Aging In Harmony with Nature

How do we work with negative thoughts about our aging process?

How can syncing to nature’s cycles support healthy aging?

What would it be like to live in a culture where wise elders are the leaders?

I’m grateful to have been interviewed by Cleveland Public Radio and Elise Collins, author of Super Ager: Look Younger, Have More Energy + Memory and Live a Long and Healthy Life, where we explored these exact questions through the lens of my wellness work with women. 

In-Joy the video below and share your reflections and experience in the comments section.

Or Listen on iTunes Here

A Few Juicy Topics We Touched On:

8 mins: Biological mismatch - the evolution of our nervous system still has about 6,000 years to catch up to the immense technological innovation and shift in the speed of contemporary culture from the last 200 years

13 mins: The myth of ceaseless youth and productivity is part of the damaging cultural mythology of capitalism.

19 mins: Goddess archetypes can support us to move beyond limiting feminine cultural stereotypes around aging.

20 mins: The final life stage of the Wise Woman or Crone, she who is only accountable to herself, aka 'the crowned one,’ ‘she who gives no fucks,’ is perhaps the most powerful age for women.

22 mins: Cyclical wisdom and archetypes are not human creations but direct transmissions from land.

23 mins: ‘Nature’ is a colonialist concept, it implies separation between humans and the rest of life, when, in fact, we are nature and are always in connection with nature through our animal body and the elements, whether we are conscious of it or not.

24 mins: Embodiment (being present with our felt experience of having a body) is a direct pathway to union with the organic harmony of nature’s cycles. If we’re connected to our body, we’re connected to our soul.

27 mins: Several meditation and yoga lineages and philosophies are dualistic and may actually advocate for and promote disembodiment - escaping the body to achieve a ‘higher state,’ whereas Tantra encourages realization through embodiment.

28-32 mins: Examples of simple body rituals and meditations for connecting with the earth, our bodies and the elements throughout the day.

30 mins: All transitionary moments in our day are potential portals to wellness, positive change and intentional living. Water breaks are perfect opportunities to recite an inner intention or affirmations.

32 mins: How can we let go of guilt for being busy and stressed. We all have limited time and even a few conscious breaths each day has capacity to change our lives. 

36 mins: Simple commitments, like riding a stationary bike, can be a ritual of remembering our purpose.

37 mins: We’re practicing ritual all the time, it’s just generally unconscious. What messages are you driving into your subconscious with these patterns?

39 mins: A true elder is an older person who’s in the never-ending process of harvesting the wisdom of their experience. We are all in the process of training to become true elders and ancestors. 

41 mins: The power of women's circle gatherings as one of the few remaining spaces where we can connect with true elders across generational lines.

46 mins: Becoming a true elder requires ongoing shadow work: facing fears, insecurities and even our own death

47 mins: The new world is here. We need mentorship and guidance for how to be true elders, whether we’re young or old.