Saturday, January 19, 2013

  Oldest Yoga Teacher: Connie Dennison breaks Guinness world record

Dunfermline, UK -- Connie Dennison, 98, of North Queensferry, still leads by example at her weekly, hour-long yoga class in Dunfermline, where more than a dozen women attend the weekly sessions at St Leonard's Church, making her to set the new world record for the Oldest Yoga Teacher, according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/.

  Photo: Connie Dennison leads by example at her weekly, hour-long class in Dunfermline. Photo: Duncan S Simpson
( enlarge photo )

The Guinness world record for the longest yoga chain consisted of 255 participants and was achieved by DREAM (TM), a brand of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (USA) in Estes Park, Colorado, USA.

Guinness World Records also recognized the 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.

  Mrs Dennison has always started her classes at 10am sharp, beginning with relaxation techniques. During her 60-minute class, she takes her group through a series of moves, including sun salutes, tree pose and child's pose.
  Still flexible thanks to a lifetime of regular practice, she is capable of more advanced poses, in which she extends her legs over her head.

  Mrs Dennison has handed down her yoga techniques to three generations of her family and says the ancient exercise regime – which originated in India and works both the body and the mind – has kept her young at heart.

  "I'm quite sure that I'd be in a wheelchair if I didn't have yoga," she said. "My legs have been stronger since I started and it has helped me and my family."

  She started practising yoga when she was living in Melbourne, Australia, when she was in her 20s. At that time, yoga was almost unheard of in the UK.

  The former hairdresser, who drove
trucks across the UK delivering food supplies during the Second World War, has outlived her two sisters and brother. Her husband, Tom, a retired minister, passed away 20 years ago.

   Her pupils include more than a dozen women who attend the weekly sessions at St Leonard's Church in Dunfermline.

  Four generations of Connie's family practise yoga, including daughter Carol, 70, grand-daughter Susannah, 43, and great-granddaughter Coco, nine.

   Related world records:
Oldest Olympic Torch Bearer: Diana Gould sets world record (VIDEO)

Oldest professional sharpshooter: Chandro Tomar sets world record

Oldest Yoga Teacher: Bernice Mary Bates sets world record

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-world record set by Ray Moon

Last update:Saturday, January 19, 2013 3:35 PM