Hatha Yoga for Increased Life Expectancy

Could Yoga help you to live a longer, healthier, andpassage."
happier life? Of course, Yoga can do all of theseSo, who is to blame for the negligence toward health?
things. Yoga has a proven "track record," at a timeIs it a lack of national healthcare? The Washington
when some countries could afford to be morePost also stated: "Chrisopher Murray, from the
pro-active about healthcare.University of Washington, said improved access to
The Washington Post recently ran a story about howhealth insurance could increase life expectancy. But, he
the United States has fallen to 42nd place in lifepredicted, the U.S. won't move up in the world rankings
expectancy. Many reasons are given to explain awayas long as the health care debate is limited to
a country, which spends so much on medical care,insurance."
falling to 42nd place.It starts with a pro-active attitude and it comes from
Of course, obesity was named as a factor. Accordingthe top. Bring back physical education, all American
to the Washington Post, "The U.S. has the resourcescitizens need healthcare (National Health), and there
that allow people to get fat and lazy," said Paul Terry,should be more networking between conventional
an assistant professor of epidemiology at Emoryhealth and Yoga.
University in Atlanta. "We have the luxury of choosingAlthough many Yoga teachers do receive referrals
a bad lifestyle, as opposed to having one imposed onfrom physicians, there are still many doctors in the US
us by hard times."who understand very little about the pro-active lifestyle
Yet, all this talk about fat has brought very little in theof a Yoga practitioner or any other alternative health
way of a concerted effort toward making Americansmethods.
more health conscious. Why is only ten percent of theIt is time to network and join forces. The health of our
country pro-actively exercising on a steady basis?children and grandchildren is at stake. Schools, hospitals,
Granted, another 35% catch the "exercise bug" for aphysicians, and Yoga teachers, cannot wait another 10
month or two per year, but that is it. The majority ofyears for the government to "wake up." It is time for
Americans have taken a pledge not to exercise forus to take voluntary action and educate the public
life. There are some geographic pockets of exercisers,about the health benefits of regular Hatha Yoga
but there are huge areas, where deep fried food ispractice.
"king" and a heart bypass operation is a "rite of