Tuesday, November 22, 2011

  Oldest Yoga Teacher: Bernice Mary Bates sets world record

 St. Petersburg, Fla., USA -- Bernice (Bernie) Bates, a 91-year-old who started teaching yoga in 1960, Bernie still teaches yoga to the residents of her retirement community - setting the new world record for the Oldest Yoga Teacher, according to World Record Academy (www.worldrecordacademy.com).

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The Guinness world record for the largest yoga class involved 29,973 students from 362 schools who performed a sequence of yogic kriyas called Suryanamaskar (Salute to the Sun) simultaneously for 18 minutes, led by Vivekanand Kendra (India), at Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the longest yoga marathon by a female, which lasted 32 hours and was achieved by Yasmin Fudakowska-Gow (Canada) at Om West Holistic Centre, Quebec, Canada.

  Despite having been born in 1920, Bernice Mary Bates is more flexible than most teenagers.

  The 91-year-old celebrated gaining a place in the record books by performing a series of poses at Mainlands Retirement Community Centre in Pinellas Park, Florida.

   After being presented with her world record certificate, Bernice said: "I'm truly overwhelmed. I'll continue with Yoga for as long as I can."

  After setting the record, Bates said she wants others to attempt to break it.

 "I'm sure there's a 100-year-old guy in India who can probably beat me" Bates said told the HuffPost.

  She is currently a teacher at the Mainlands Retirement Community Center in Pinellas Park, Florida and shares her achievement with her students that she refers to as "kids".

Related world records:     
First Woman to Earn Highest Level Black Belt: Keiko Fukuda set world record (HD Video)

Oldest yoga teacher: 89-year-old Gladys Morris

Largest Kung Fu Display of Diverse Styles: Chinese Kung Fu Fans

Oldest active boxer: Stephen Ward (Video)

Oldest competitive female bodybuilder: Ernestine Shepherd (Video)

Oldest person to reach the top of Mt Kilimanjaro  - George Solt

Oldest Everest climber: Bahadur Sherchan

Oldest competing bodybuilder: Ray Moon

Tuesday, November 22, 2011