Growing Old Gracefully (G.O.G)

I feel so blessed to be growing old. Friends and family members that I grew up with as a little girl lost their lives early on. Also, many of my friends that I went to Junior High School and High School are no longer here. I have lost so many friends and family members that never made it to their thirties. So I'm glad to be growing old gracefully. There is a familiar quote that many people say, "age is nothing but a number." Well, I beg to differ. As I grow old, my body changes are not always suttle. My body gets stiff more often then I like. Just the other day my Achilles Tendon started getting stiff. I could feel the pull when I flexed my left foot. I can't identify exactly when this stiffness started but, it's only on my left side. I wonder why does something like this happen. Most of the time, I am physically active. When I visited Senegal for six weeks From October to December, I walked daily. Some days I would walk six miles from my home to the beach to exercise at the gym on the beach. I keep my body hydrated by following the water formula, drinking water that is equivalent to half my body weight in ounces. Instead of feeling cynical about this new development in my aging body, I have learned to embrace the change. The stiffness in my body is a small problem that I can fix. When I see people who no longer have legs because of some other health issues, I realize how fortunate and blessed I am. My body is communicating with me that I have to make some adjustments. The ache in my Achilles Tendon is a minor discomfort that I will not ignore. It's my body's way of communicating with me, and you need to make some adjustments. The adjustments my body needed was stretching. I started a regiment of Bikram Yoga. "Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques. It became popular in the early 1970s. All Bikram Yoga Beginning Series classes run for 90 minutes and consist of the same series of 26 postures, including two breathing exercises." The temperature in the room is 105 degrees. There are 60- minute classes, 75-five degree classes, and 90-degree classes. Initially, I begin with the 60-minute classes. When I'm in the class, it becomes mind over matter. The 26 postures are challenging but doable, and they stretch every part of your body. I love growing old gracefully!

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