On December 26, 2024, a report from the Epoch Times revealed that a British elderly woman celebrating her 105th birthday attributed her longevity and happiness to practicing yoga. She believes that staying active is essential in life, and practicing yoga allows her to stretch her body well and strengthen her mind.
According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Daisy Taylor, the centenarian, currently resides in a nursing home in Essex, where she has been practicing yoga for the past two years.
Taylor emphasizes that staying active enables her to enjoy life. Yoga not only helps her stretch her body but also improves her mental health, sharpening her mind with each practice.
She mentioned, “I can do yoga on the floor, but I need someone to watch me in case I need help getting up. Now, I mainly practice sitting in a chair.”
Born in 1919 in Leytonstone, East London, Taylor dropped out of school at the age of 14. Throughout her career, she worked in mechanical roles, spending time at a soap factory, managing a bakery, and several coffee shops.
At 19, she met her late husband, with whom she had three children, ten grandchildren, and twenty-five great-grandchildren.
Taylor’s family seems to possess genes for longevity as her sister Alice, aged 103, along with five other siblings, are all in their nineties.
She stated, “My secret is to wake up every day and enjoy the pleasures. I tell my friends and family to exercise, but they don’t follow suit. I advise people to stand up straight, move their shoulders, but start gently.”
She also expressed gratitude for her life experiences, saying, “I certainly enjoy my life because life is beautiful now.”
Holger Cramer, a substitute medical professor at the University of Tübingen in Germany, wrote in an article for The Conversation website that practicing yoga offers numerous health benefits, but is it a secret to longevity?
Cramer highlighted that many yoga practitioners around the world live healthy and long lives, with Taylor not being the sole example. Renowned yoga master B. K. S. Iyengar lived until 95 years old.
Practicing yoga is beneficial for the elderly due to various reasons. Studies suggest that it positively impacts age-related diseases by lowering blood pressure, lipid levels, and obesity.
Yoga can alleviate depression, stress, and anxiety, promoting a healthier lifestyle, including following a balanced diet.
Moreover, evidence indicates that yoga may have significant advantages in slowing down aging and maintaining youthfulness.
A study from 2012 discovered that yoga practice could influence the aging process at a cellular level. Participants in the yoga group showed a 43% increase in telomerase activity, a key factor in preventing cell aging, compared to less than 4% in the relaxation group.
However, is there direct evidence that yoga extends lifespan?
In a study published in 2015, researchers analyzed data from the National Death Index and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, involving 22,598 participants. They asked about lifestyle habits, including yoga practice, and the results were striking.
Over an average of eight and a half years, yoga practitioners had nearly two-thirds lower risk of death compared to non-practitioners.
Yet, a notable issue arises – yoga practitioners tend to be significantly younger than non-practitioners, and considering age in the analysis eliminated the mortality rate differences between the two groups.
Therefore, practicing yoga may not directly lengthen lifespan.
Cramer noted that Taylor’s siblings also lived long lives, suggesting her longevity might be more of a familial trait. However, yoga seems to help us stay healthy and most importantly, keeps our minds sharp in old age. Perhaps, like Taylor, it can help dispel fears in our later years.