The following is a guest post by Phyllis Sues
I’m 89 and loving it! I have been a dancer since I was 14 years old. I am also a musician and my piano is my instrument, but my first instrument is… my body.
My body is my best friend and I ask a lot of it. I walked into my first Yoga class at 82. I have Arthritis and Osteoporosis, but I wanted to continue dancing, my true passion in life, and Yoga gives me the strength and elasticity to do just that..dance! Anthony Benenati of City Yoga is my Yoga teacher and my inspiration. I can now do a full back bend, pigeon pose and full splits.
(Wow!)
My newest goal is to balance in a handstand. I can do it at the wall, but that’s not doing a hand stand. I want to do a handstand in the middle of the room! I love to challenge myself! One advantage of older age is patience. Even when progress is slow, I can see that every day, I’m taking another step on the ladder. It’s another inch.
I took my first piano lesson at 72. My first swing on the trapeze at age 86. Now at 89, I jump rope, play tennis, tango dance, practice Yoga and hike with my puppy, Nicko. There’s no hint of easing my routine. What makes me tick is that other inch. It’s that other inch I want. I don’t want to stay here. I want to go there.
In 5 years will I be capable of responding like now? I never question it. I just throw things at my body and it says “OK let’s try it, oh that feels good, let’s push a little further! What inspires me is the process of learning, moving forward and growing.
As a dancer one becomes dedicated and that has colored my life. What ever I take on, I give myself completely to that.
I have no fear of trying something new, so trapeze was never a question, nor was piano, composing and learning to dance Argentine Tango.
Every one knows and we are inundated with the media telling us “to move and we’ll feel better.” The bones, the muscles, every cell and most of all our brain cries to be trained.
My mantra is “move, learn and listen” and a good way to start is Yoga. You can start at any level, it’s great physically and spiritually. If you have infirmities you can still do Yoga. I have spinal Arthritis and loose cartilage in my knees and Osteoporosis, but stretching balancing and strengthening; keeps your joints and muscles oiled. I wouldn’t be dancing tango, flying on the trapeze or even walking my standard poodle, were it not for Yoga!
I like to look good and feel good and I work at it. Looking good and feeling good is a full time job!
So…I only have one thing to say “get up out of that chair and move your butt!”
You will thank me and your body will thank you!
If I can do it at 89 you can do it! It’s just numbers!
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