Aging is an inevitable natural happening. For the curious ones who want to know how to stay young, consider the practice of yoga, meditation, and ayurveda. These are the natural ways to maintain the health of the body.

Here are some anti-aging tips from these ancient sciences that can slow down aging and keep you feeling younger.

1. Yoga and pranayama

 Yoga and pranayama are immensely beneficial for the body and mind. Here are some anti-aging yoga postures and pranayama that you can do on a regular basis.

Simhasana (Lion pose)​

• Reduces tension on the face and chest area.
• Excellent for enhancing the functioning of a sluggish thyroid gland.
• Stimulates the platysma (a flat thin muscle in front of the throat) and helps maintain its firmness during the aging process.
• Helps to remove wrinkles and delays aging.

Neck stretching

• Eliminates excess fat on the neckline.
• Prevents neck muscles from sagging.
• Eliminates age-related stiffness, allowing comfortable neck and shoulder movements.​

Hastpadasana (Standing forward bend)

• Prevents inflexibility of the spine that comes with old age.
• Energizes the nervous system.

Veerbhadrasana (Warrior pose)

• Strengthens and tones the arms, lower back, and legs.

Adho mukha svanasana (Downward facing dog pose)

• Improves circulation.
• Improves digestion, which often gets affected while aging.
• Tones limbs which tend to get flabby while aging.
• Decreases anxiety.

Dhanurasana (Bow pose)

• Tones arms and legs muscles which tend to get flabby with age.
• Energizes the body by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system.
• Strengthens and relaxes the spine.

Kapalbhati pranayama (Skull shining breathing technique)

• Removes stress from the eyes and eliminates dark circles.
• Rejuvenates the brain and energizes the nerves.
• Calms and uplifts the mind and improves memory.
• Improves the flow of prana (vital energy) in the body.
• Gives radiance to the face.

2. Stay young with meditation

Studies show that stress speeds up the aging process. An effective way to reduce stress is to meditate regularly. A study says that practicing meditation on a regular basis protects our chromosomes from degenerating and thus puts a leash on the age clock.

3. Eat right to slow down aging

One big jigsaw piece to the puzzle of staying young is right diet. Ancient Indian scriptures say food directly affects the mind. Eating a bowl of fresh fruits will have a completely different effect on your mind and body than eating a pizza with extra cheese. Similarly, eating fried food cannot give the body what a wholesome ayurvedic diet can provide. Making wise food choices will ensure that you stay healthy longer.

Ayurvedic cooking offers a complete diet, rich in nutrients and helps the body to function smoothly. Ayurvedic food is high in prana or life force and helps to increase the body’s immunity level. In addition, it is healthy and easy for the body to digest.

Healthy dietary tips

• Eat green leafy vegetables like spinach and fenugreek that are rich in fiber. They aid in better digestion.
• Water-rich vegetables like broccoli, radish, and cucumber help your skin stay hydrated.
• Drinking a concoction of neem and basil leaves boosts immunity, purifies the blood, and keeps the skin clean and clear.

4. Lifestyle tips to stay young

It is important to consider some lifestyle changes which include good food habits, adequate sleep, exercise and relaxation.  

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This also flushes out the toxins and renders a glow to the face.
• During your work hours, taking regular two-minute breaks to stretch your legs and arms improves the flow of blood and prevents stiffening.
• Give your eyes some rest in between long hours of computer and mobile use.
• Getting 6-8 hours of sleep will keep you active in the day.
• It is important to feel young at heart too. Be spontaneous, set goals and be happy.

Moving from outer to inner beauty

While looking gorgeous has its own charm, beauty is not just skin-deep. A healthy body, a calm mind, and an everlasting smile are the real beauty products that will boost your confidence and enhance your personality.

We cannot defy aging forever but certainly, we can slow down its progress by taking precautions and adopting a better lifestyle.

With inputs from Dr. Shilpa Sabharwal and Meena Waghray, Faculty members, The Art of Living.

It is highly recommended to learn yoga from a trained teacher. You can learn anti-aging yoga postures from a trained professional in the Sri Sri Yoga program.