Loving Your Aging Body

Do you ever find yourself feeling stuck or uninspired?

I felt a little uninspired this past week, then towards the end of the week I attended a meditation group with Nashville POC Sangha. We meditated on one of The Five Remembrances in Buddhism:

"I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old."

At first glance, this may seem morbid, but I felt super inspired after meditating on this, that is why I wanted to share my experience.

There is a lot to unpack here, more than what can be captured in a blog post. I believe this remembrance will require some re-visiting; I will try to do this justice for this first go-around.

At face value, you could have many reactions or responses to this statement. For one, you could think duh, and for another, noooooo.

This is the truth of our youth obsessed society. Everything around us has told us to stay young, and whatever you do, don’t age!!

Think about how ridiculous that statement is!! We literally cannot slow our aging. Time always moves forward!!

I’m not that old (why does old have to be bad anyways?). I have 33 years in this lifetime. When I sat and meditated on the mantra, I felt a feeling of liberation, that whatever stressor on my mind, to produce, to create, to figure out a problem, or to finish a task, went right out the window.

Because I realized during that meditation that things are always changing. And whatever you put your energy to, will move. Because you thought about it and you tried it on and perhaps you took aligned action (or non-action!). You had your finger on your spiritual pulse (a term I am coining lol) which means you tuned into your Higher Self to create a life of alignment and fulfillment in divine timing.

I have all these ideas for my future as it relates to my purpose in life. For the blog, for meditation, for teaching, for so many different things!

I have no idea what I’m doing half the time, yet I’m always aging. Just the thought alone can give you permission to move at the speed of nature. Nature doesn't rush; its timing is impeccable. And in true Wu Wei fashion, I allow it to unfold.

We may want to hold onto who we were, or who we want to be. And that can create friction and resistance against what is now.

And yet, my body is always changing. There are things I used to be able to do that I can't do now. I definitely see the physical changes in my body. What is also difficult is watching others around you age, such as parents or close loved ones. That is valid. We may also see if we can shift our focus to the present moment. All possibilities lie in the present moment.  Our perception of time can either constrain us or liberate us. We can be scared of the perceived scarcity or grateful for the perceived abundance.  And we are allowed to feel what we need to feel in order to then see how we feel after that.

Remember, it’s a privilege to get older. Some people don’t get to.

Whatever you don’t have figured out now, rest assured, the answers will come and find you in divine timing.  

Loving your aging body and accepting the unfolding of your future - two seemingly unrelated ideas that are exquisitely connected.

I invite you to “try on” this meditation for size! Consider adjusting the verbiage if that suits you better. See where it takes your mind and your body.

Some suggestions include:

• I am in acceptance of my aging body
• My body is a vessel for all types of experiences
• I celebrate the changes that my body feels
• I slow down to appreciate my body in its current state
• I see my body changing, and I allow it to do so

I would love hear what came up for you! Feel free to hit 'reply' on your email!

Quote: “In the end, everything will be ok. If it’s not ok, it’s not yet the end.” - translated quote by Fernando Sabino