Yoga and Ageing

Abstract:  Ageing is a concept which has been drilled into us from the time we are able to understand things. It is being done unconsciously by people around us but it takes the form of a thought in our minds which leads to ageing. Yoga helps to get this negativity away from life and strengthens the life force.This article is a way to bring this aspect with words. Hope everyone finds it useful. 

Yoga accepts ageing as an integral part of living. However are we really ageing as we should? Or are we ageing quickly? Ancient scriptures suggest that ageing quickens with time. In the Vedas there is a reference to different “yugas”. The whole existence in divided into four yugas

(1) “Satyug” when people 4lived for thousands of years. 

(2) “Tretayug” when people lived to be at least a thousand years.

(3) “Dwapar yug” when people lived to be 500 years 

(4) “Kalyug” the present age when people struggle to live even a 100 years.

 Is it just stories and myth? Well I would disagree because of the evidence that our ancestors lived for more number of years.

So, what is leading to this? As per science every cell in the human body is replaced every 7 years. That means a new individual every 7 years. But due to weakening of the life force the regeneration slows down leading to degradation of the body. In our times this happens due to many reasons like increased pollution, stress and many other factors. To understand this we must understand the living being. Every living being is made of matter and life force. It is the life force which keeps the matter together and we are alive. Body is just matter and it is the thoughts that are the life force which keeps us alive. So, coordinating the thoughts can help increase the life force which enables living longer.

“All the diseases are born in the mind”
The doctors will tell you that with age you have chances of getting a certain disease. Is this true? Well is this auto suggestion which leads to the body reacting to the way we think. The mind directs and body reacts which leads to the disease.

Every day we are being suggested our age. Hey you are 40 now weight gain will occur. This suggestion can actually make us think that weight gain will occur and it occurs. We are being reinforced with such kind of ideas from the birth which leads us towards a shorter life span full of diseases. Yoga does not follow this path.

As per yoga the age is not the standard by which health is measured. It is the balance of the various forces in the body. Yoga suggests that you can remain young till the last breath you take. It removes the concept of age and induces the concept of being balanced and never thinking about age. A very good example is a person working at my maternal grandfather’s place. He had no idea about his age. He worked with four generations and was working 12 hours a day till his last breath. On calculation his age was around 175 at the time of his death. This is because of daily yoga which he practiced and the lack of knowledge of age which kept him young through his life. So, being young is a thinking which has to be cultivated either consciously or unconsciously. Practicing yoga can help you do it consciously.

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