I recently finished reading The Blue Zone by Dan Buettner. For those of you who haven’t read it, it’s a book that reveals the common denominators among communities that have centenarians. Journalist and longevity expert Dan Buettner, and a group of scientists delve into these “Blue Zones” and analyze the oldest living people and learn from their way of life. Their lifestyle, diet and attitude are studied and from that the author suggests how to put the lessons learned from the research into your everyday life.
Here’s a list of the 9 lessons given in the book:
Lesson 1: Move Naturally – Be active without having to think about it
Lesson 2: Hara Hachi Bu – Painlessly cut calories by 20 percent
Lesson 3: Plant Slant – Avoid meat and processed foods
Lesson 4: Grapes of Life – Drink red wine (in moderation)
Lesson 5: Purpose Now – Take time to see the big picture
Lesson 6: Down Shift – Take time to relieve stress
Lesson 7: Belong – Participate in a spiritual community
Lesson 8: Loved Ones First – Make family a priority
Lesson 9: Right Tribe – Be surrounded by those who share Blue Zone values
Buettner goes into detail and further suggestions for each of these lessons in his book.
While expanding on Lesson 1, I was excited to see that he specifically mentions Yoga. He says “Yoga, when done properly, will help increase balance. It also strengthens all muscle groups, increases flexibility, is good for your joints, and can lesson lower back pain.” Moreover, he states that adding activity that includes balancing is key, as falls are common cause of injury and death among seniors. His recommendation is to practice yoga at least twice weekly, of which I agree.
We know the more you practice the more you gain. You will begin to reap the numerous benefits of yoga sooner. By stretching and lengthening your muscles you are relieving the body of stiffness, pain and fatigue. Practice at least twice a week and you’ll find your body won’t feel as if it’s trying to catch up from the mobility and balance it gained from last week’s practice. Rather, it’s building upon it. Many of you have shared with me that after only a week or two off, the body feels it. The shoulders begin to tense up again and overall, the body just feels tight. Then once you come back to your mat, you realize just how much you needed your yoga. I think doing yoga can link into Lesson 6 as well. It’s definitely a stress reliever. Slowing down the breath, taking the time to breathe can help rid the body of built up tension. It’s been thoroughly researched that yoga lowers blood pressure and lowers heart rate. Just think savasana!
After I read the book I checked out www.bluezones.com. On the website there is a tool called the Vitality Compass which asks you 33 questions. Your answers are computed and out spits your potential life expectancy. Looks like I’ll be around till I’m 97.8. Check it out and see if you’re on the path to living to 100. Maybe we aren’t all striving to be centenarians, but there’s enough data out there that shows yoga is key in mind body wellness.
Claudine
