Yoga & Anti-Aging

Yoga can mean many things, and there are different ways to practice it. In the West, it is practiced primarily as an exercise: to build strength, to gain flexibility or to lose weight. In India it is a method of self-improvement used to harness the full potential of the mind, body and breath for a variety of benefits, including reversing the effects of aging. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word "yuj," meaning to join or yoke together. Ways to practice yoga include: asana, or postures; pranayama, the breathing exercises; and meditation, concentration exercises. With all these elements combined, you can integrate yoga into a healthy lifestyle that will keep you looking and feeling more youthful.

Effects of Aging

Over your lifespan, the physiology of your body begins to change. Most of these changes are involuntary, but with a healthy diet, lifestyle and regular exercise you can slow down some of the effects of aging. One effect of aging is decreased elasticity of the lungs, which diminishes your body's ability to use oxygen, resulting in fatigue and poor immunity. Also, you will lose muscle tone and experience an increase in fatty tissues. Your bones will begin to lose their density, making them more fragile. The activity of your thyroid will decrease, your metabolism will slow down, and the strength of your digestive system will weaken.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha is a Sanskrit word that means forceful; thus with yoga we "join with the forceful." Hatha yoga is a method that focuses on all of the physical practices of yoga. It is used in India to help treat a variety of diseases. The late Swami Vivekananda, a prominent yogi in India, had once said of hatha yoga: "The result of this branch of Yoga is to make men live long; health is the chief idea, the one goal of the Hatha-Yogi. He is determined not to fall sick, and he never does. He lives long; a hundred years is nothing to him."

Sun Salutations

There is some debate as to how many yoga asanas there are, but a generally accepted number is 908 distinct yoga poses. Each pose has its own benefit and challenge to overcome, but they are not all universally beneficial. Surya namaskara, or sun salutations, is a sequence of yoga poses that are said to be almost universally beneficial, with benefits that counter many of the effects of aging. Use sun salutations to maintain muscle tissue and flexibility throughout your life, to boost your metabolism by stimulating the thyroid, pancreas and pituitary glands, to alleviate indigestion and ailments of the liver and the pancreas, and to strengthen the spinal cord and cells of the nervous system. Practicing sun salutations regularly will give you more energy and more focus throughout the day.

Ayurvedic Lifestyle

Ayurveda, a Sanskrit word meaning the "science of life," is a system of medicine developed in India and widely practiced around the world. In India, ayurveda and yoga are inseparable. In ayurveda, there is a school of medicine dedicated to anti-aging called "rasayana," which combines dietary and lifestyle changes, herbal supplements and yoga to maintain youthfulness. Foods and herbs used to maintain youthfulness include amla, amalaki, guduchi, haritaki and brahmi. Before taking any herbal supplements, consult your health care provider.

Pranayama

According to yogic philosophy, there is a vital energy that exists in all living things called "prana." The first physical expression of that vital energy is in our breath, and so a method of controlling this energy through our breath, called pranayama, was constructed. Breathing exercises that should be practiced every day to help strengthen the body include anuloma viloma, sitkari and ujjai. As you age, use pranayama to maintain the strength and elasticity of your lungs to keep you energetic and healthy.