Force: When you practice yoga regularly, you become aware of what is known as your Prana (life force). The purpose of the practice is that you can undo all the kinks and obstacles so that the life force can flow freely through your body. Look at a person with a flowing life force, and you’re looking at someone who looks young (regardless of their age.)
5. Strength: Many people worry that yoga is just easy stretching. They think they’ll be way too impatient because they can’t bear to be still. I’ve met so many women like this, especially when I used to teach private yoga classes. They wanted a hard work-out. If you find the right class for you and practice regularly, a level 2/3 yoga practice can build as much strength as any other physical routine.
Tip: In all the years that I’ve both taught and practiced yoga, the one thing that I often see is students pushing themselves to do poses they are not ready for. This always leads to injury. It’s vital that you get a good foundation from a certified teacher. One of the best kinds of teachers is an Iyengar teacher because they have a 7-year training and can deal with almost any physical condition. A good Iyengar teacher will teach you perfect alignment in each pose. This serves as a brilliant springboard for a lifetime of yoga.
Finally: If you really can’t get to a class, try out Natasha Rizopoulos’s DVD’s. She’s on our dream team and is one of the most accomplished teachers at Yoga Works Nationwide.
