The aging body is like a teenager.
It is prone to rebellion.
Like a teenager, the aging body can be difficult to control. Regulating it is not simply a matter of willpower.
Like a teenager, the aging body will make noises that you do not like. You MIGHT not like the new music. You will struggle to understand the new slang. (It is helpful to learn the modern parlance, but it is not always cool to use it yourself on purpose.) Some of the words it uses will be mistaken for spelling errors, periodt. No cap.
You must listen to your body, learn its changing language, and try to understand its motivation. It will not always be very good at communicating with you. But hopefully, the listening skills (which you have cultivated during your long life) will help you to compensate. Your maturity will enable you to negotiate with it, to reason with it, and to find a tolerable balance. This is why we say, “Growing old is not for kids.”
Like a teenager, you should not expect your new body to be like you were when you were younger. You should not expect (or demand) that it have the same goals or aptitudes that you did when you were young and rebellious. But if you learn to respect it, it may surpass all of your expectations.
Tai chi is not merely an exercise used to push your body around and tell it what to do. It is a way of listening, and feeling, and understanding. It is a way of reducing conflict, and achieving harmony. That is how we win the fight, and transcend our limitations.
– Ian Sinclair
SinclairinternalARTS.com
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