Rakesh Sethi, BS, CAHP

Wellness Speaker/ Author/ 

Ayurvedic Practitioner

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Techniques for Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger

Posted on: June 12th, 2011 by Rakesh Sethi 7 Comments

First I would like to remove a myth about aging. So far there is NO natural or manufactured products in the market that can reverse aging. Some hormone supplements seem to work in slowing down the aging but we are unsure of their side effects in the long run. So the best bet is to accept the notion of aging and age gracefully as oppose to fighting it.

Aging Gracefully and Looking YoungerSenior Couple on Computer
To age gracefully, we must keep in mind that aging has physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual components. All these components are inter-twined and together they make us a “whole” person. As part of aging gracefully, what we loose in physical is made up by gaining experience, wisdom, and peace in mental, intellectual, and spiritual. To focus only on the physical and try to stop or reverse the aging would be going against nature.

Earth, stars, universe, everything around us is aging. It is a law of nature. So you as a part of this nature, if try to go against this natural law, you would only create aggravation and unstable mind. Try to understand this concept from your mature spiritual side; a humble acceptance will replace the aggravation in unstable mind. If you don’t, agitated and stressful mind would only speed up the aging process.

Once we embrace the aging as natural part of us with healthy mental attitude, we can focus on the physical. The basic idea is to slow down the rate of physical decline as we approach the later years of our life. However, preparation to achieve this begins in 30’s and 40’s by eating right foods and having right life style with exercises (or activities).

Physical:
Imagine our body as a building where each cell is a “brick” in this building. And if the walls of a building have bricks missing here and there, the strength, integrity, and shape of the building is compromised. Our goal is to continue building healthy new cells to replace the old dying cell for as long as possible. If the old cells are not replaced with new cells, skin becomes wrinkled and body looses its strength and shape.

Techniques for Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger
• Form a diet plan with foods based on your mind-body constitution that can help you usher in growth of new cells while creating least amount of toxins in the body. This diet is anti-inflammatory and can be further supported by use of turmeric and ginger to reduce internal inflammation and cleanse (detoxify) the body.
• Include the right vitamins and herbal supplements- NOT to supplement good foods but only to cover the gaps.
Detoxify your body regularly- a weekly fast, a monthly fast, or a quarterly cleanse based on your life style.
• As we age, natural tendency of the body is to loose its muscle mass and to replace it with fat mass. Our goal is to slow down the rate of muscle mass conversion to fat mass and retain as much muscle mass for as long as possible.
• No matter what age, we must stay active. Follow a routine of age appropriate exercises and activities that can help retain the muscle mass, reduce fat buildup, and keeps us flexible.

Mental:
Besides foods, we need to be aware of the stressful thoughts and emotions we take in from outside or cultivate within. We must figure a way to “metabolize” stress out of our system to remove “mental inflammation.” This can be a cause for many nerves related and other diseases.

Techniques for Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger
• Utilize our life experiences and spiritual knowledge to shift our mental attitudes to neutralize emotions or thoughts that are source of stress.
• Do breathing exercises in yoga and meditation can also help release the stress and eliminate mental inflammation.
• Keep the mind occupied by continuously learning new interesting and challenging things.
• Get good rest at night by sleeping at least 7 hours

Spiritual:
Spiritual component supports the both mental and physical. Studies have shown people with strong spiritual connections heal faster and have better immunity. I regard spiritual awareness as the cement holding the bricks together in the building. While the physical and mental components change with age, it is the spiritual component that remains unchanged and is a pillar of support in our aging gracefully.

Techniques for Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger
• Let your conscious be your guide
• Live in harmony with nature within and without (personal and social conduct according to laws of Nature)
• Find out your “gift” and make it a calling to share with the world

As you can tell, all physical, mental, and spiritual are inter-twined, support each other, and make us “whole.” We must identify with each component & address each for our “total” health and wellness in life’s journey while aging gracefully naturally without any risky aging products.  Be Well!

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7 Responses

  1. Laura Susana S. Bascopé says:

    Thank’s Rakesh.

    This is good to know. It makes the mind free of ill tougts about life and it´s changes.

    Be well and have good luck.

    Laura Susana

  2. Venkat S says:

    Mr.Rakesh, with limitations of space, you have broadly stated various aspects. Please add some points about balanced sex life. Many people think that sex is natural. To the extent of reproduction it is natural. The emtional sex life is very complex and could be root cause of rapid ageing.

    Also, we all require step by step guidance with respect to fasting, internal body cleaning and balanced diet. I think you can run a series of articles on this title and I guess you have enough things to share with us.

    Good start. Thank you

    • Rakesh Sethi says:

      I have plans to do an article on sex and health and I will add the healthy aging component in it and link with this article. Thanks for your suggestion. I agree about step by step guidance. While some areas can overlap but some will be very unique to each person’s age, body constitution and health condition. For this I offer one-on-one consultations.

  3. Pauline says:

    You have some wonderful tips on aging gracefully, I especially like the one on our body cells.

  4. Fawn says:

    Rakesh, Thank you for pointing out that aging is a natural process that cannot be stopped or slowed. Also that it is a life balance. Your statement, “So the best bet is to accept the notion of aging and age gracefully as oppose to fighting it.” is the first step.

    • Rakesh Sethi says:

      Fawn, please note you CAN slow down the aging process. Being spiritually connected with nature around you, forming healthy relationships and balanced mind(emotions), and with eating suitable ideal foods, you can slow down your aging process but not stop or reverse it.

  5. Dominique Stager says:

    This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much it’s almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!

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