What the Oldest Can Teach Us (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     Have you ever imagined yourself at 100 years old?  What would that be like for you: healthy, sick, wise, dumb, bed-ridden, active?  In Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra reveals that researchers have found that most centenarians are adaptable.  "At some point in their lives, all have suffered losses and setbacks..." but they all adapted to their new situation and moved on.  They were able to grieve and come to peace with whatever devastation that came their way.
     Many of us still hold onto our grief of a lost loved one, a failed marriage or even a job layoff.  We are holding onto this pain and living this past part of ourselves over and over.  The research does not show a significant factor of the centenarians longevity linked to what they ate, where they lived, or how happy their life was.  The study showed that these centenarians were resilient and able to deal with their pain, move on, and live in the present moment.  What pain are you holding onto that can be released?

Dealing with Your Anger (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

      Dealing with our anger can be tough.  It's easier to get angry than to realize why we are angry and deal with our deeper  feelings.  In Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra gives us the following exercise to feel our feelings in the present moment instead of expressing anger as a cover-up.

1.  Realize that hurt is the most basic negative feeling.  You cannot be in the present without willingness to feel hurt.
2.  Be with your sensations.  Resist the impulse either to deny what you feel or to turn it into anger.
3.  Say what you feel to the person who caused the hurt.
4.  Resolve your emotion and move on.

     Chopra explains, "In and of of itself, pain has no worth except as a signal that will pull you out of pain."  Use your pain as a signal to dig deeper into what's really going on; how you really feel instead of covering with your anger.  Then, say, "I feel..." and understand where the pain is coming from (past experiences etc).  Acknowledge this pain and move on.  The more you resolve your pain, the more you can live in the present moment.  Pain comes from past experiences so living in the present is living without pain.

What if you were perfect as you are? (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     We all have many layers and it is just under these layers that is the magnificent you.  Deepak Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, has an exercise to peel through your layers.  I did it myself and discovered something marvelous! 
     Write down the following statement, "I am perfect as I am.  Everything in my life is working toward my ultimate good.  I am loved and I am love."  Then, close your eyes.  What word pops up into your head first?  Repeat.  Watch as the layers unfold.  Here's what mine looked like:

1. Bullsh*t

2. Really?

3. Nice!

4. Thank God!

What do your layers look like?  This exercise only took me about 3 minutes to do but worth so much more.

Looking at Reality (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     Let's look at reality.  I got upset yesterday that my boyfriend didn't text me back all day.  I took it as a sign that he doesn't care about me.  Is that true?  No, its not.  After discussing it with him he happened to have a very busy and stressful day.  This is something that I can understand.  Chopra insists that we need to look at the reality of things before jumping into our past and coming up with a skewed reality.  In the past, I had a boyfriend who wouldn't respond to my texts unless it was convenient for him.  It turned out he actually didn't care about me (long story).  I am taking this past reality and skewing my present reality.  Logically, I know that by Nate not texting me back does not mean he doesn't love me because he has proven to me in so many other ways that he does.  Is this belief still valid?  No.  Chopra says, "When you begin to to get into the habit of consciously and carefully examining your old interpretations in this way, you create a space for spontaneous moments of freedom."  In this flash of reality your anger and stress dissipate because your old story no longer has any validity. What past stories are your replaying as your current reality?  What is your reality now?

Focus on the Process (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

    Do you tend to focus on the outcome instead of the process?  Instead, Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, advises us to focus on the process.  He says that, "Stress always arises if you concentrate on how something has to turn out."  This can be stressful!  In my weekly meeting I find myself stressed, hoping for a successful meeting.  A success is if I don't make any mistakes.  Instead of looking for a mistake to determine the success of the meeting which can be very stressful, focus on the process; to brainstorm ideas as a group, collaboratively and productively.  Now, that's a load off of my shoulders.  How does this all relate to aging?  Stress is a direct link to aging.  Chopra writes about the many studies in his book if you want to learn more.  Next time, when you are feeling stressed, ask yourself if you are focusing on the outcome instead of the process?

I feel stressed! (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

    I feel stressed!  Have these words ever made their way through your lips?  I'm sure they have and they most likely will again.  Studies have shown that there is a direct link with stress and aging, explains Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind.  Studies on mice who were mildly shocked repeatedly did not need a lethal dose to end it's life but just the repetitive, stressful shock, eventually broke their body's down.  Chopra states, "Similarly, humans can withstand extraordinary stresses from the environment, but if we are pushed too far, our stress response turns on our own bodies and begins to create breakdowns both mentally and physically."  Our bodies recover from stress but when stressful situations are repeated without time to recover, this is when symptoms of aging appear, such as ulcers and diabetes.
     We have control over our stress.  The amount of stress we feel is determined by how triggered we are by an event.  A crying baby may have no trigger on you while it may to someone else.  Chopra explains that the interpretation of any situation is projected from memory; colored by the past.  These past experiences can be brought to light and released.  Therefore, releasing the links to stress.  What past memories are you linkingthat are causing you stress? 

Biofeedback-Proven with 4 decades of Research (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

    "However, three decades of research with biofeedback, meditation, hypnosis, and other mind-body techniques have shown that the mind is capable of taking control of involuntary function." explains Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind.  Blood pressure, one of the leading health risks, is controlled by the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system, which doctors believed was beyond conscious control.  This research of the listed techniques (biofeedback, meditation, hypnosis) has proven that there is a mind-body connection within our control, even blood pressure. 
     I've never come across someone that doesn't have some kind of disorder that they feel they have no control over.  We all have something from insomnia to eczema.  Personally, I have allergies which causes my skin to itch.  I've seen doctors my whole life for eczema and allergies to try to solve the problem.  I began biofeedback with my boyfriend's mom and have been mostly itch and allergy free for over a year.  It's a miracle!  Or is it?  I think it's that I'm finally connecting my mind and my body.  Through biofeedback, I am able to connect to my body and help this part of me that I was not connecting to.  Biofeedback is a great way to connect to your body for a variety of ailments.  Give it a try!

The Meaning of Old (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     What does the word 'old' mean to you?  Here are a few statements from Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, that Chopra points out, "If young is good, old must be bad", "If young is creative and dynamic, old must be dull and staid.", "If young is beautiful, old must be unattractive."  These are typical statements seen and heard daily in our society.  Most magazines and television shows only show people under 30, when this understates the fact that our country has more people over 65 than teenagers.  Young and old are polarized in our society, explains Chopra.  It is this very thinking that is damaging to ourselves. 
     What do you think 'old' means?  It is what it means to you.  To me, 'old' is wisdom and success.  As time progresses, so do our experiences.  And hopefully, we will learn and grow from each experience, creating wisdom within ourselves.  When I see older people, I see success, as they have been through so much and have risen above so much of life that I haven't.  I think that Chopra is saying that we have power over how we age.  The power is within our own cell structure which is directly related to our thinking and beliefs.  Thankfully, we can change our beliefs to whatever we want them to be.  Dare I say, old is the new young?

7 Steps to a balanced lifestyle (and a longer, healthy life)! (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

    Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind reports a study done at UCLA over 5 1/2 years that indicates 7 simple lifestyle habits to a healthy and long-lasting life.  How many are you doing?

1.  Sleeping 7 or 8 hours a night (Yes-in bed by 10:30)
2.  Eating breakfast almost every day (Yes-Love my egg and toast)
3.  Not eating between meals (Oops-I snack on unsalted, organic mixed nuts, otherwise No!)
4.  Normal weight-not more than 5% underweigt and no more than 10-20% overweight (Not sure about the %)
5.  Regular physical activity (Yes-Love the Jillian Michaels program)
6.  Moderate drinking-no more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day (Oops-If it's the weekend then, no...the week, yes)
7.  Never smoke cigarettes (No-But I quit 6 years ago)

    If you are only doing 3 of these healthy lifestyle habits, don't fret, because the study showed that doing just 3 of these increased the average life by 21.6 years (in the study).  That's encouraging!  It also showed that genetics had less to do with aging (both sets of parents alive to age 80 only increases one's life expectancy by about 3 years).  I love the fact that this study shows us, we have a choice on how we choose to live our lives.

Defeating Entropy (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     Entropy is the universal tendency for order to break down into disorder.  It has been around since the beginning of creation with heat, light and all other forms of energy which have been dissipating over time explains Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind.  Entropy is on a one-way path, with no option of reversal.  It is similar to how an aged body cannot automatically turn young again, says Chopra.  In order to defeat aging, we need to learn how to defeat entropy.
    One way to defeat entropy is through exercise.  It's common knowledge that exercise is for more than looking good physically.  Exercise has been well documented as vital to a healthy life, overall.  "No group is at higher risk for depression, disease, and early death than people who are completely sedentary..." states Chopra.   In a tufts study it was found that a group between 60 and 75 years old who lifted weights 3 times a week for three months, lowered their biomarkers, blood pressure, blood-sugar tolerance, and metabolic decline was reversed. 
  Through exercise we can love ourselves by giving ourselves a great chance at a long life with good health.  The good news is that when we are healthy it gives us more time to spend with our loved ones.  It gives us the opportunity to experience fun activities.  Mostly, it allows us to experience life the way we were meant to.

Imagination and Aging (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

    Our mind is a powerful thing.  We are gifted with the ability to remember, imagine, and envision anything we want.  Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind asks us to remember ourselves at different times in our lives:

Imagine yourself when you were 6 years old.  Any change in how you are sitting or your facial expression?  Imagine yourself at 21 years old.  How about at 60 years old?  I noticed my body was more loose at the age of 6 and my face curious.  At 21, I felt a surge of energy and a very smiley face.  At 60 years old, I felt my body sit up and have a wise face.  This was a very cool exercise.  This is the mind-body connection that Chopra is talking about.  We have the power to feel younger or older.  Our body will respond to our mind's thinking.  Give it a try!

Direct your healing energy (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, says that by localizing your awareness on a source of pain, that you can cause healing to begin.  He continues to say that the body naturally sends healing energy wherever your attention is drawn.  "...your awareness is used as a healing power:  It restores balance wherever it is allowed to flow freely."
     My sister was telling me that she was having shoulder pain one afternoon.  She put her hand on the area and spoke to it, "I acknowledge you are in pain."  The pain dissipated and she went on with her day.  Another account is when my skin is itchy, due to allergies.  I will acknowledge the pain and the itch goes away.  The body is signaling your brain that something needs attention.  This is our way of surviving.  By acknowledging the area you are giving the attention that it's asking for.  Give it a try!

Be Vulnerable and Open to Love (From my heart, Charissa Duskis)

     In our mind we can be as old or young as we desire.  Have you noticed the way a child is open to learning new things?  How a child is open to receiving teaching, love, and acceptance in any form that it comes?  Even the Bible says to be like a child to enter into the kingdom.  As we grow older, we change our thinking to the type of thoughts and behaviors we believe we should have.  We close ourselves off to being vulnerable and open ourselves up to controlling ourselves.  When we are open like a child, we are open to all the wonders of the world.  It is this state that we grow the most.
     What did you do as a child that was so much fun?  In what way were you open to love?  I would frequently hug my dad and mom's leg and let them know I love them, unafraid of rejection.  I would listen to what they had to say with curiosity and a trust that they had my best intentions.  I was open to receiving what they had to offer me and I felt loved.  I was loved.  Let's open ourselves up, to be vulnerable, to what is there for us to receive.

Dehydration: A Major Cause of Aging? (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

    How much water do you drink per day?  This is the question most doctors do not ask when you are feeling sick or lethargic, but maybe they should be.  In Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra discusses the affects of dehydration; aging.  He says, "When the body fluids fall below a certain level, the physiology begins to enter a toxic state; vital electrolyte balance is thrown off, and eventually so is the balance of brain chemistry.  A host of difficulties can result..."  Included in this list is kidney failure, heart attack, blackouts, dizziness, and lethargy.
    I suppose the moral of the story is to drink enough water for your body type.  It might be the exact thing you need for an ailment that's been bothering you.

Awareness and aging (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

    Do you believe that most of your internal programming is unconscious?  The truth is that it is, but you have the power to influence yourself through awareness.  Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, says that "It is in the absence of being aware, when we don't see anything happening, that physiological processes slip out of our control."   When we don't exercise, over the years, we will lose muscle mass and eventually control over some body parts.  This doesn't have to happen!  Lastly, Chopra points out the well-known principle in physiology, "...that any part of the body that falls into disuse will begin to atrophy and wither away." 
    Personally, I feel great after I hit the gym or meditate.  Feeling the connection with my body is an enlightening worth-while activity.  When I am closest to myself in body and mind is when I am most at peace.  I can hear myself and my needs which is usually muddled with all of the daily things I must get done.  It's nice to focus on just yourself.  It's calming.  

Life Satisfaction (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     What would a satisfying life be to you?  Would it include close family, good friends, and a sense of purpose?  In Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra lists five factors that contribute to life satisfaction as researched by Bernice Neu-garten at the University of Chicago.

1.  Takes pleasure from daily activities
2.  Regards his life as meaningful
3.  Feels he has achieved his major goals
4.  Holds a positive self-image and regards himself as worthwhile
5.  Is optimistic

    Chopra says that, "Growing old happens in the mind...If you don't want to grow old, you can choose not to."