#30DaysofThreads Day 19 - Telomeres. What are they and what do they have to do with yoga?

Telomeres are the caps on the cells of your chromosomes. The length of your caps signify your overall health and genetic age. So you could be 24 with the genetic age of 36.

Telomeres protect the cells and make them more effective at carrying out their jobs, similar to the caps on shoelaces.
Do you remember how hard it was getting your shoelace through the hole when the cap came off and the lace started to fray?

Telomeres shorten as the cells divide over time and the efficiency of the cell decreases as a result. If it becomes too short it can cause cells to stop replicating and malfunction. Cells that are malfunctioning can cause inflammation or trigger the development of tumors.

Arline Geronimus developed the weathering theory which claims that adverse social experiences, like poverty & structural oppression, have negative physical consequences. A Black person can have the mortality and morbidity of a much older White person bc of the stress from racism.

In one of her studies, she found that for Black women, the risk for low birthweight, preterm births, and infant mortality steadily increased beginning as early as the late teens. Several studies have shown the accelerated aging Black men and women experience.

So what the fuck does this have to do with yoga?

Just like our experiences and lifestyle can shorten our telomeres and increase our genetic age, there are things we can do to lengthen our telomeres and reduce our genetic age, such as yoga and meditation.

Several studies have found that consistent practice of yoga can reduce and sometimes reverse the rate of cellular aging.

This is has nothing to do with not wanting to get old. This has everything to do with your health, overall well-being, and likelihood for disease.

I don’t teach yoga because I want to help people be more flexible. I want to help Black women live longer, healthier lives. I could give a shit if you can touch your toes.

I just read a research article about yoga reducing the rate of anxiety and depression, and DNA damage of breast cancer patients during and after radiotherapy.

Fuck a handstand. That’s what excites me.

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