Living Poetry

http://boombalada.wordpress.com/tag/wrinkles/

Yoga teaches us to look beyond the physical body and into the soul system of who we are. We have heard that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience rather than physical beings having a spiritual experience, and the more we live as spiritual beings, the more it becomes true.

I don’t hear as many people complaining about aging as I used to which is a good sign but we can take it a step further and truly embrace aging so that we can see it for what it really is: living poetry.

When we are young we think beauty is eternal and we never really imagine the day a wrinkle or a grey hair might show up and say, “hi, I’m here and this means you are now officially older and it’s time to grow up.” We take youth for granted because life is like that, it doesn’t let you enjoy what you have when you have it. Often we need to lose something in order to recognize its true value… until we start practising mindfulness and other spiritual lifestyles such as yoga where we become more aware and more observant of the present moment.

A lot of neurosis surrounds the beauty market so that the real beauty of aging gets lost in the race to beat the clock before a wrinkle appears. So… let’s stop the clock and really look at what it means to age gracefully.

First of all, being a witness to someone’s aging process is a privilege. It gives us an amazing opportunity to observe their journey and their evolution - and all we have to do is look at the face that contains all the expressions to prove it: the smile lines, the anger wrinkles between the brows, the joy lines around the mouth facing upwards, the disappointment lines around the mouth facing downwards, the “yup I did it” lines pursing the lips, the humble eyes gazing downward, awe gazing upward, and so on. If you have had the privilege to observe someone’s journey for many years, then you will also be able to recognize their journey just by looking at them.

http://www.indiaphoto.org/

The real beauty of aging is being able to look in someone’s eyes and know that once upon a time that certain expression wasn’t there. The expression used to be different. Or you remember when that wrinkle didn’t exist. Or perhaps at one time the thinning graying hair was dark black, full and wavy. Being an observer to someone’s aging process is like being the reader of their novel, their story, while looking at their face is the poem that can only be told through a distant gaze that remembers moments in life … and you happen to know them too for you have been a witness on their journey. Could there be a more precious gift on Earth?

That is where we find respect for aging and deep understanding of the spiritual journey we as human beings are on. How else can we see it but through the changes in the physical body? The challenges we have faced, the work we have done, the dreams we have had… they are all there, etched in every corner of the physical body, the visible road map of our lives. 

But we can only appreciate this beautiful road map once we learn to see beyond the limitations of the physical body and look within it, and we can only learn to truly respect the aging process once we are able to see youth and beauty in its right light without tipping the scale so drastically that we become worshippers of the flesh. 

Look at your aging parents or your aging aunt and really look into their eyes, really see what’s there and don’t be afraid if your heart breaks for you will have had a glimpse of their true selves. 

As we age it becomes less important to hide behind fake smiles and perfect lashes and more important to enjoy each moment as it comes. Look at the people around you and if they happen to be old stop and be a witness to their lives. You will be grateful you did when you allow their stories into your heart. 

Remember, scars, wrinkles, broken bones and broken hearts are all signs of living not dying. Aging is the reward we get for having lived and evolved through years of life experience.  We should respect the aging process much more for this will help humanity evolve further and live longer and healthier lives. It’s all a matter of perspective.