Super Ager. Elise Marie Collins

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СКАЧАТЬ and Francesc Miralles details the secret of ikigai and how the villagers of Ogimi, Okinawa (yes, that’s within The Blue Zone® known as the “village of longevity”) live their purpose, along with other helpful tips for readers who want to live a long and happy life. The book points out that there is no word for retirement in the Okinawan dialect, indicating that its culture values hard, yet joyous work in each stage of life. Many of the villagers in Ogimi describe their ikigai in practical words, “I plant my own vegetables and cook them myself. That’s my ikigai.” “Getting together with my friends is my most important ikigai. We all get together here and talk—it’s very important. I always know I’ll see them all here tomorrow, and that’s one of my favorite things in life.” Ikigai can also translate as “the happiness of always being busy” (Garcia and Miralles 2017). Indeed, ikigai infers deep connection and resonance to one’s essential self. It seems related, yet not quite the same as the Sanskrit word dharma, a word that also has multiple meanings. Dharma can mean duty, a right way of living and when applied to an individual can confer “a purpose in life, independent of material pursuits.” Getting to know oneself and what makes one joyful, as well as fulfilled would be of supreme importance in fulfilling dharma and ikigai as we grow older. In our search for meaning, we may discover new passions. Chip Conley, The Modern Elder recommends that a person become an expert in a subject that is interesting to them. He has become one of the world’s experts in festivals, a subject that he finds fun and fascinating. Conley began pursuing this area of expertise by taking to heart the example of the late management guru Peter Drucker, who annually would learn and become an expert in one new subject: Drucker kept up his yearly expansion for over sixty years, long before modern neuroscience would affirm the wisdom of his perennial habit. The brain can indeed rewire and remold itself for the better even as we age, and even though neuroscience hadn’t proved this yet, Drucker just kept on learning, all the way to age ninety-five.

      One of the reasons that a deeper connection to inner purpose and ikigai later in life is important at any stage of life, but especially for older adults. When you are in touch with your own inner desire to contribute to the world, this quality balances the softer, vaguer nature of air that characterize the Vata stage of life. Your focus shifts as you age, and a healthy purpose is one that brings you joy. You may retire at age fifty-two to pursue painting and sculpting, or you may continue to work as a high school teacher or researcher when you are ninety-five; the critical element to healthy aging is feeling connected to something important to you and your purpose. Curiosity and intuition are hallmark qualities of air. We may long to be an “expert” or to do a lot of good. A study that analyzed data from ten previous studies involving 136,000 individuals in the United States and Japan found that people who reported a sense of purpose had a 20 percent lower risk of death and a lower rate of cardiovascular disease. It’s important to note that if we have been fiery our entire life, we may need to soften during our Vata years to embrace a purpose that has a gentle quality. Desires are a gateway to our intuition and our true nature. Our desires become very important in midlife.

      Our intuition and curiosity are very powerful internal compasses to help us connect with our ikigai. Follow those things you enjoy, and get away or change those you dislike. Be led by your curiosity and keep busy by doing the things that fill you with meaning and happiness. It doesn’t need to be a big thing: we might find meaning in being good parents or in helping our neighbors.

      Nicoya Peninsula of Guatemala: “Plan de Vida”

      Indeed, each one of us, as Ayurveda reminds us, has a unique blueprint of elements and qualities which makes up our personality and our physiology in the world. When you connect to this deep blueprint, your life purpose will emerge naturally. Research demonstrates that a sense of purpose has positive aging benefits. One study showed that having a greater purpose predicted lower mortality. And a sense of purpose was measured independent of retirement status, which is a known risk for mortality. A life purpose outside of a “job” seems to have deep health-related benefits. It makes sense that once we know and understand our true purpose, we will feel like we want to take better care of ourselves and to be healthy.

      In the Nicoya Peninsula of Guatemala, people have a “plan de vida,” or reason to live. This “plan de vida” helps keep older adults active and positive in the face of adversity. Ayurveda can help us to bring more ease and less willfulness to our aging mindset. Air and ether gives perspective and wisdom. Air and ether also move erratically, we need more earth and fire to balance this Airy stage of life. When our lifestyle and our routine support us as we age, we can more easily choose a positive mindset. Think about when you feel calm and well-nurtured; when you feel frazzled and overwhelmed, it is hard to stay positive. This is when we need to step back and take a different approach. Ayurveda can give tremendous insight into aging, and especially how we age as individuals.

      References

      Here are some references1 that can help you flush out your ikigai or reason for living, especially if you feel blocked.

      Therapy

      •Research Logotherapy based on the work of Victor Frankl; www.logotherapyinstitue.org has more information and offers online classes.

      •Morita Therapy has an extensive website based on Zen principles and extensive video resources at: www.moritaschool.com.

      Books

      •Ikigai, The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

      •My One Chief Aim by Mitch Horowitz

      •Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

      •The Desire Map, by Danielle LaPorte

      •The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron

      •The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo

      •Your Inner GPS: Follow Your Inner Guidance to Health, Happiness and Satisfaction, by Zen Cryar DeBrucke

      •Also check out the Divine Purpose Meditation in Chapter 11

      –PRACTICE PLAN–

      •Journal Daily on your purpose or ikigai. Ask yourself question such as what brings me joy? Think about what you loved to do as a child or a teenager. What would you do if you could wave a magic wand and be absolutely anything in the world? It is never too late to be an actor, dancer, writer, DJ, or an artist. Keep letting yourself dream.

      •Be a detective for joy and purpose. Imagine that your reason for living is like a treasure. It could be far away, or it could be in plain sight. Get your mental magnifying glass and your spy kit and get to work. Remember your ikigai is unique and always, always inside of you.

      •Read one of the recommended books and or start a Super Ager book group. Read books on purpose and discuss.

      •Meditate – Meditators have a stronger sense of purpose, according to a study that followed meditators on retreat in Colorado. Following the retreat, meditators reported feeling a sense of meaning and purpose in life. If you have never meditated before, start with a small, daily practice. Use an app or a timer. Choose a time of day when you can meditate daily.

      •If you do not feel strongly connected to your own reason for living, take a few hours a week to really seek your purpose. Spend these hours walking in nature, doing something fun that you might not usually allow yourself to do. Or go on an artist date. If you don’t know what an artist date is, look up Julia Cameron and The Artist’s Way.

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