"Anti-aging" isn't my favorite term. I much prefer "aging gracefully." Yoga has taught me that resistance to anything gives that thing more power. When we embrace aging and transform our relationship with it, we can experience it as a beautiful process. One of my friends told me an elderly Chinese herbalist once said to her that aging "isn't a sunrise beauty, it's a sunset beauty." Sunsets are warm, radiant, glowing, romantic, and mysterious. At the sight of them, we are often awed into stillness, silence, and full presence. The beauty that comes from aging can also elicit these sorts of responses. It reminds me of the quote by actress Connie Britton, who said, "wisdom is sexy." 

I like to think of yoga as medicinal movement. Regardless of age, yogis often have a youthful glow that radiates from the inside. In Sanskrit, the word for this type of radiance is Ojas.  Here are my two favorite yoga poses to do daily for aging gracefully and increased Ojas.

Bridge: One of the tendencies we experience with aging is increased kyphosis, otherwise known as "hunch back," or rounding in the upper back. Bridge pose helps counteract habitual "slumping" when doing many of our daily tasks, such as sitting, driving, doing dishes, or carrying a child. Bridge pose also stretches and lengthens the muscles across your chest, which reduces the tendency for your shoulders to be pulled forward due to tight and atrophied pectoral (chest) musculature. 

Start on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet planted on the ground, hip's distance apart. Tilt your tailbone toward the ceiling and roll up your spine, one vertebrae at a time, until you reach your shoulder blades. Hold for three breaths. Roll back down one vertebrae at a time. Repeat five times. The idea is to get each spinal segment moving. Start slowly by rolling halfway up the spine and back down if the full roll causes you too much discomfort. Eventually, you might be able to roll all the way up to your shoulder blades. Be mindful of past or current injuries or surgeries in your back, neck, hips, knees, and ankles.  

Squat: Look around at the toddlers in the world. They do this all the time, especially when pooping in their diapers. Many grown adults in the world use the bathroom in this position, too, such as in China and India, where the toilet is a hole in the floor. Squatting is key for colon health.  Our ascending colon is located near the right groin area, and our descending colon is near the left groin area. Squat helps compress both the ascending and descending colon, which optimizes blood flow through the colon and supports healthy elimination. In addition, sitting on a western-style toilet with your rectum pressing down lower than your low back, hips, and buttocks can result in blood clotting and hemorrhoids, especially when bearing down to eliminate. For that reason, squatting is a healthier way to eliminate because there is less pressure on your rectum. Squatting also keeps your hips flexible. Studies show that among the elderly, up to fifty percent die after a hip fracture. One factor contributing to hip fractures is the lack of flexibility in the hips and an inability to sit down and stand up from the floor safely. 

Start slowly by squatting halfway down instead of all the way down. To squat halfway down, start standing. Sit your hips back like you are going to place them in a chair. Bring your weight into your heels and reach your arms forward. Hold for three breaths and then stand up. Repeat five times. Eventually, you might work your way down into a full squat with your toes pointing away from each other, your knees open, and your heels on the floor or lifted slightly. If you can work down into a full squat, hold for three breaths and then push your feet into the ground and stand up. Repeat five times. Be mindful of past or current injuries or surgeries in your back, neck, hips, knees, and ankles.  

If you are interested in working on your squat position, check out the Squatty Potty, and squatting daily will become unavoidable. 😄

Researchers in cellular longevity have determined that practicing daily yoga and deep belly breathing slows cellular aging. In addition, researchers in human neuroscience have determined that practicing daily yoga and deep belly breathing reduces the effects of stress on our bodies, including inflammation, increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, irregular sleep patterns, depression, and anxiety - all of which contribute to accelerated aging.