WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
Tag: Aging
Day 6: Elder Muse -The Elder’s Journey
” There are no elder rites of passage in our mainstream culture. In fact we must create one for ourselves. Our own unique rites of passage – not a one size fits all.
Opening into a conscious approach to growing older we may still ask the question of ourselves “how do I want to live my life?”. Not “doing what you love” as a profession or job, but instead the question to live in is what opens our heart, inspires our creativity, and brings us peace of mind.”
Day 5/Elder Muse: Pillars of Creation
“We often think of space and the Universe as “out there” as if it’s there and we are here, as if Earth is separate from the rest of the Universe – but we are technically “in space” right now. The Earth and our solar system is estimated to be 4.6 billion years old. The Universe is everything. Everything includes….”
The Door Is Wide Open – But Don’t Let The Old Man In
“Facing the fact of our own mortality is something we fall into intimacy with as we enter the elder years of our embodied life.
What is dignified aging? ….”
Letting Go of the End of the Rope
“We were standing in a circle all blindfolded. This was the beginning exercise of the ropes course that some of my “sole proprietor” business women friends and I had signed up for when I lived in Sonoma County, in Northern California.
If you have never done a ropes course it is quite an adventure and a test of courage, balance, trust, discovery, team support…..and willingness to let go and try something that you may never have done before (and may not ever do again!).
Granted this was decades ago I did this, but my body still remembers the experience. More about the standing in the circle blind folded in a moment…..”
Aging Priorities
“No matter what your gender is these words by Judi Dench remind me what is important as I age….and what is definitely not. What a remarkable face she has, as does the man below.
I would imagine that the stories these elders will tell you and the wisdom they share is worth the price of admission. Admission to elderhood and the remarkable and at times challenging journey of aging.
I decided in an instant today to really look at my aging face in the mirror….. like a lover would gaze at their beloved. …..”
Grounding Anchors In A Crazy World
“I find it is not easy these days to find a space of well being, calm and peace inside amidst all that is going on in our human created world. Even to find solitude that is not cluttered with stimulus. We each have unique ways and practices to center, increase resilience and stay grounded amidst intense change and uncertain times. Most can be simple, sustainable…… and elemental. Just a moment ago I was standing on the earth barefoot and closed my eyes…..”
Breathing Connection
“When we consider that the cosmos is doing our breathing for us it reflects an unlimited potential for freedom. The deep interconnection with everything around and beyond us feeds and nourishes our individual and interconnected lives at a level so vast that it is rather mind boggling to me. Imagine that when you are asleep (and awake!) there is…..”
Attention Is The Beginning of Devotion
“If asked what my first thoughts are as I awake each morning this is what I say. Gratitude for waking up and feeling the breath fill my body, and in the Spring how much I love the sweet sound of birdsong outside my bedroom window. After preparing green jasmine tea my writing notebook finds its place on my lap with fountain pen poised as I gaze out at the River Birch outside my bedroom window. The question posed each and every morning is “where will I place my attention today?”….
Improv Humor
“How does one tap into improvisational humor?
I would say that life is full of opportunities every single day in the cracks and crevices of interaction. Even if you are alone. Simply trusting what is arising within the moment and not holding back is a key. However, one underlying characteristic you must possess is that you don’t mind at all being silly, “out of step”, different from the mainstream around you, and most probably looked at by others in the vicinity. …”
Just Be It
“They were walking slowly with poles in hand, the husband watching that his wife negotiated the hill before her. Seeing their slow and somewhat shaky pace on a very narrow trail I cut across the grassy slope, which was much steeper, so that I could be ahead of them and went on my way leaving them behind.
A bit later they were heading towards me on the trail and I was able to see more clearly the shirt that the woman wore which said in big bold letters “JUST DO IT!”…..