Emily: Hi Cynthia, it’s great to have you back with another course! Let’s start with what inspired you to create a program about aging, and what makes it different?
Cynthia: Thanks for having me! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more aware of aging and all that comes with it. It’s hard not to be inundated with words and images that give off the impression that aging is bad and something we want to fix or reverse. While I was starting to notice myself falling into patterns that were making me feel upset, bothered, and angry about getting older, I was also seeing it in the students I work with. I sat back and thought there has to be a way to age differently, one where we can feel less fear around it and enjoy the process more.
And since my work is focused in communication, this is where I began. I started speaking to myself, my body, and others differently about aging, and soon I began to change the way I was aging. I started working with myself first to see if I could change my relationship, and then I started working with individuals to help them do the same.
This course is different because it’s not about fixing or covering over or preventing the reality of aging — it is focused specifically on how we talk about aging and how, by changing the way we talk about it, we change our relationship to it, where it becomes easier and something we can live alongside with.
Emily: Why is aging so challenging for many of us?
Cynthia: Aging is challenging for many reasons. The first is that everything about us is changing; it doesn’t feel the same as it used to; we can feel strange in our bodies when we look at ourselves in the mirror. It also is hard because there’s nothing out there telling us that aging is okay and that it’s beautiful and that it’s good; instead, most images and articles push for us to look younger, act youthful. There are more aches and pains and illnesses than before, more loss — and really, what makes it so challenging is that it reminds us that we’re closer to death, and well, that’s a bit scary for most of us to think about.
Emily: What kinds of tools can participants expect to learn from this course?
Cynthia: The practices and tools shared in the course will help people feel more calm and relaxed with getting older; they’ll feel more at ease with what is happening and understand how to help themselves navigate the changes ahead. The tools are intentional communication practices that, when implemented, will change the way you connect with yourself, your body, others, and your environment and, in turn, will help you to age differently, in a way that feels better.
This work is all about implementation. So each audio lesson teaches the practice that you’ll be focusing on. It shares what it is, why it’s helpful, and how to do it. Then the homework is a mix of journaling, stem completion exercises, and meditation. The biggest part of this work is to start practicing in your day to day. The more you do this, the sooner you’ll feel the benefits.
Emily: Has your personal view of growing older changed through your work?
Cynthia: I used to have a big fear of aging, based on what I saw growing up and in the media. And what I’ve realized through my work is that it doesn’t have to look like what I see around me. I can choose how I relate to my age and do so in a way that is kind, honest, and helpful.
No longer am I trying to prevent what is inevitable, and by surrendering to what is, I’ve been able to feel more safe and secure with what’s happening now and what’s to come. Learning how to change the way I talk to myself, my body, and others about aging, as well as knowing how to move my attention more onto the present moment, has really helped me feel more empowered as the days go by.
