So far, my 50s are the best decade yet. For a long time I’d been in denial of getting older. Age 50 seemed light years away with plenty of living and achieving to accomplish before reaching that dreaded decade of my parents. My mother always told me that one day I’d get there and the only way I’d know would be to look in the mirror. In other words, I’d feel exactly the same inside, just the outside would change with the years. And you know what? She was right on both counts. Now that I’m facing the waning years of my 50s I still feel like 30 something, only happier and more at peace. Recognize this age-old adage by George Bernard Shaw?
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“Youth is wasted on the young.” Now that I understand what it means, I couldn’t agree more!
When I was a kid, 50s was considered old age. And old people didn’t care about experimenting with life anymore. Their kids were grown, they’d become grandparents and life was spent in front of the TV or on the proverbial front porch swing.
That’s not even close to today’s reality. What is true is that traditional advertisers don’t think we count anymore after age 54. The sweet spot for TV advertisers is the demo 25 – 54. After that they think we don’t buy as much and when we do we gravitate toward the same habitual brands. Like kids do, they think we no longer experiment with life and products. Well, in truth, many of those media buyers are kids themselves – of course those are their prevailing viewpoints!
What IS reality is a renewed vibrance for life. And that includes
experimentation of all kinds: hair, clothes, weight, adventure, relationships, jobs, hobbies, houses – you name it, we’re open to it. In most cases the kids are grown and have moved on with their own lives; we women are now free to rediscover ourselves. In my case there were no kids, just a life consuming career that involved moving around the country and growing in new jobs.
Now with no job that demands my attention, each day offers new discoveries. The stress has been lifted creating more room for free thinking and exploration. I’m happier, calmer, feel more love and offer it more generously. 
And the surprise is my new-found attitude that what people think about me doesn’t matter like it did during the first bout with my 30s. I’m now healthier and more physically fit, read whatever I want and become ensconced in activities that appeal to me. And I still feel sexy. Plus I’m wiser and smarter than I was 20 years ago. You know — “if I knew then what I know now…” kind of thing.
Most other women in their 50s feel the same way! Many of us have disposable income regardless of what those young media buyers think. And the smart advertisers are figuring it out. Why there are now websites dedicated to boomers and they’re filled with ads. Imagine that. We’re actually avid internet users!
I love my 50s and embrace the peeking onset of the next decade. Who knows – by then I may want to live in a green and purple house or maybe add some purple to my hair! Love that color!
How do you feel about this so-called middle period of life? Do share!
These days I experience freedom on my bike and I feel youthful and vibrant. The rides are no longer destination oriented, they’re experiential and offer a slice of life in the slower lane. There’s plenty to see by moving more slowly; just like the freedom of the road offered by 
actthreedotnet 
Yoga Is Yoga – Right?
Posted in exercise, meditation, mid-life, recreation, spiritual, spirituality, yoga, tagged BKS Iyengar, boomer women, commentary, meditation, new life directions, observation, personal growth, Religion and Spirituality, Yoga on September 30, 2011| 4 Comments »
A beautiful quote that captures the essence of Iyengar Yoga by its mastermind BKS Iyengar. All yoga is rooted in the blend of mind, spirit and body. But this particular style emphasizes correct physical alignment while contorting the body into prescribed poses. It aims to use the concentration necessary for correct posture as a tool in teaching meditation. In order to bend and stretch as required, each pose is deconstructed into its minutiae parts forcing concentration on all nuances of muscle and bone configuration. And that trains the mind to focus.
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I’ve been practicing Iyengar style yoga for 14 years and it’s made a significant difference in my flexibility and attitude toward life. (Though this gorgeous pose is, sadly, not me.) It has also enhanced my meditation practice by quieting the mind and tiring out the body, readying it for silent focus on the breath. And, in all those years, I’ve had just one injury to a shoulder because I rotated my arm farther than my body was ready for.
Recently I’ve branched out to experience other teachers and styles of yoga, maybe because my attitude is one of experimentation these days. I’ve enjoyed the change and the atmosphere in the different studios, but I’m grateful for my Iyengar training because without it, I wouldn’t know how to properly practice the pose. And neither do the other students, evidently, as I scan the room and notice poor body alignment. The teacher may demonstrate the pose correctly, but none explains the process to the students.
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Knees and thighs are not charged, leg rotations are not accurate, spines are not straight, ham strings aren’t being stretched – the list goes on. And the teacher says nothing, does not walk the room and adjust the poses. All students are being left to interpret the instruction on our own. I’m waiting for injuries to occur all around me. It surprises me how teachers can teach without teaching. They demonstrate, they talk the pose through – but none has ever explained flexion of muscle, rotation of limbs, proper knee placement and more.
My suggestion for all yoga enthusiasts is to start with a few series of classes to learn the Iyengar method in order to know how the poses are supposed to be aligned before launching into any other style yoga. Injured necks, backs, limbs and more are painful, in some cases, long term problems that can be prevented with the appropriate instruction.
What are your yoga experiences? And how have they affected your life?
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