Hmmm, “Aging Well,” hey?
Well, I can certainly say that I’ve been aging well.
And the secret for me is, well Well WELL it’s no secret,
It’s daily practice, joyful discipline ~ even more to the point, daily practice…
For me, the secret of “Aging Well” is having a daily body-centered practice that includes:1) Stretching muscles throughout the body in a ritualized, consistent way. When I stretch, I stretch one muscle after another, 3 times each — stretching further each exhale in a sequential manner. This frees energy once bound, now bound to release. The release of stored energy through stretching the muscles in this ways constantly liberates renewed vitality throughout every cell of my self, and I FEEL GREAT!I personally like to stretch in the sauna, where I do my own version of Bikram yoga, with all the heat the relaxes the muscles for easier stretching and all the aloneness that keeps me focused within, focusing on my patterns of breathing and moving and re-directing my thoughts and self-talk… Focusing my attention on my inner intentions in this way, this practice allows me to continually “clear the slate” of my bodymind of any debris I may be carying. And in “making it a practice” to return to innocence on a regular basis, my “inner-sense” and capacity to follow through on my intuition, my deepest knowing, keeps flowing and growing. and glowing.I’ve created a whole series of movement practices over the years, which I not only practice for myself — I also teach to others as a professional health practitioner. These regular rituals enrichen my day. See “easy stretching exercises” attachment for specific diagrams and descriptions of my favorite exercises I’ve created and do every day.
2) Oh yes, that’s another point: taking time to take time every day for oneself– which can include any combination of these points I’m listing here.. And if I can’t fit in a good stretching or cardiovascular or sweating session at the beginning of a day, I’ll be sure to make an appointment with myself to fit in my practices at varying times throughout the day — and night. I always feel better after I exercise, and the joy-filled stillness from within gives me access to lucid thinking, writing — and tapping the Muse deep inside. I make better decisions and complete tasks far more easily, efficiently, and in a streamlined manner, when I make it a point to enter my practice at some stage during the day. It opens the way for me to be in my most resourceful state, to be in the zone that top athletes and performers need to be in to reach energy levels and maintain vitality on a consistent basis.
3) cardiovascular exercise, which both increases the heart rate for periods up to 20 minutes at a time, and also increases circulation of the vital fluids in the body, including sweat. Ever since I was 20 years old, my prior years as a champion springboard diver, track star and gymnast have led me to particularly enjoy free form dancing often 3-4 times a week. Even though I am 61 years old, this devotion to motion has definitely kept me young all these years. Above all, I personally enjoy going to “5 Rhythms Movement Meditation” dance classes in whatever city I can find a class or workshop in. Founded by the late Gabriel Roth in 1995, this practice for me helped me further connect my body and my mind through mindful expression of the rhythms of “flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness,” and the corresponding relationship between my feet, my pelvis, my head, my arms and my breath. To find out where a 5 Rhythms class is in your area, visit “www.gabrielleroth.com”
4) following the Ayurdevic understanding of the 5 elements of “earth, water, fire, air and ether,” another element of “Sageful Aging” for me is making it a practice to honor the “5 fold elimination system” of “bowels, urine, sweat, breath and emotions. I make it a daily practice to continue to clear my body and mind together in this way. For those who are metaphysically inclined, these 5 elements also correspond to the first 5 chakras in the body — which represent the polarities of:
- fear & faith, shakiness and trusting the foundation that one stand’s on
- attachment to sense pleasures, what passes & attachment to what lasts, what is sustainable – universal principles
- anger & power, resentment & appreciation
- pride & humility, protected heart & open heart,
- grief & longing
So when I am keeping my elimination system open and recognizing the connection between te part of the the body and associated mental states, this gives me plenty of material to release, receive and renew.
I also foods and drink liquids that keep my elimination system open, and find a way to practice clearing my emotions everyday. So I am clearer in my thinking, my speaking and my actions. What I think, say and do all match up. As a result, the way I utilize my energy becomes streamlined, efficient ~ with a corresponding sense of ease…
5) THE-BOTTOM-LINE:
P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E
P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E
(It’s UP to you’s and me’s)
Gary can be contacted at garywohlman@gmail.com
or at www.garywohlman.com