Meet With world’s oldest yoga teacher..Photos

A US woman has recently been awarded the title of Oldest Yoga Teacher by Guinness World Records.

The 91-year-old lady, Bernice Bates, first began practising yoga 50 years ago after she saw it on a television program.


These days the great-grandmother teaches once a week at the community centre of her Florida retirement village.

Bates believes in gentle yoga no sweaty, strenuous or competitive stretching in her classes.

“You may not do it perfect, but there’s no perfect person,” the News.com.au quoted her as saying.

Bates credits yoga for her good health - she doesn’t take medication or have any health problems - and says it gives her the ability to enjoy the things she loves like flower gardening and worshipping at her Methodist church.

She also lifts weights, walks, swims and does tai chi.

She starts stretching the moment she wakes up, with a series of poses to get her blood flowing.

“It gives you a good outlook. It involves your mind. Your mind, your body and your spirit. They all work together and they’re all coordinated,” Bates stated.

“Whereas when you’re on a treadmill, that’s all you’re doing, and you’re tired when you’re done. We build energy in our body, we don’t take it out,” she added.

Yoga can prevent swine flu, cancer:Baba Ramdev

Indian Yoga guru, Swami Ramdev, has suggested that his techniques of pranayama, popularly known as breathing exercises, could help in healing many ailments, including swine flu and cancer.

"I want to promote and propagate ancient Indian heritage of yoga around the globe. My aim is to turn Toronto into a peace haven," Swami Ramdev told thousands of yoga fans, who gathered at the Pearson Convention Centre in Toronto on Monday.

He claimed the practice of yoga could prevent diseases like swine flu, cancer and AIDS, and argued that his teachings were based on science.

Swami Ramdev said, "Yoga is the universal and scientific philosophy of self-realisation and healing. Our personal life should also be full of austerity and self-control and a complete sense of denunciation."

He also demonstrated yoga and other meditation techniques.

Gagan Bhalla, spokesperson of the function, said the Canadian government must recognise the benefits of Yoga and provide encouragement to the Patanjali Yog Peeth Canada, to promote and propagate yoga in the country.

The Yog Peeth has proposed to set up Yoga and Ayurvedic research centre in Toronto on the model of Pathanjali Yog Peeth in Hardwar, Bhalla added.

Senior politicians and diplomats were among those who attended the function.