On becoming younger

                                               
                            
                                 (this woman has an amazing story)

Can we reverse ageing?

At any adult age. I recently read an amazing story of a woman who was so sick with rheumatoid arthritis in her late twenties, that she was believed to never be able to walk nor stand again, let alone survive. She was in a fetal position all of the time, racked with pain, painfully thin. Using her thoughts and feelings, she imagined that she was dancing ballet, which she had done in previous years. Eventually, she was able to stand up. Then walk. It was a process which took years with relapses, but she persevered. Now, at fifty-five, she has a wonderful life and her body is that of a twenty-seven year old.

Wow. Oh, and she looks great too. Not the most important thing in life, but definitely nice. What for me is so amazing and heartwarming, is that she went from heading to a quick painful end of her life, to happiness and good health. 

How does someone do this? Can we? I do believe that it is never too late, that generally our situation is never too irretrievable. Exceptions are there, of course, and sometimes destiny decrees that we are not to get better. I really dislike it when someone has a terminal illness and others can expect the unwell person to 'think themselves well'. That to me, is quite horrible to put that onto another. Especially as we never really completely know someone else's situation.

I never thought that we had to be old

In my early twenties, I found an old book where a woman had rejuvenated herself and vastly improved herself on all levels. She didn't do much. But she did do a few things, consistently. From reading that book, I, in my youthful innocence, then believed that I didn't really have to grow old, as in the accepted sense of that time. Older, yes, but not 'old'.

To me, it's about being youthful. As we traverse through life, things happen. We have misfortune in the form of:

• mishaps
• accidents
• inherited physical conditions
• heartbreak
• sun damage and so forth

And these all take their toll. Nevertheless, we can still turn back time, on many levels. I have had many 'ravages' on my body, yet I'm still believed to be younger than what I actually am. You can have this happen, too. And it's not just a vanity thing. We have a better life when we have a more youthful body and outlook. 

these are the main keys to youthfulness: outlook and looking after our body 

If you look up Monica Grenfell on facebook and linkdin, here is a woman who was 67 in 2018. 67!! She told me that she did nothing much:

• Monica said that all she did was have her hair roots dyed
• She did use a strong sports spf on her face, and a cream called glacier cream 

Monica is a clinical nutritionist and former aerobics instructor. She is adamant that eating properly is the key to staying and being healthy and youthful. She keeps an eye on her weight, and refuses to eat food with additives. Two more keys.

do not eat food with additives

Monica has often eaten white bread, but she makes her own. Without chemicals.  Of course. And has always exercised:

• step aerobics
• yoga
• hill climbing, mountain climbing
• pilates-type exercises
• walking
• bike riding, often for a few hours
• gardening

Many years ago, Monica shattered her pelvis when she came off her bicycle, and had to give up her beloved hill rambling and mountain climbing. One day, Monica decided to try walking a hill. She went up four steps. Four. That was all she could manage. Then she waited until the pain subsided, and walked four more steps, and stopped again. She did this as long as she could. Then went back the next day, and repeated it. She kept doing this. These days she is back to walking up and down the peaks, with no problems. 

Whenever I was recovering from my blood-and-iron problem,  (which was often), I would do one, or even just half, of a yoga sun salute. Then another day, when I could, I added a second salute. Every now and then, I would add another. On a bad day, I would cut back. I was always only working up to ten minutes.

I did the same with walking, when I was recovering from said malady. I started just by getting up and moving more. Five minute walks, then ten minutes, and so on. I guess that now it's still only twenty minutes, but hey, I am doing it. When I read Monica's story about her pelvis, I just keep remembering it when I get slack. 

movement is youthful. we can gradually build up to moving more and more