The Daily G.I.F.T. from The GratiDude

I feel younger than I have in 20 years. My experience, my choices, my mindset.

www.grateful4.org

Gratitude

Intention

First

Things

The G.I.F.T. Today

Grateful: to recognize even the smallest signs of abundance, finding a penny. Abundance is abundance.

Intention-lean into the moments like molasses

First-rev gen

Things-add Lucas to insurance

Morning Meditation from The GratiDude

Age is no excuse.

“You are only as young as your spine is flexible.”

Bikram Guru

By the time I reached my 50th birthday almost 6 years ago I had already gotten back into doing yoga.  

The voice inside my head that was my most important voice in the form of my higher-self must have come out of puberty and grown up because he was clearly asserting himself now and seeking to take over control of the “Meat suit” known as Kevin. 

I had these visions of my life forward like a film strip, where I could see it progress framed by frame month by month year by year and look at the path that my behavior was taking me. Working out regularly, eating, good clean food and no fast food very little processed food lots of vegetables and fruits and then washing all of that down with a few fistfuls of Tito’s vodka and probably two glasses of wine with dinner about 300 times a year.  

The healthy diet and exercise did not balance out the damage. I was doing to my mind, body soul, and the people around me through the cycle of drunkenness and “hangxiety”.

I never could’ve imagined how quickly my body could rebound and how much better I would feel so quickly by just changing one major thing about my lifestyle.

Between the combination of learning how to breed through my nose and stopping holding my breath, combined with sleeping much better than I had in decades I could feel myself aging backwards with every day.

The other major piece that started turning the clock backwards was an increased emphasis on learning and growth.  With meditation, you’re introduced to the vastness of your thoughts and mind, and you realize that the little bit that you’re starting to know and learn both about yourself in the universe simply reveals how little you know.  The growth and the eagerness for more growth continues to feed more growth and learning.

A positive mindset can be a powerful tool for healthy aging, and a growth mindset can help with cognitive decline: 

Resilience

A positive mindset can help people embrace the changes that come with aging and view them as opportunities for growth. 

Cognitive function

A growth mindset can help older adults buffer against cognitive decline. 

Learning

A growth mindset can be especially effective in real-world learning environments that provide supportive resources. 

Health

A positive mindset can lead to better cognitive function, improved sleep, increased physical activity, and reduced depression and loneliness. 

Longevity

Studies have shown that people with negative attitudes toward aging tend to die earlier. 

Some tips for managing stress include:

• Practice gratitude morning and evening

• Adopting a pet

• Spending time around animals

• Getting enough rest

• Going outdoors

• Meditating or praying

• Practicing deep breathing

• Staying physically active

• Trying tai chi or yoga

For folks 50 years and older, I love starting in with Yoga or Tai Chi, as it is low impact with NO injuries to speak of.

Yoga and tai chi are both low-impact, gentle exercises that can help with anti-aging by improving physical and mental health: 

Benefits

Tai chi

Improves balance, strength, and hand-eye coordination. It can also reduce the risk of high blood pressure, improve sleep quality, and reduce depression and anxiety. Tai chi’s focus on coordination and memory can help with cognitive health.

Yoga

Helps build muscle mass and endurance, increase flexibility, and boost mood and mental health.