In the hyper-active, turbo-charged, fast-paced world that we live in today, time just simply seems to fly by. Not only are we trying to keep up with work, busy careers and all that's happening in our personal and social lives, but more than anything we're also trying to just simply keep up with ourselves.
If we're not careful, in what seems like a mere blink of the eye, years can come and go, until one day we wake up, take a good look in the mirror, and realize that it's time to start making good on that often heard promise that we're not just getting older -- but actually getting better.
The good news is that's well within our reach -- and it's never too late to get started.
Feeling healthy, happy and energized at any age begins with creating a balanced lifestyle. While exercising and diet is great for the body, balanced living also means nourishing and nurturing the mind and spirit. Yoga, meditation and other forms of mindfulness practice provide that nourishment and also act as a natural counter-balance to the everyday stress of our hectic modern lives.
And if stress is known to give you grey hairs and wrinkles, then think about what that a daily dose of bliss will do.
While the sight of a 100-plus-year-old Sadhu, India's ancient line of revered holy men, striking both an age -- and gravity -- defying yoga pose at such a calendar milestone has long made the longevity promoting benefits of yoga and meditation the stuff of legend, now modern science is confirming what the ancients always knew -- that indeed yoga, meditation and other forms of mindfulness can actually slow the aging process -- right down to the cellular level -- as well as stimulate the body's own regenerative potential as well.
And the age-defying benefits are far reaching.
Studies show that these benefits positively affect everything from our physical health -- cardiovascular, neurological and nearly every other biological system -- to our enhanced happiness and emotional wellbeing. They even help improve our memory and mental intelligence. All powerful components to maintain a positive quality of life as we age.
Though the practice of yoga and meditation as its roots in the ancient 5,000-year-old Vedic tradition of India, today they are core components of living a healthy, holistic lifestyle, with over 36 million Americans alone practicing yoga and meditation regularly.
But traditional yoga, with its focus on deep breathing, meditation and mindfulness, is so much more than just a work out.
Research studies show that daily practice fosters a true sense of calm and compassion, and nurtures a deep inner shift in our life perspective, creating renewed energy to live life more fully, and with genuine enjoyment. Qualities we would all love to experience at any age.
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