Aging Gracefully~ Excellent concept!

The suggestions in this gallery are intended to help you become more aware of your spiritual self. Any activity that makes you feel more alive, more connected to others and to nature, less isolated, more comfortable with change, is beneficial. It will enhance your physical and mental health. It will help you accept the fact of your aging. It will help you to age gracefully.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BREATH
Many cultures identify breath with spirit, seeing the breath cycle as the movement of spirit in the physical body. Simply minding the breath is a way of expanding consciousness beyond the ego, of experiencing transcendence.

CONNECT WITH NATURE
You can do this by walking or sitting in a natural setting; a city park will do just fine. Allow yourself to slow down, drop your usual routines, and just absorb the influence of the place.

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES
Make a list of people in your life in whose company you feel more alive, happy, and optimistic. Make an effort to spend more time with them. Our spiritual selves resonate with others, and that connection is healing.

REMEMBER THE LITTLE THINGS
Bring flowers into your home and enjoy their beauty

SOOTHE YOUR SOUL WITH SOUND
Listen to music that you find inspirational and uplifting.

SEEK OUT BEAUTY
Admire a work of art that raises your spirits: a painting, sculpture, or work of architecture.

MAKE AMENDS
Reach out and try to resume connection with someone from whom you are estranged; practice forgiveness.

DO SERVICE WORK
Give some of your time and energy to help others. The possibilities are endless but do not include just writing a check to charity.


GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY is a statement that made a noise like church bells in my ears one day when I was about 29, on the edge of 30, and when I was realizing that the number was only getting bigger and aging was following close behind. I also recognized that looking youthful was only gonna hang around for so long before my physical skin started hangin' around (getting older basically is what I am saying here). Growing older isn't the "oh so bad" thing, for me, it was the physical way of aging that I wanted to slow down.

I figured out that I needed to change my attitude, my perception, and my heart in order to be successful at this "Growing old gracefully" thing.
**I needed to look at my eating habits and decide what was serving my body and what was breaking it down.
**I needed to look at my physical body and notice the subtle changes and redesign my workouts.
**I realized I was needing to shift from a "ME", "SELF", "TAKE" approach to a "YOU", "OTHERS", and "GIVE" type of living.
**I saw how FORGIVENESS was also a major step in this growing older gracefully process. Holding onto grudges, resentment and anger rapidly speeds up the aging race. Letting go of past disappointments is about the most refreshing experience you will have in this life time. Try it.

I am sure there are many other steps to list, but for me these were the first most important ones to take. Consider what your steps would be and challenge yourself to accomplish one by one until you feel as though you are looking out of a new set of eyes.
Many many blessings to all and live long so that you may teach some truth in life to those coming up behind us. We are all TEACHERS, certified or not!!!!
Love Sunny