How old are you? How old do you feel? Did you know that there can be a different between your chronological age and your biological age?
I’ve been repeatedly hit over the head with this concept as of late.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been trying to pay attention to my thoughts about getting older, but, dammit, I keep getting sucked back into the Matrix (aka Instagram)! I start scrolling and see all the ways we gradually crumble as we age, and everyone has a very adamant opinion about what to do or what not to do in order to forestall or minimize this inevitability.
All of these messages hit me over the head with the negative aspects of aging, creating an anxious fear – telling me I should do more for my health – take more supplements, squeeze more health optimization into my day, buy more life-enhancing tools (saunas/red lights/crystals/special socks/etc.), give up more tasty things. Yet I know I don’t have the time, money, nor energy to implement all these things that are MUST Dos, so then the overwhelm strikes, and my forehead puckers, and my breath hangs out in the shallows. As my body marinates in this self-induced stress state, I notice more wrinkles, more stubborn pudge, more absentmindedness, and think, “Yep – they were right! This is what happens when you get older.”
And then I’m reminded that all off the above is bullshit.
We are not the victims of our circumstances. We have the power of choice over our thoughts.
And our thoughts can even influence how we age. If we view aging as an opportunity to become more authentically US, a time to leverage our wisdom and explore new opportunities, then a new world of possibility opens up. If we are curious instead of fearful about what the next stage of life can offer to us, we can open up more space to find our way. We are not condemned.
Here are the 3 podcasts that have appeared in my life recently to remind me, “Heather – Watch what spells you are putting on yourself with your thoughts!”
Midlife is a Chrysalis, not a Crisis with Rich Roll and Chip Conley
Unspell Yourself: Words & Language to Break Free From Mental Slavery w/ Enlifted’s Mark England (Thanks for sending this to me, Lynn!)
The Mind-Body Connection, the power of mindfulness, and why age is nothing but a mindset with Rich Roll and Dr. Ellen Langer (Thanks for sending this to me, Brea!)
And you want to hear something hilarious? I already knew all the stuff they said in these podcasts. I read about this stuff all the time. I actually even wrote an article for Tune Up Fitness in 2019 about this topic: Can Negative Thoughts Make you Sick – The Science of how Thinking Affects the Body. I read, I believe, and then I forget. I am assuming this likely happens to you too, which is why I’m talking about this topic YET AGAIN! Let’s help each other reframe how we see the world, how we see what is possible for us, each other, our communities!
One brief practice that could help you really FEEL how our thoughts and language affect our bodies and how our words change our experience of the world (this comes from the Unspell Yourself podcast) is as follows:
- Take a sentence that runs through your brain ad nauseum:
- I should start drawing every day.
- Replace Should with Could.
- I could start drawing every day.
- Replace Could with Can.
- I can start drawing every day.
Did you notice how you moved from feeling “put upon” by the Should and moved into a place of empowerment with the Can?
Here’s another reframe, courtesy of Byron Katie’s The Work. This is a sentence I hear A LOT, both from my clients and repeatedly from myself, “What is wrong with me??”
- How about: What is Right with me??
- Or maybe, What is wrong with the WORLD, such that it causes me to feel there is something wrong with ME?
Interesting stuff!
And on a final note,
I WAS ON A PODCAST!
Part of my 2024 mission is to do something every day that makes me non-comfortable. When I’m comfortable all the time, life is cozy and boring and small. My business coach invited me to be on her podcast, and I felt the fear and the excitement and said Yes! Mindy is a consummate professional and made me feel so at ease. If you are interested in origin stories, thoughts on how to get a handle on your solopreneurship, and how to take baby steps toward possibility, you can give it a listen here: EP 176: Gaining traction in your bodywork business with Heather Longoria.
I wish you a most excellent week, full of questioning those default mode thoughts that are reinforcing old, outdated versions of you. What is RIGHT with you? What CAN you do? How can you choose your own adventure?
With love,
Heather
The Butts, Guts & Breath Tour
A guy goes to a psychiatrist. “Doc, I keep having these alternating recurring dreams. First I’m a teepee; then I’m a wigwam; then I’m a teepee; then I’m a wigwam. It’s driving me crazy. What’s wrong with me?”
The doctor replies: “It’s very simple. You’re two tents.”
If you’re too tense, you likely notice restrictions in your shoulders, your butt, your belly, and your breath. I’m offering a class at One Strong Woman on 2/28 at 5:30PM. We’ll be using Tune Up Fitness therapy balls, movement, and meditation to help escort you from feeling too tense to spacious and free. We only have 10 spots open, so register here to secure your spot!
Space to be Human Lab
- CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle, full-body therapy that is beneficial for improved sleep, decreased pain, and improved resilience. You can book a session here.
- Wellbeing coaching helps reconnect to your Self. We partner together to identify what where you want to go, why you want to go there, and how to get there. You can book a free consultation here. For a limited time, I am offering a 6-session coaching package for $240.
QC Health & Wellness Pros Meetup
- If you are a health & wellness practitioner, and you would like to connect with others in the healing field, you are invited to attend the QC Health & Wellness Professionals Mixer on 2/27 (we’ll have these monthly through April). You can register here.
The Sunday Letter signup
If you would like to sign up to get these letters sent to you directly, please click here.
