Aging Gracefully

Last week I had the unique honor of attending the 100th birthday celebration of a friend and long-time client. I met him when he was a spry 89 years old and have seen him through his chapter as a nonagenarian and now into the next decade. He is my first client to reach the 100 mark, but I have had a few in their 80's and 90's. What they have taught me is much more than what I have taught them, as I have looked for those common traits among those who are active and doing well into the later chapters of their lives.

What they seem to have in common are: strong family networks; physical activity; an ability to laugh easily; a spiritual connection; and purpose. 

The researcher, explorer and author, Dan Buettner, who wrote the book "The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons For Living Longer From The People Who've Lived The Longest" and the more newly released "The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like The World's Healthiest People" identified common factors from long, well-lived people around the world. One of those factors that stands out about longevity is the ability to live well, rather than just living for many years. It's about the quality of the journey, not necessarily the quantity of years amassed.

We are learning that setting up our environment, both internal and external, plays a vital role into how well we live. Inflammation is a key buzzword in the wellness world. Essentially it implies that if we can reduce and minimize how inflamed we are, we have better health outcomes. Inflammation shows itself on many levels: physical, emotional and social. We know that any word with "itis" is a reflection of inflammation in the body-tendinitis, bursitis, colitis and appendicitis are all hot-spots of irritation on the physical level.

How many times in a day do your emotions flare up? Anger, disappointment, frustration, depression and agitation are symptoms of emotional fires. If we add fuel to them they get larger and become more powerful. What sets you off in your day and how do you handle it when you're "on fire"?

We can keep extending this reach of inflammation into our social realms simply by looking at conflict, disagreement and violence around the world. We know that these situations are not a reflection of inner peace, balance or harmony.

So part of living well and aging gracefully includes being in an environment that supports inner and outer peace. Some of this is a matter of good fortune and into what environment we are born. The other part, however, can be created through our own actions, thoughts and words. The ever-evolving body of research, that at times is enormously overwhelming, also points us in the direction of more specific choices that we can make that will set us up in a more positive way.

How we nourish our entire being will set the stage for ushering us into our advancing years with more grace and overall balance. This includes the food we choose to eat, the company we keep, daily self-care rituals, a sense of purpose (why am I here?) and a sense of connection to an energy or consciousness bigger than ourselves.

The author, Isabel Allende in her TED talk reminds us that part of aging gracefully means saying "YES to life" in whatever comes whether it be joy, grief or sadness. At age 71, she wants to continue to "stay passionate, engaged with an open heart". My thought for the week is to listen to the words of our elders, embrace the wisdom they have gathered along their journey, to accept who we are in the present moment so that the process of aging touches us from a place of grace.