Yoga 101: Lessons in Longevity from My 101-Year-Old Teacher

My101-year-old Yoga Instructor challenges me every time and I love it!

Yoga has become my sanctuary, a space where I both restore and challenge myself, and it’s hard not to feel grateful every time I step onto the mat. My own journey into yoga came on the heels of a long recovery after a serious car accident—months in a wheelchair, years of water therapy, and eventually, the joyful rediscovery of movement. It was my water therapist who first suggested yoga, acknowledging my background in dance and love for fluid, mindful movement. Over the years, I’ve found that yoga offers something dance never quite could—a space to listen deeply to my body, heal from within, and experience a sense of balance that stays with me long after class ends.

What I love about yoga, and what the Ayurvedic tradition has long understood, is its holistic approach to health. Ayurveda teaches that every individual is unique, and the path to wellbeing is all about finding balance—physically, mentally, emotionally. Yoga, with its blend of breathwork, stretching, strengthening, and meditation, has been shown to ease stress, regulate hormones, and support a healthy weight by calming the mind and helping us make better lifestyle choices. Beyond the feel-good endorphin boost, regular practice can help manage metabolic disorders, lower cortisol, and improve insulin sensitivity, which is so important as we face increasingly sedentary lifestyles and high-pressure environments.

I am continually inspired by my yoga community, but nothing brings the possibilities of yoga to life like my instructor, who recently celebrated his 101st birthday. He started yoga at 80, and every week he reminds us—through laughter, lightness, and sheer presence—that it’s never, ever too late to take charge of your health. The aging process comes with its challenges: arthritis, osteoporosis, and loss of flexibility can make everyday movement feel daunting, especially for women, who are statistically more prone to joint and bone issues after menopause. Men, too, face their own hurdles, often neglecting flexibility and functional movement, but yoga meets all bodies where they are. The gentle strengthening, weight-bearing postures like downward dog and warrior, and mindful breathwork can help protect bones, lubricate joints, and reduce pain—even reverse some of the effects of aging with regular practice.

What’s most amazing to me as both a student and an observer is that yoga isn’t just for one gender or age group. Too often, I find men hesitate, thinking yoga is “not for them” or perhaps too gentle to make a real difference. That couldn’t be further from the truth: yoga promotes better mobility, strengthens core and stabilizer muscles, boosts cardiovascular health, and helps with focus and mental clarity for everyone. Women and men each bring different strengths and challenges, but the mat is a place where those differences are celebrated—where you can target what your body needs most, and where healing, growth, and joy are available no matter your starting point. If my centenarian teacher and my own journey have taught me anything, it’s this: yoga is not reserved for the young, the flexible, or the already-fit. It’s for every single one of us, exactly where we are, at any age, to experience the blessings of health, resilience, and a little more ease inside and out.

So, whether you’re 21 or 101, just starting out or rebooting after a long break, let yoga surprise you. Step into a class—even if you’re nervous, even if you think you’re not flexible, strong, or “the yoga type.” You aren’t signing up to compete or compare; you’re signing up to care for yourself in a way that is gentle, powerful, and wholly your own. Give yourself permission to try, to grow, and to witness what’s possible—your body, your mind, and your spirit will thank you. There’s never a wrong time to begin, but there’s every reason to say yes now.