As a senior, I like to think that I have a handle on everything. What a beautiful thought. Unfortunately the same feelings of stress and anxiety that plagued me during “real life” seem to have followed me into retirement. I still worry and fuss and have the same impossible goals that I did before. I am still waiting for that perfect day.
Dr. Elizabeth Smoots wrote an article (The Herald on Tuesday, September 20, 2011) about a mind-body approach to health care (integrative medicine). Integrative medicine focuses on the whole person, which means mind, body and spirit. It is now common knowledge that diet, exercise, relaxation and lifestyle are all important to a sense of health and well-being.
Despite the occasional article that demonizes yoga and meditation; many older adults are embracing activities that stimulate both the mind and the body. The mind-body emphasis is being embraced as a way to help older people focus on maintaining independence and preserving quality of life.
Activities such as dance, Tai Chi and Yoga are believed to provide both physical and mental benefits. These activities stimulate the brain, the nervous system, circulation, respiration and your musculature. They all provide enjoyable ways to spend time with friends while working through senior issues. Flexibility, balance, muscle strength, coordination, muscle control and posture are all an integral part of independent living.
These are all lifetime activities. You don’t have to wait until you are old to hop on the bandwagon. People who love to dance want to dance forever. Moving the body is important, which is why senior centers offer classes in line dancing, tap, ballroom dancing, and even chair dancing. Memorizing a routine and expressing it physically is what a mind-body experience is about. If you don’t like to dance you may find yoga and tai chi more to your liking. Yoga consists of slow stretching exercises, poses, balancing, breathing techniques and mediation. Tai chi uses slow gradual exercises combined with breathing to strengthen and relax the body. Meditation teaches you to focus your mind on a single thought or mental image to promote relaxation. All embody the mind-body experience.
You are an exceptional person if you can go through your days without feeling stressed about something. We all hold on to the idea that tomorrow will be the perfect day, but what if it isn’t? Each day arrives with a new set of things to worry about. Tomorrow isn’t going to be any different. The mind-body continuum asks that you focus on today. Make today your perfect day.
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