The oldest Yogi in the world

In Today's Email:

• Grow beyond your suffering and pain: Imagine yourself as an enlightened sage.

• The Oldest Yogi In The World: This yogi lives to 102, teaching and doing yoga until her very last moment.

• Our first ever Yogapedia: Learn the prep poses for Garudasana.

Picture of The Day

Imagine yourself as an enlightened sage.

Set aside half an hour.

Begin by calling to mind a sage or saint, or another human being you deeply admire. It should be someone you have a feeling for and whose teachings you understand- Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, St. Teresa of Avilia, The Baal Shem Tov, or your own teacher, if that teacher has become a reliable example of Enlightenment.

If no one comes to mind, choose one of the qualities of enlightened consciousness – such as compassion or love.

Now, think deeply about that person or the quality you want to embody. Consider how it might be to look through that person's eyes. If it’s a quality, ask yourself, “How would it be at this moment to look through the eyes of love?” ask yourself, “how did this being treat others? How might he or she behave while living your life? (Yes, what would Jesus do?) Imagine facing a challenge, a big conflict, and the desertion of someone close. How would that person handle it?"

Now close your eyes and imagine that the spirit of that person (or the quality) inhabits your body. Inhale, thinking to yourself, “Christ’s love lives within me, as my love”, or “Buddha’s state of enlightenment is my enlightenment.”

Do this for a few moments. Then ask yourself, “How would I move through the world If I truly embodied the qualities of this being? How would a treat myself? How would I be with my partner? My kids? The people on the bus? What would it be like to interact with others?”

Let your imagination completely open to this practice, imagining yourself enlightened, and saturated with love.

For the remainder of the half hour, act out of that experience. Be the great being you’re imagining yourself to be. Act out the quality you want to imbibe. Do this for half an hour a day for a week and see if you notice the effect.

The Oldest Yogi In The World  

Indra Devi (May 12, 1899 – April 25, 2002)

Last Known Age: 102 years old

Country of Origin:  Riga, Russian Empire

Years Teaching: c. the early 1930s – 2002

Indra Devi (born Eugenie Peterson) who was known as the “mother of western yoga” was the oldest yoga teacher in the world. She passed away in 2002 at the age of 102 and continued to work in some capacity as a yoga teacher until the end of her life.

Devi, who was born to European nobility, learned the art of yoga from the legendary guru Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Initially, Sri Krishnamacharya refused to teach Devi because she was a Westerner and a woman but she used her connections with the Maharaja and Maharani of Mysore to convince Sri Krishnamacharya to change his mind. Sri Krishnamacharya trained Devi to be a yoga teacher and she is believed to be the first Westerner to teach yoga in India and write a book on the subject. Later in her life, Devi moved to Argentina where she established a foundation to teach her yoga methods.

🧐 DID YOU KNOW?

Outsmart your genes: No amount of sun salutations will make your straight hair curly, but regular yoga and exercise may affect how your body reacts to genetic mutations that cause disease. Researchers with the Resilience project, a study led by the Icahn Institute for Genomics & Multiscale Biology at Mount Sinai, New York, screened the genomes of over a half-million people; they found 13 healthy individuals harboring genetic mutations for diseases like cystic fibrosis and autoimmune disorders- these individuals should be sick, yet have somehow defied their genes. “We believe that environmental factors, such as diet and exercise, may provide a way for the resilient person to buffer disease.” Says Eric Schadt, Ph.D., founding director of the Icahn Institute. We already know yoga lowers blood pressure and stress, factors linked to chronic illness, so stick with your asana for optimal well-being.

Yogapedia

Stretch your legs and hips, strengthen your core and upper back, and improve your balance in these prep poses for Garudasana.

Gomukhasana, with Garudasana arms Cow Face Pose, with Eagle Pose arms Benefits Stretches the sides of the hips and upper back.Instruction Come to Tabletop, with your hands under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and tops of your feet against the mat. Slide your right knee left until both knees’ inner edges touch (both are still on the ground). Wrap your left leg around and atop your right leg so your knees line up; slide your feet away from each other, slightly wider than your hips. If your inner thighs protrude forward, use your hands to rotate them behind you. Gradually lower your hips to the floor, to seated, with hips between legs. You can place a prop under your buttocks to support your hips. Bring your arms in front of you, bent to 90 degrees. Swing your left arm beneath the right, and spiral your right hand and forearm around the left until your hand's touch in Eagle Pose arms. Hold for 10 breaths; switch sides.

Prasarita Padottanasana Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend, with twist Benefits Stretches and strengthens the inner and outer legs and mid-back  Instruction Take a wide stance with your feet parallel, approximately 3 to 4 feet apart. Ground equally through the inner and outer edges of your feet. With your hands on your hips, inhale to lengthen the spine; exhale as you hinge forward. Release your hands to the floor. Create stability by isometrically drawing your legs toward each other and pressing down from the outer hips through the outer feet. With your left hand, grab your right outer shin and pull it to your left, stretching and strengthening shoulder and back muscles. Stay for 5 breaths; switch sides.

Spinal Balance

 Benefits Improve core strength and balance; enhances proprioception (awareness of the body’s position in space) Instruction From Tabletop, stiffen your core as if putting on an imaginary corset. This results in front-to-back and side-to-side tightening. Raise your right arm parallel to the floor and in line with your shoulder, palm facing left. Lift your left leg until it’s in line with your hip and parallel to the floor. Hug the lifted limbs toward each other without actually moving them—making an isometric contraction—to enhance core engagement. Hold for 5 breaths; switch sides. Repeat 3 times on each side.

Meme

NAMASTE ❤️

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