Some other diseases Bos taurus experience are East Coast Fever (ECF) which is an acute, tick-borne disease causing high rates of morbidity and mortality in cattle, and Anaplasmosis which is a vector-borne, infectious blood disease.
To put it in perspective for a friend, see how high you can count during that time. Believe it or not, there actually have been people who have held their breath for even longer than 11 minutes, though. The Guinness Book of World Records has a special category for holding your breath underwater.
Since you are interested in developing flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance, you need to hold the poses for longer. On a general basis, you need to hold the yoga poses for about 10-12 breaths. With practice, you can also go up to 30 breaths. It will help you hold the pose for around 3 minutes. It is best to count the time in breaths (one breath cycle is one deep inhalation followed by complete exhalation).