122-year-old Swami Sivananda. AOL image
An Indian monk, claiming to be the oldest man in the world at age 122, spoke out to discuss the practices to which he believes he owes his great longevity.
Swami Sivananda was born on August 8, 1896, according to his passport, which if correct and not a clerical error, makes the sprightly monk 122 years old and the oldest man to have ever lived.
India’s passport authorities confirmed his age from a temple register, the only record many Indians have of their date of birth, but it will still be very difficult to independently verify his age.
Sivananda grew up in extreme poverty and to this day sleeps on a mat on the floor with a wooden slab as a pillow in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state in north India.
In an interview conducted on February 18, 2017, he says “yoga, discipline, and celibacy” are the main reasons for his living to such a great age.
Fit and healthy, the elderly man lives independently and enjoys his solitude. He also practices yoga for hours at a time, and advocates for a life uncluttered by technology and material possessions.
