Women In Their 50s & 60s Who Age Like Pure Goddesses Tend To Prioritize These 6 Things
Cottonbro | Pexels At 48, I’m not even middle-aged. No, I’m not in denial, because the women in my family live to be as old as the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine in the Southwest United States.
That tree is 5,063 years old, and that’s how old my grandmother was when she passed, give or take 4,964 years. My grandma was in mint condition when she left us. In fact, her Spirit Fire was so intense that I still feel her with me today. So, when I think about all the things I need to do to age as beautifully and goddess-like as my grandmother did (she took up waterskiing on one ski at the age of 59. S
he drove capably till the age of 96), one of them is to commune with all powers greater than myself (and no, I don't eat hemp and wear Birkenstocks while perusing the "Former Lives" aisle at the Bodhi Tree bookstore. I'm more of a leopard-print lingerie type of gal).
Women in their 50s and 60s who age like goddesses tend to prioritize these 6 things:
1. Nature
One of my higher powers is nature, which I worship by attempting to paddle board off of Catalina Island, and enjoying the brisk, fresh, cold, salty water every time I fall in (Fortunately, I wasn’t eaten by a massive oar fish).
For women going into their golden years, spending time in nature changes something in the nervous system that makes itself known: Trauma-informed therapist Angela Luna explained, "Spending time in nature is one of the greatest ways you can ease stress and anxiety. Mindful presence helps you to slow down and relax the nervous system, calming anxiety and stress. You can use mindful presence in nature to get a double-whammy of goodness."
2. Breath
Fellipe Ditadi / Unsplash+
Another higher power is the breath in my own body when I’m holding the plank pose in Pilates, feeling the strength of my core and its connection to my breath. Breath is the one tool I always carry with me, and learning how to use it effectively has made all the difference.
"One of the best anxiety tips is simply this: Use your belly for breathing. Deep belly breathing pushes out your waistband and signals your body's alert system that you are safe, allowing you to let go of your state of alarm. Taking control of your breath is a powerful way to rebalance your emotional equilibrium," psychologist Dr. Alicia H. Clark explained.
3. Presence
Being present in the moment when I braid my daughter’s hair, strong, rough, and thick as ropes in my hands, is another higher power. The moments worth holding onto are the ones we don't think twice about. Learning to slow down and appreciate the world around you is its own kind of peace.
Psychologist Dr. Patricia O'Gorman explained that mindfulness is found in the mundane: "Enjoying the bubbles that soap makes as you wash your hands, getting lost momentarily in the smell of the air after the rain as you walk your dog, and savoring the tangy taste of the lemon you just put in your salad dressing. Being aware that you can look up in your life and see the magnificence of the sun, feel held by the sky, and get lost for a moment in the cloud formations is being in the present moment, a mindful practice."
4. Taste
Another higher power is taste: The delicious tang of a perfectly aged Pinot Noir, I drink as I prepare Dijon-rosemary rack of lamb.
5. Pleasure
Daniel J. Schwarz / Unsplash+
The pleasure I feel when my husband rubs my back or kisses my lips is another higher power.
6. Humility
The humility I feel when I face a disappointment or a rejection and have to be patient with myself as it passes through me like a storm heading for the coast is the final higher power. Aging well is all about our spirit and how it informs our attitudes, our health, our relationships, and our minds.
"If you mess up, give yourself the same understanding you would give your best friend or a colleague in the same position. The act of bouncing back each time there is a failure or disappointment will make you stronger, and when you activate your resilience like you would a muscle, you become more flexible," life and career coach María Tomás-Keegan recommended.
In midlife, I’m far from perfect, frequently fumbling the ball in the end zone, but each day I get up and try again. That, in and of itself, will inform the way I handle getting older. (Which, if you look at my 99-year-old grandmother’s trajectory, I've still got a lot of good years ahead of me.)
Shannon Bradley-Colleary is a writer of films, books, and several teenage/young adult journals. She is the author of To The Stars: A Novel.
