Gracefully Aging

I recently read an old adage; old age needs wisdom and grace. I might change that a bit and say that aging needs to be graceful and reliant upon both wisdom and good friends.

In the classes I teach and more specifically my anti-aging class I hear many people talk about both the physical and mental aspect of aging. Some where, in our mid-fifties, we all seem to begin to feel the slowing and limiting process of aging. Any one who says that it is all in your mind has not experienced the process. It is the process and not the content that creates reality. The agility of youth disappears and the elasticity of the body gives way to drooping. The mind works harder to keep up with the fast pace of the ever changing world. But as they say” when one door closes another opens.” Welcome to the aging process!  Armed with grace and wisdom and in conjunction with good friends the process becomes an adventure where laughter, appreciation, and understanding that replaces, competitiveness, awkwardness, and that serious striving to succeed.

Grace gives us the opportunity to move freely with ease. We take time now to stop and appreciate. We keep our bodies moving but with an understanding of it’s limits and what can possibly happen if we push too hard. Gone are the days of super power. We replace them with contentment. We know if we push too hard we will injure ourselves and that with age we don’t bounce back as fast as when we were young. Our movements are less frenetic and hyper and more fluid and paced.

Wisdom arrives through experience. It teaches us that truth must be lived and thus experienced and that there are no absolute truths. In yoga truth must be considered according to one’s class, time, place, and circumstances. If one does not understand these rules he or she will not be able to function spiritually in this world. And this would defeat the purpose of yoga which to attain wisdom.

Wisdom springs forth from contentment. Contentment means that we should not feel disappointed if less than what we expect comes into our lives not should we be overly elated if more than we expect come into our lives. Contentment is about understanding and realizing the wisdom of life’s way; that which is taken from you are not taken from you but rather converted into that which you more dearly need.

The frenetic, competitive, energetic, eager, awkward, self conscious, energy of youth gives way to the grace and wisdom of aging. Connect with others who are in the process and embrace the process for it is in the process that we find life’s delights and not in the content. May you age with grace and wisdom…

Doctorlynn
www.doctorlynn.com