Grow Younger, Live Longer: Ten Steps to Reverse Aging

I took the audio program of this book out from my library due to sheer curiosity and since then have bought the book in print because I though it would be easier to use it as a reference that way. I have many of Dr. Chopra's audio tapes and while I don't take everything he says at face value I try to stay open to what he says on any given program and judge the material for it's own merits. Of course Dr. Chopra's popularity as a "Pop Culture Guru" can make it tempting to take him less seriously and write off anything he does as just another way for him to make a buck. Sometimes I myself feel this way due to the "factory-like" volume of materials that have come out under his authorship. Also, I do find that Deepak can get somewhat repetitive in much of his talk about "Cybernetic Feedback Loops" and the like :) Still, I always feel that if there's even one idea that can be helpful it is worth the effort and I generally get some benefit out of Deepak's work which is what led me to check this out. What I found on this particular program was a lot of good advice for living a healthier and less stressful life. While I'm not a scientist, it seems quite obvious that anyone with a brain and common sense would realize that if you actually follow the advice given on this program you could only realize tremendous benefits on many levels. Perhaps the only thing that might be considered "hocus pocus" by the mainstream medical community is Dr. Chopra's use of affirmations. While I'm generally not personally drawn to use affirmations , I would have to at least admit that if an affirmation helps one to focus on something positive rather than something negative it certainly can't hurt. As far as the claims of a program like this making you live longer, who knows, BUT it seems quite clear to me that if you follow this program you will in the least feel better during whatever time you do have. Not only that, it seems pretty logical that if you do follow the useful advice on this program and therefore improve your overall physical and mental well being that it should translate into having a longer life than if you didn't follow the advice, and there is a LOT of practical and sound advice here. I would be wary of some of the obviously jaded and arrogant scientific criticism that I read in previous reviews listed here concerning this book. My experience with the book is that those criticisms didn't ring true. While I can understand their concerns that this book may make some bold claims which they don't feel are scientifically proven, in general it appears that scientists seem to have a very narrow window that they look through and if it doesn't fit their world view then they think it's false. The danger is that they think their world view is one based on facts, but perhaps they fail to realize or admit that they are limited by their current level of understanding, methods and equipment. It wasn't so long ago that Newton was THE voice of physics and

The message within the pages of Grow Younger, Live Longer is nothing short of transformational! Practical, easy to follow, result oriented ways to live a long, healthy life. Chapters cover a wide variety of topics including, sleep/daily routine, diet, exercise, creativity, flexibility, and mind/body/spirit balance to name a few. There is also a selection of delicious, nutritious recipes that leave the reader wanting more. A personal story: I had the pleasure of meeting (and having my picture taken with) Dr. Deepak Chopra at a presentation he delivered as part of the promotional tour for this book. After hearing the lecture and reading the book, I finally found the courage and inspiration to finish my own book. Give Dr. Chopra a chance to show you how to Grow Younger, Live Longer.... you won't be disappointed! [...]

Despite some blatant entrepreneurial pitches for Chopra's Prana Institute and its products, as well some blatant abuse of quantum physics, and the annoying "I am young" manatra you will repeatedly be asked to mouth throughout the book in order to help change your psychological perception of age, GROW YOUNG, LIVE LONGER is a fine book that will indeed enhance health, and thus perhaps make you look and feel younger. It's one of those all-around good books: covering basic yoga, providing some good recipes, filled with wonder facts about detoxification, wise nutritional supplementation, and the benefits of proper sleep and exercise. And of course, Chopra outlines his universal philosophy of love, which I found inspiring. On the whole, I was deeply impressed with the book, and ended up buying copies for friends. Another book I highly recommend that will add to your healthly living arsenal is The Optimum Nutritional Bible by Patrick Holford. Unlike Chopra, Holford takes a purely nutritional stance, but his dietary suggestions have the power to increase intelligence, vitality and life-span. Now go eat your veggies!

This is a terrific book. Follow the ten steps and your life and health will be greatly improved. The two M.D.s who wrote this book are no strangers to scientific medicine. The fact that they have been willing to go beyond the limitations of our modern scientific medical community is to their credit. I've spent many years working in hospitals. I've seen the marvels of modern medicine and the horrors. New discoveries overcome past horrors but the mistakes of modern medicine are usually seen as steps forward, which they are except for the ones stepped on in this evolutionary process. My problem with modern scientific medicine is it's arrogance and criticism of other healing options when it has killed and maimed so many along the way. The supposed scientific criticism of this book is based on the arrogant assumption that spiritual realities have little connection to or impact on our physical well-being. Heck, if we can't detect it with all our new fangeled toys, it doesn't exist! Give me a break. Does anyone believe that all of our modern scientists put together have discovered all of the dimensions of reality?! You can't even put them all together without starting a civil war of differing perspectives. Chopra's prescriptions for health and longevity are based on both spiritual and scientific realities and he has expertise in each of these disciplines. After 31 years of spiritual ministry, much of it done in the world of health care, I advise you to not let the "smarty pants" M.D.'s and Ph.D's scare you away from this valuable health resource.

I have regularly practiced Transcendental Meditation (TM) for a number of years, having originally become interested in it through one of Dr. Chopra's first books. I have found the practice to be a helpful one, and regularly recommend it to others. I have also experienced Ayurvedic health treatments and have read about the practice. As a result, I always look forward to reading Dr. Chopra's new books.Grow Younger, Live Longer is an update on Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. The authors describe the Ayurvedic principles (practiced in India for many hundreds of years) of self-healing in a more detailed and understandable way than in any of Dr. Chopra's earlier books. Long-time practitioners of Transcendental Meditation will find little new in the book. Those who do not meditate now will find the book an easy, comfortable way to begin mind-body integration in ways that will probably help physiological and psychological health.The authors argue that by forming ten new habits (by following the recommended practices for at least 10 weeks), you can "reset your Biostat (your biological or functional, age) up to fifteen years younger than your chronological age." Your Biostat is determined by various measures of your body's functioning, as compared to the average of people of the same sex and age. That point is not proven, however, in the text of the book. Many references care made in the notes. I am aware of studies done by practitioners of Transcendental Meditation that show such effects, which may be part of what the claim is based on. Some scientists have criticized the studies for potential bias because practitioners conducted almost all of the studies. The authors are not recommending TM, but rather other versions of meditation. Some nutritional and relationship studies have shown reversals of such biological markers.You are encouraged to psychologically reframe aging to "an opportunity for greater wisdom, love, creativity, meaning, joy, and increased mental and physical capacity." "The real purpose of the book is to remind you, the reader, that this deeper reality, the domain of pure potentiality of spirit, is who you really are." "To know a person's body in the future, examine their experiences now." This sort of writing will remind you that Dr. Chopra likes to use Quantum physics as a metaphor for explaining the potential benefits of spiritual practices.... I also found much more scientific explanation here than in his earlier books about why these changes should be helpful. These were most detailed in the nutrition and exercise sections. The recommendations were explained in enough detail that I think that most people could understand and follow them. You will also find at least half of these food, water, and exercise recommendations in the better health books. The emphasis on spiritual and pscyhological practices is much stronger here. A good book on the importance of love from the scientific perspective is Dr. Dean Ornish's Love and Survival. The