Fredie Blom is a humble and happily married man living in a small home in the Delft township of Cape Town, South Africa. He is believed to be the oldest man alive, and turned 115 in May this year. He can still walk without support, albeit not as fast as he used to, and still dresses himself.
Having read a newspaper article in the Washington Post about this unique individual, Swami Purnachaitanya of The Art of Living who was visiting Cape Town for a series of Yoga programs in the run to the International Day of Yoga, visited Fredie and his family – a visit that ended in Mr. Blom learning some yogic breathing and meditation.
Swami Purnachaitanya, who is a senior international trainer of The Art of Living Foundation from the Netherlands, offered to teach the couple some simple yogic techniques to calm the mind and also his blood pressure.
After learning a simple pranayama (breathing technique) and being guided through a meditation, their kind faces looked even more bright. “My heart and body feel strong,” Fredie says when asked about his experience, “and my mind feels clear and calm! I like it.” Jeanette nods her head in agreement. “We will practice this every day, it will be good for him.” And then she added: “Please let us know when you can come again. I would like to invite some more people so they can learn about what you are teaching.”