AGE LIKE A YOGI

Moran shares tips on aging well in a culture obsessed with youth.

The author, a longtime yogi and prolific self-help writer, here focuses her attention on the concept of aging. While acknowledging that genetics and lifestyle choices greatly influence how one ages, she also draws attention to the cultural and spiritual aspects of the process. Heavily influenced by Eastern practices, Moran alternates between concrete suggestions (for good skin care, wear sunscreen and eat herbs like Tulsi, amla, and ashwagandha) and more esoteric musings (“just think of your inner being as soul or spirit or whatever word you like. Terminology aside, that inner being is the real you, and it does not age. The more thoroughly you can identify with the part of yourself that has been you all your life, the more youthful you will feel and appear”). Occasional text boxes contain “Practices for the Path” with additional exercises for readers to try, like “Adapt an appropriate and appealing asana routine for yourself.” Moran includes plenty of personal anecdotes, such as her experience bungee jumping at age 43, as well as yogic parables, like the tale of the blind sea turtle. The author’s voice remains warm and conversational throughout, easing readers into sometimes rather complex concepts—the idea of the body’s three doshas (or energies), for example, with the dominating one being “solidified at the moment of conception as your body type.” In addition to all of the spiritual notions that Moran introduces, she also addresses some very practical issues, including the importance of a living will. It is the deftness with which Moran handles this delicate balance between the metaphysical and tangible that makes her guide such a pleasure to read. Her approach to aging may hover in the periphery of the mainstream, but there is valuable information here—whether or not one subscribes to all of the ideas.

A thoughtful and engaging reflection on what it means to get older, both physically and spiritually.