Fountain of Youth

There are days during my whirlwind life of being a WAHM (“Work at home Mom”) that I feel old.

Feeling old – what does that mean? What does it really mean to “feel old”?

Since having my child, I’ve had time while nursing him to notice the changes in my skin – the physical discomforts that have been occurring in my body. The time it’s taking for me to breathe in to my asanas tells me that my body is not ready to get back to its alignment.

It’s a frustrating and uncomfortable feeling, which has been compounded by the disquieting chatter in my mind that “maybe I’m just getting old”.

Well, life has a way of reminding us that it’s all a matter of perspective. Recently, while going through this stressful time, I was invited to a special birthday luncheon with a couple of friends I’ve known for years.

The luncheon was for a friend’s mother, Marie, a very interesting individual who had taught yoga for years. I’d never realized until then that my friend’s mother was the same Marie I had known and meditated with almost six years ago.

This luncheon was an awakening! We celebrated Marie’s 89th birthday and she looked awesome! Her yoga student and friend of 30 years joined us – and she was 97! These two ladies continue to do yoga daily and are full of energy and joy. I was so honored to be given the privilege of getting to know them, and both have since become such an inspiration to me.

Marie and her friend practice a Tibetan form of yoga called the “Five Rites”, which I intend to look into. They call it the “Fountain of Youth” – and just looking at these two ladies and their exuberance for life shows me that they are the living proof.

So, the next time I start feeling old, I’m going to think about these two incredible, “young in spirit” ladies and remind myself that feeling old is just a state of mind!

[tags]yoga and longevity, getting older, staying young, vitality, spirit of youth, fountain of youth, five rites, Tibetan yoga [/tags]