in Client's Perspective 580 Words

Dementia and walking frames – not an inevitable part of ageing

By Carmel Reid, Volunteer, Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia

I read an article recently about Dementia that mentioned the stunning effect a change of diet had on one woman who totally recovered her senses and no longer had dementia. This caused me to stop and reflect on my many friends who are associated with Universal Medicine most of whom follow a healthy diet with plenty of meat, fish, and vegetables and no alcohol, caffeine, gluten, dairy or refined sugar. Interestingly none of these friends, who are in their 60s, 70s and 80s, have dementia or any signs of it and to me this is worth noting.  Of course, there is more to dementia than diet alone but it is a contributing factor and one we can all do something about.

I’ve met a lot of people with dementia recently because I’ve been volunteering in an elderly care home and I work with residents of differing abilities and varying ages – some are mentally just not there, others are physically disabled but mentally fully present and others are in between. Some move around in wheelchairs and some use walking frames and walking aids with wheels that make them bend over even more.

 

And then it occurred to me that, of all my Universal Medicine friends, none of them use walking aids, including many who are well into their eighties. Not even a walking stick is in sight when you enter the hall where an event is taking place. I recently attended an event with over 300 people and there were people present with cancer and other serious ailments, but every single one of them was walking independently with an upright posture and a smile. There is always disability access and facilities at Universal Medicine events should this be required, but for the most part, it is not needed.

So, what is it about Universal Medicine that leaves the elderly walking upright? Apart from living healthy physical lifestyles, many have been working on letting go of lifetimes of burdens, hurts, guilt, all the mental stuff that wears us down and makes us feel small and later, old. In addition, the walking therapies presented by Serge Benhayon help people to walk free from such burdens – to walk as themselves, from their essence with true power and grace.

Serge Benhayon, founder of Universal Medicine, is an inspiring presenter and his words are always confirming of the amazingness that we all innately are and he inspires us to connect with and live that innate love in our everyday lives. Living in this loving way, connected with the essence of who we are, keeps us young at heart and this is reflected in our faces and our bodies as we age with many experiencing a sense of self-worth not previously felt.

The companies that make profits from all these walking frames and walking aids and the pharmaceutical companies that create drugs for dementia may not want this news to get about, that changing our lifestyle to a more true and loving way of living can potentially prevent these ailments, but hey – I’m shouting it from the rooftops – we don’t need to be sick as we get older, we can take good care of our bodies and walk free.

Let’s get healthy as we age – why not?

 

Read more:

  1. Dementia – is it truly a mystery? 
  2. Checking out: are we sowing the seeds of our own dementia? 
  3. People with dementia – checking out. 

539 thoughts on “Dementia and walking frames – not an inevitable part of ageing”

  1. You have raised an interesting point Carmel why is it that those people who are in their 60’s,70’s and 80’s that regularly attend the Universal Medicine events seem so well and healthy even the ones that have an illness or disease seem incredibly positive. I’m 63 and feel more vital than I did in my 30’s, I work full time, travel a lot, work as a volunteer, look after children and I’m having a brilliant time.
    Universal Medicine has supported me and thousands of other people to change their life style and for me having changed it, I would not want to go back to my old way of living.

  2. ‘And then it occurred to me that, of all my Universal Medicine friends, none of them use walking aids, including many who are well into their eighties. Not even a walking stick is in sight when you enter the hall where an event is taking place.’ That’s pretty amazing; definitely something to be appreciated and also something to be studied.

  3. Carmel you have raised an interesting observation about the elders of Universal Medicine friends. Why aren’t they walking around with this black cloud over them, like most elderly take on as they age. I hear so many people talk about retiring and what happens after this, the mind deteriorates even if they have a so called hobby to occupy them.

    These elders need to be researched as they are role models for the elderly of the community around the world. The elderly have a role to give back to the community and who better to, but the young ones needing their wisdom. I read about some projects, where the two are mixing and how lovely to know about this, hope it takes off further.

  4. That is pretty amazing! ‘And then it occurred to me that, of all my Universal Medicine friends, none of them use walking aids, including many who are well into their eighties. Not even a walking stick is in sight when you enter the hall where an event is taking place.’ It just goes to show there is something in the choices we make and how we live that can either benefit our well-being or not. The choice really is up to us.

    1. To be honest, I hadn’t even noticed about the elders of Universal Medicine friends. One woman in her 80’s came to my mind and walks with a perfect gait. Despite their age, there is no mentality of giving up or giving in either, they live with a responsibility and integrity, it is that simple.

    1. Someone I know died recently and talking to his widow, she said after her husband retired he just gave up and withdrew from people and life. He went from being very fit and healthy to being depressed, just vegetating and doing nothing. As you have said Le, it’s as though as soon as we lose our purpose we lose our way.

  6. ‘I recently attended an event with over 300 people and there were people present with cancer and other serious ailments, but every single one of them was walking independently with an upright posture and a smile. There is always disability access and facilities at Universal Medicine events should this be required, but for the most part, it is not needed.’ There is such a story to be told here and yet the telling of it is suppressed in the mainstream media, which in fact encourages a very different view of Universal Medicine altogether. Could it be that this story is suppressed because if it were to get out we would all have to take taking responsibility for our choices seriously, which would certainly undermine those who stand to gain from a given up and unhealthy society, not least those of us who like to indulge in the ‘it’s everyone else and not me’ consciousness?

  8. A life lived purposefully into elder years enhances quality of life and brings joy. For those who haven’t seen it check out Channel 4 documentary ‘The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes” ( Bristol UK) or read on-line articles about the original experiment in Japan where a group of people living with dementia are hired to run a restaurant. We see incredible transformations when people are valued and have purpose:participant’s self esteem, self worth and confidence shoot through the roof, no longer existing, but living and loving life.

    https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-restaurant-that-makes-mistakes

    https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2017/09/b71dcdeddb59-feature-tokyos-dementia-restaurant-serves-up-unforgettable-experience.html

  9. To be inwardly self supporting and nurturing sustains us into our elder years. The prevalence in western cultures of sedentary life styles in front of TV or other screens, overeating and substance abuse is not a recipe that sustains the body and keeps it vital.

  10. I’ve worked with the elderly and those I meet at Universal Medicine events blow me away when compared to how the majority of the population are aging.

  11. Thank you Carmel for writing this blog what you are sharing is what is missing from our daily lives so much so that we do not even begin to understand how bad things have become. And this is why it is so easy to spot someone who is a student of The way of The livingness because they do indeed walk as themselves, from their essence with true power and grace. It is very beautiful to watch and be apart of this.

  12. Thank you Carmel, reading this again it’s really astonishing that elders and even terminally ill elders are walking unaided, look and feel vital, and experience the levels of joy they do simply because it’s not what we see out there normally, but it can be very normal. You make a great point about the freedom from burdens, emotions and hurts and their possible effect on the body, it makes sense to me that such emotional turmoil can take its toll on our health and wellbeing. I know for me getting free of hurts opens up space in my body for more of the love of my essence to be present and that feels revitalising and very amazing. To me emotions are a form of sickness because when they leave my body in healing I feel so much clearer and better in my self.

  13. It is very lovely to be in the company of an elderly person who has kept their joy and vitality. It shows to us all it is possible to be this way and the more people who full of this sparkle of life, the greater the reflection.

  14. It is true, just because we get older it doesn’t mean we will get sick and experience health conditions; it all depends on the way we have lived up until that point.

  15. I have noticed how often elderly people, no longer feeling a purpose in life, begin to shut down and feel themselves useless. They shut down and let themselves vegetate. Carers sometimes interact wth this behaviour rather than the person inside . It is far too easy to see the client as a behavioural package that has to be assessed quickly and dealt with accordingly….no time to make meaningful connection and connect with our own purpose in being a carer.

    1. Elaine this would make a very supportive article for those in the caring professions to read.

  16. Every moment we have a choice and our choices build into our lifestyle and day to day experience of life. We know that the majority of illness is based on lifestyle choices. It makes sense that the quality of our older years is based on the quality of our choices throughout life. So maybe our greatest investment is not the pension fund but is the depth with which we engage with life, are open in relationships and always up for learning?

    1. We do know and now are being told that our lifestyle choices contribute to illness and disease however I find very interesting how we dismiss what is true and take on that which suits… we then have no right to complain if illness and disease falls upon us.

  17. Having worked in the elderly care sector it’s obvious that there is big money spent on buying all kinds of aids for the elderly even when they don’t want them or use them. My parents had gadgets that they refused to use and they would sit there taking up space in the bedroom or living room, often with things put on top of them. The intention was well-meaning by the healthcare professionals but the expense to the NHS must be off the chart with the expenditure of supplying items that don’t get used.

  18. Great blog Carmel, and may I add that when we walk within ourselves as in we are in repose and connected to our essences, could this not be our greatest way to communicate for those who are ready? As our reflection is our greatest form of communication and our essence or Love that is being reflected has no structures, sticks or walking frames in sight! now that’s a True foundation we can all share every-where-we-go.

  19. I often see a quality of vitality and sparkle in older people. When we do not assume the stereotype for ageing, we can bring so much playfulness and light-heartedness to life. In our middle years we often take things too seriously and let go of our relationship with the magic of life.

  20. It is more important than ever to put down the labels and beliefs we have adopted about old age, children, teenagers, mothers, men, grandparents, babies, accountants, builders, friends, nationalities… and live freshly and honestly as who we are before any label; meeting each other as equals with love, respect and a dedication to working out how to work together.

  21. Challenging what is and what is not an ‘inevitable part of ageing’ is much needed in a world that expects the elderly to fit into a box of how they should be, like getting you in the box that will carry you to the grave – no thanks – I’ll pass on that one. Great call to challenge this Carmel.

  23. I have found that as you age and stop and take stock of what you have acquired outside of you, it is a reflection of the junk we carry within. When start to clear what is no longer required, be it inside or outside, it directly affects both. It allows us to return once again to lighter being that resides within us all that we have weighed down from our choices.

  24. At 51, I am finding that when I make decisions, about work, home, buying things etc. I do have a connection to what things will look like as I get into my older years. And what I am really enjoying discovering is that I have no sense of slowing down, or looking for a comfy set up… my plan is to stay engaged, alert and fit for purpose to the end.

  25. There are children now being raised that know there is another way we can live that identifies with the truth. The list you have defined: burdens, hurts, guilt and all the other stuff that has worn down those before us, are markers for us to learn from.

  26. ‘In addition, the walking therapies presented by Serge Benhayon help people to walk free from such burdens’ we often don’t realise the burdens we have taken on until we let them go and feel the freedom to not have them.

    1. And, what about the closet we keep locked with the issues and skeletons we don’t wish to deal with, that we carry with us, every where we go.

  27. At 63 my walk is a lot freer than in my 40’s and I am definitely more upright and my shoulders are not so folded in, and I know this is because I have healed many hurts and burdens in my life that have worn me down to walk in a certain way. I know it is a constant reassessment observing how my body feels and how it moves but it is worth it so that my body stays strong and fit for life.

  28. I totally agree- let the joy of ageing be commonplace, instead of the doom and gloom that society portrays and sadly what is the norm in most of the nursing homes today.

  29. I met the most beautiful elderly gentleman in the supermarket two days ago. He was immaculately dressed, sparkly, engaging and full of vitality… a real point of inspiration in terms of how to age.

  30. The list of conditions that are being helped by diet and the way we are living is growing. There are already many ailments of the body that are because of our choices and lifestyles, And, an essential part of the treatment is to choose to stop doing what is causing it: smoking, drinking and what we put in our body. What if we felt what the body tells us and we listen, the first or second time when we do something that doesn’t support our body? Would we have an overburdened medical service?

  31. Could it be the list you have offered that the lifestyle we have chosen has other beneficial side effects? The general wellness from listening to our body is a great place to catch things early.

  32. From what I know and can see of the people attending Universal Medicine workshops is that they seem more healthy and more full of joy. Elders in this community are not scared of getting old, they look after themselves and each other. Super beautiful to see.

  33. It is interesting to ponder what inner attitude maintains the upright posture and vitality for life as we age.

  35. The more examples of people aging gracefully and beautifully there are, the easier it will be to emulate them.

  37. Caring for ourselves in a loving way and having true purpose in our lives, brings a joy beyond measure and makes waking up every morning a delight to be alive.

  38. Awesome blog Carmel … something that definitely needs shouting from the rooftops!

  39. It is so important to wave a flag for growing older feeling well and engaged. Just taking the one example of every interaction being a relationship with someone and that magic can happen in moments of eye contact and connection, reminds me of the fact that our contributions never cease no matter our age.

  40. At 65, I am working physically for up to 14 hours a day and then on my computer for a further 2 to 3 hours per day with 1 hour for my evening meal; that leaves me 6 hours to sleep!
    Wonder when it is time to spend more time writing, as that has become something that I have learnt, the Loving reality of expression as in the written word. The Maintenance and Tiling I do are also things that I have a Loving relationship with, as with all the work I do. So maybe the older generation can get more physical and take on those jobs that the younger ones feel are too menial?

  42. The myths of ageing are being changed amazingly by the true livingness offered to us to reclaim who we are and our quality, honesty and beingness that changes everything and brings a joy and vitality to ageing not currently considered as normal or possible.

  43. How different our approach to aging would be if we had no pictures or expectations of ‘what it looks like’ but instead took everyday as it comes, living in the moment and embracing every change as an opportunity to learn and deepen our understanding of ourselves, life, the universe and our place in it.

  44. Old age does not have to be all doom and gloom. Just yesterday I spent a couple of hours catching up with volunteers in my local community and the majority of them were elderly. It makes me wonder how people fare into old age when they are actively involved in the community as opposed to being at home on their own or only interacting with their immediate family. It shows me that we are not designed to be on our own and that we actually do better when we interact with others.

    1. I agree, Julie, my aged grandmother in her late eighties used to help the ‘elderly’ couple down the road who were in their 60s. My feeling is that Retirement needn’t mean giving up on any kind of activity – even if there is no paid employment, there are always volunteering opportunities.

  45. A lot of people I’ve met at Universal Medicine are definitely getting healthier as they age. I am one of these people and I am only in my early forties. I feel younger, more vital, have more energy than I can ever remember since applying the teachings of the Ageless Wisdom. It is truly remarkable to feel this for myself and also see how vibrant the elders are in this amazing community.

  46. Ageing and good health are not mutually exclusive if we take care of ourselves, i.e. are honest about what serves and does not serve us and what we can eat, drink or not eat and drink. When we are willing to be honest and take responsibility, anything is possible.

    1. This might be another myth: the older you get, the more crippled and worn out you become. Honest and true care on a daily basis might just as well lead to a vital body and a clear mind.

  47. Sometimes I feel very sad when I look at older people who are having difficulty walking upright, but I have to accept that the way they are is the result of their choices, and that with different choices the outcome would have been very different.

  48. The joy vibrancy and playfulness of ageing is something very real and seen now in the world, thanks to the reflection and offerings of Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine and The Livingness, that is offering true health and understanding of the way we live with a vitality and way of being that breaks all the ideals, beliefs and constrictions to being who we really are.

  50. At every age and any age we have a choice of embracing life with grace or not. And as we age there is a gradual acceptance of those things we can do and those we cannot do.

    1. As a society, we tend to fight the aging process, so to meet people who embrace aging with love and grace is a breath of fresh air and a true inspiration.

  51. A great plan for life: be alert to and aware of the corruption in so many of our institutions and corporations and then choose to embrace life in full whatever our age. Thank you, Carmel.

    1. This is a great plan for life… And within this is the understanding that we can actually choose, despite all the signs around us pointing into the opposite

  52. I am one of the Universal Medicine students in her elder years, who is these days ‘walking upright’. But it wasn’t that long ago that I struggled to walk easily at times due to chronic sciatica and I was also in the habit of stooping over when I walked. Thanks to the wonderful modality of Esoteric Connective Tissue Therapy and my commitment to healing my life, the sciatica, which had been a pain in my life more 40+ years, has finally healed and the Walking Therapies also presented by Serge Benhayon have played a big part in me stooping no more – well most of the time. I certainly don’t see a walking frame or dementia playing a part in the latter years of my life.

    1. Wow that’s great to hear, Ingrid, I never had sciatica but I have arthritis and I used to wake up with awful pains deep in my hips. I’ve lost heaps of weight since going gluten and dairy free and my healthy lifestyle and regular Esoteric Therapy sessions make the arthritis no longer painful.

    2. What an amazing inspiration you are Ingrid -being elderly but not living like the norm. I visited a nursing home yesterday to see that nearly all the residents walked around in walkers, stooped over. I hadn’t thought about their posture affecting their thoughts, movements etc.. but it makes sense that the more upright we are the clearer the connection to our divinity, and this will then be magnified through our movements.

    3. Amazing Ingrid, you are an inspiration and what you’ve shared is absolutely incredible. I can sense there is not any hint of fear around ageing but a deep beauty and gracefulness in your embrace.

      1. I have found that fighting the ageing process, one that is totally natural, is an absolute waste of of precious energy as I am fighting the inevitable, and that’s exhausting and futile. So by accepting that ageing is part of the cycle of my life, it is now my choice to embrace it and to ensure that it is a time where I care for myself deeply, very lovingly and as gracefully as possible.

    4. There is nothing more inspiring than living examples and as long as we do not react with jealousy or comparison we are offered amazing opportunities to learn and adapt our choices.

      1. So very true Matilda. It has taken me a while to realise that allowing myself to be inspired by another opens the doorway to the most amazing feeling in my body. It is so uplifting and expansive, whereas, going into jealousy and comparison only serves to take me down into a very uncomfortable, lonely hole, where the only outcome is to miss out on the ‘amazing opportunities’ that are on offer.

  53. I find that when I walk and connect with my body, I feel taller, my body automatically straightens and I feel amazing. It goes to show that when we are ‘checked out’ how our posture reflects that and we slouch.

    1. I too find Carmel that walking in presence allows all the kinks and contractions to straighten out.

    2. So true Carmel … how present and aware we are of our bodies, and how we truly feel about ourselves, is all exposed in our posture and in how we walk.

  54. Breaking what we’ve accepted are the ‘norms’ of ageing – this is super inspiring, showing that it doesn’t have to be something to be feared and dreaded, but something to embrace. An opportunity to further deepen our relationships with our bodies, ourselves and others, and commit to greater levels of love and care all round.

  55. Talking of dementia – the key thing we have forgotten is the huge power our choices have. Life need not look like it does ~ there is no unmovable obstacle we can’t move past.

    1. So very true Joseph, we need to stop and look at our what choices have been instead of just giving up and accepting well that’s how it is. We have the power to make great changes from within.

    2. You’re right – before the physiologocal and physical changes there is a choice to withdraw from what is deemed as too much, too hard and too troublesome. Dementia starts much earlier than its more obvious symptoms and it happens on an energetic level before it becomes a diagnosis.

  56. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a road map to life, one that a child could look at and see vibrancy and playfulness throughout? Is it any wonder that so many young people want to disappear in to the virtual reality screens if they are being presented with a path in to elder years that is not vibrant or fun.

    1. I agree, Shami, and that is why it is so important for us elders to be out and about in the local community, not shut up in homes, so that we can offer role models for the younger generations.

  57. It’s great to know as a young person that there is a way of ageing with at the very least integrity, if not great wisdom and of profound standing in the world.

  58. Many older people were never given the opportunities us younger ones have, with counsellors and psychologists aplenty to support us. In years gone by women just had to get on with it, putting up with abuse, being self-sacrificing and with no idea that life could be any different. The men had to fight in wars for their country, they had to work hard to support a growing family and their wife, carrying the burden of financial responsibility.No wonder so many of our older persons end up bent and depressed.

  59. We see getting old and dying as an end which has us often give up and fear death and become careless, but when we understand that it is just an end of a cycle but not the end of us, we can feel and see that quality is what counts in life, always, in our every movement and breath, as that is what shapes the world we live in.

    2. Imagine how different death would feel if it was approached as you have shared Esther just the end of a cycle not the end of us. Death in this cycle is the beginning of our birth into the next cycle.

  60. Carmel what you have shared here is huge. I have met many elderly people in my work as a nurse and many of them have said to me “don’t get old”. I have heard younger people say things like “when I am old and need to go into a nursing home” or “when we have dementia” I can certainly understand that what we think ageing is governed by what we predominately see, but does this make is true? This is why what you share is amazing because its showing us that there is no inevitability in the ageing process, except dying of course. We can age well and live well as we age, which I know will also affect our own dying process. Lots for us to consider.

    1. I can remember being afraid of the actual process of dying, of being ill, in pain etc. I am learning now that even the process of dying can be full of grace and, thanks to medical and palliative care, it does not need to be painful.

  61. Brilliant article Carmel, thank you. I have worked in many care homes in my life and have been saddened by the quality of their life due to the ill health that many elderly people live with. You and other students of Universal Medicine are showing us that this does not have to be the norm, in fact the norm can be ageing with vitality, love and grace. Love it!

    1. Yes I find it sad too, when I see how incapacitated some older people are, when I know that it didn’t have to be that way. In the future it won’t be as more and more people take greater care of their bodies, making different choices as to how they will live their lives.

    1. Elders especially have the responsibility to be role models for the younger generations, so that they can look forward to ageing, not approach it with fear. Whatever age we are life can be healthy and fun, it is all down to the choices we make.

  63. When you look at all the advertising for older women it is all about ‘fighting’ the ageing process, very little is celebrating the beauty within. I agree, Gill, we need to celebrate the ageing process for it is as much a part of our life experience as being a teenager.

  64. Wow what different approaches there are to ageing in the world but the true health vitality joy and wisdom from within is something we can all live with the amazing reflections and vibrancy offered to us from Universal Medicine and the real livingness from within .

  65. In conversation with an elderly lady the other day, she talked about ageing and how awful it was for her, and how there was no fun in it. She said that this was the case for everyone that she knew. It was the lack of fun that really got to me in what she shared, because I could see what a bright and playful woman she is.

    1. Sadly our society does not truly celebrate ageing and many drift into loneliness. May daughter made me laugh when I said I was going to a Celebration day – she asked if I was going to play bridge. There is an image associated with aged gatherings: bowls, bridge and cups of tea.

    2. Thank you, Shami. It is very beautiful when we spot the sparkle in each other and whatever our choices may be, knowing that this sparkle is immutable, forever and unsulliable.

    3. A few weeks ago, I spoke to a gentleman who was over 100 years in age. He learnt to play the saxophone at 85 and got his pilot’s license at 95. His age had meant that he couldn’t fly any longer, but it was his outlook of life that meant he was still making the most of every moment. We as a society also need to value older people in this way and support them to not feel de-valued from the point of retirement on.

  66. Yeehaaaa grandma! Let’s age more vibrant year on year – if it’s possible why not!

    1. Haha! Love this Vanessa. I know many people in their late fifties, sixties and seventies, including myself, who are looking younger, are more vibrant and have more energy than they did 10 years ago. This has to be inspring for our younger generations to inspire them to see that ageing doesn’t have to be something to dread.

    2. Absolutely Vanessa, bring on the joy and the vitality no matter what the numbers are, even though the body may age naturally.

    3. Love that, Vanessa! Let’s age more vibrant.. and even if if a walking stick or Zimmer frame is needed, it doesn’t mean that we can’t be joyful at the same time!

  67. What if we used a small amount of the mountain of money spent on cures, on prevention? There is wisdom in the old saying of; an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure! Are we leaving the effects of our bad choices to others to fix?

  68. The issue is that we are living longer than we did 50 years ago, but we are not living healthier and so our bodies show a myriad of illnesses that get progressively worse with age. We also expect to get sick as we grow older, yet the students of Universal Medicine show that it does not have to be this way. I know I am healthier and fitter than when I was 45 and I am now nearly 63 so there has to be something in the way we live that makes a difference.

  69. It’s one thing to be sick. It’s a completely different thing to think you are the sickness. This is in itself a sickness!

  70. The beauty in our older people comes from within, not from any rigid discipline but from a simple joy in life and a willingness to commit to life and humanity.

  71. A light and unencumbered mind, and a body uncluttered by emotional baggage naturally reflects a light and unencumbered, uncluttered, being.

  72. It is so refreshing to read something on ageing that is not all doom and gloom. I know so many elderly people now who are full of vitality thanks to the fact that they are not afraid to live true to their inner essence.

  73. Ageing is not about ageing with perfect health and never having things go on with our bodies. Our bodies do age. However we can age well, very well in fact. The fact that we have a group of people who are making particular choices and ageing well, puts a spot light on the choice most of us make.

  74. “changing our lifestyle to a more true and loving way of living can potentially prevent these ailments…” Yes, the potential of self-care has on human health and wellbeing is endless

  75. If we look around and be honest then we can see a checked out state of the elder generation, when if we are really honest that checked out state is happening much much earlier on in life. This has to have an impact on life and our health.

  76. Not only do these old age illnesses affect the person themselves but it also puts a burden on the family members who are dealing with their parents and the illness. It can’t be easy watching a spouse change in such a way.

  77. The joy and freedom we can feel as we age is an amazing sharing with the projected ageing process so taken on as normal and inevitable.

  78. When I attend Universal Medicine workshops or see posts/articles from the Joy of Ageing team, and I see vibrant engaged sexy tender men and women, I get very inspired. They are definitely bucking the trend.

  79. I see so many things that are considered an inevitable part of ageing, and not so many of these are so great.

  80. Thank you, a great blog Carmel. We physically become what we energetically live. No two ways about it.

  81. Letting go of what we have lived that is not true leaves space to bring even more of what is true to life and engage fully.

  82. Whatever their physical or emotional health, I feel blessed to be in the presence of and working with elders. Inside we are all simply beautiful.

  83. I’ve met some incredible men and women in their eighties and nineties in their own homes, who also buck the trend. Most had an openness, wisdom, sparkle and aliveness to them. At a day centre, another women aged ninety-six, told me she’d only stopped driving a year ago, but still keeps her car. She’s had two knee replacement operations but walks unaided, upright, cooks for her self and was full of life. These elders also inspire and an honour to be in their presence.

  84. Anything that knocks out lack of self-worth is absolute gold in my book. I am aware on a day to day basis and in reviewing my life so far that lack of self-worth is an insidious and underlying condition for so much struggle.

  85. At Universal Medicine, I see people in their sixties, seventies and eighties looking vital, joyful and vibrant. They seem to walk with an agelessness about them that I rarely see anywhere else, and I am deeply inspired by them in every way. We are blessed to have their gorgeous reflections and with deep appreciation to what they are reflecting to the rest of the world.

  86. Once we get into old age there will be a certain physical and mental health momentum to deal with but within that there is vast scope for improvement, much more than we may imagine, simply because so few take advantage of the opportunities available at any, including old and very old, age.

    1. I agree Rachel and our body loves it when we receive a reflection from someone who communicates joy and vitality. It is currently rare to see a person in their elder years moving and expressing joy and they stand out like a sparkling gem among the crowd.

  88. We have to appreciate the vitality that comes with choices of how we live – and that the more loving we are the more this shows in how we look.

    1. How we live is communicated through our body and there is no disguise or mask that can hide this. Everything is communicated through vibration in our every movement.

  89. It makes sense that by the time we get into our elderly years we feel and look as if we are laden down with burdens, but it’s great to know and see through the way others live that that does not have to be our reality.

    1. Absolutely. It’s not rocket science and so it is no surprise to me that Universal Medicine, which supports us to let go of much of this ‘baggage’, has resulted in so many people walking their later years with such a spring in their step.

  90. I met an 87 year old lady the other day who is not on any medications and does not have any major health concerns. She was bright and sparky and yet dealing with life’s challenges – this was refreshing and beautiful to see, and I told her that she had made my day!

  91. “I read an article recently about Dementia that mentioned the stunning effect a change of diet had on one woman who totally recovered her senses and no longer had dementia.” So much is possible when we are willing to make changes to our day to day choices. Perhaps there are many conditions that could be significantly improved by just making even a few small changes to the diet.

  92. I agree with you Carmel, lets age healthy. We do not need to build up a body holding all the hurts gathered in life resulting in disability both in the body an in the mind. We have the role models in the Universal Medicine Student body that clearly show us that there is another way possible.

    1. It is a sorry state of affairs that we expect to degrade into old age and yes, an inspiration to have some truly vital elder role models to dispel this myth and resignation.

      1. And this expectation is only from our mind and as long we do give power to that it will commence. Only by stopping this way of thinking by choosing for a bodily connection instead, will bring us to a healthy and vital way of ageing in which we become matured in what we all have learned in this one life before we advance to the next life..

  93. We are good in providing solutions that make it possible to live with all the ailments we accumulate in life and therewith make it our normal.

  94. At soon to be 69, I am walking more easily and more upright than I have ever walked in my life. My hips feel incredibly flexible, which endlessly amazes me, as they used to be so stiff and sore. All this has come about as the result of making many self-loving changes in my life, changes inspired by the wonderful presentations of Serge Benhayon, and the healing modalities that Universal Medicine practitioners offer. I definitely don’t see a walking frame in my future for as far as I am concerned they do not have to be an ‘inevitable part of ageing’.

  95. Diet does have a huge effect on how alive and present or how numbed and checked out I feel on any given day, so I imagine it could affect people with dementia too. To add to that I recently had a lady on an Esoteric Yoga program, which supports people to stay present with their bodies and delicate in their movements. Through her being more caring, gentle and present with herself, she was noticing a huge positive change in the lady with dementia she lives with. This is something that also needs to be studied and widely known.

  96. The more we are willing to surrender to being moved by the quality of our Soul the more we will heal and let go of the hurts, protection, abusive and loveless momentums and patterns that have moved us in an unnatural way for so long. Our bodies always reflect the quality of our livingness and the more we pay attention to how it is communication to us the more freely we can live who we naturally are.

    1. It is our choice to move our bodies in heaven on earth or to move them in the miasma of the societies we have created.

  97. This is worth shouting from the rooftops- that just because we age does not mean we have to take all our baggage with us. Universal Medicine has supported so many people to let go of their hurts and stand up tall.

  98. Living and loving ourselves and embracing and treasuring life with all its responsibilities and loving connections brings a healthy life one that never stops growing and appreciating inside us to be honoured and walked with the grace and dignity we naturally are to the very end.

    1. ‘with the grace and dignity we naturally are’… at what point in our lives do we forget our true nature? It can start very early on with programming from the images society holds. We are changing that paradigm and ageing grace-fully.

      1. I totally agree Carmel, that the programming about ageing begins at a very early age with the accepted belief that as you grow older it’s all downhill. Well I for one, you too, as well as many other vital and vibrant older men and women are certainly blasting that long held belief apart while ageing grace-fully and very joyfully.

  99. We live with a vision of life that is ‘known’ and a comfort – yet imprisons us in rails that constrain us to repeat patterns and indulge lies. The greatest start to ‘breaking out’ is opening up to accepting the unknown and letting go of our relentless desire for control.

    1. This is a lesson I am learning at the moment, that we can stay in the comfort of knowing where we are and what’s happening next but be miserable on the inside, because we are compromising our truth by not expressing how we feel because when we do everybody feels uncomfortable. It is our right to express and to call out abuse of any kind, and when we express the truth in full, everybody gains. We think we are in control by measuring what we say but expressing our full truth and not having an attachment to the outcome is letting go of control. Surrendering to the What Is.

  100. Imagine living the joy and lightness of our youth rather than carrying the burden of our unresolved hurts and rejections in life.

    2. Powerful to feel this, evening in walking and allowing yourself to not carry the burdens of life we walk taller.

  101. There is an expectation that because we get older, we must get sicker. I know that our body ages and therefore there is wear and tear on our body, but just because something is common for many, that is that we get sicker because we are older, doesn’t mean that this is the way it needs to stay. We need examples of people ageing that are well, so we see what is possible and reverse the trend of the way we think our future is….ie getting sick and unwell because we are older. Certainly dementia is not a normal part of ageing.

  102. It is true that we can walk ourselves into an early grave. There is so much to be made of our movements, and the more aware of this we become the more of a responsibility we have to ensure that we take care in every one.

  103. Amazing to know how much food and dietary choices can impact not just on our physical health but also our mental health, how we feel (emotionally and physically) and behaviours too!

    1. There are several research projects published regarding Gut Flora and their impact on our mental health so its not surprising that food plays an important role.

  104. If we abuse our body for a long time and then turn our life around we may still carry potentially large impacts from our previous lifestyle. This may be especially so for past mental illness events. I wonder how much we can turn around a descent into dementia?

    1. Dementia is not seen as a lifestyle choice but when we reflect back on how a person has lived their life, there will be signs of checking out, not being present. Researchers are of course looking at medications that can be used to ‘cure’ but how many people are looking at prevention? (There’s more profit in medication)

      1. Where do we ourselves invest in ourselves and look at the quality of our own lifestyles choices and quality of living.

  105. “… that changing our lifestyle to a more true and loving way of living can potentially prevent these ailments, but hey – I’m shouting it from the rooftops – we don’t need to be sick as we get older, we can take good care of our bodies and walk free…” Living Esoterically – in harmony, with love, with purpose, with harmlessness, with focus, with awareness, attending to issues, with self-love, in connection – is medicine for the body.

    1. Knowing that our lifestyle choices are good or bad medicine is important, for we can take responsibility and not leave it all up to the doctors – it is a collaboration – we can use their expertise of the human body for diagnosis and recommendations but we can also use our own body’s wisdom and self care to support our healing.

  106. “The companies that make profits from all these walking frames and walking aids and the pharmaceutical companies that create drugs for dementia may not want this news to get about, that changing our lifestyle to a more true and loving way of living can potentially prevent these ailments,.. ” The crazy part is that we might benefit from other’s problems / ailments but in truth we are all in the same boat if we do not live a truly healthy and loving life, because it is our lifestyles that determine our well-being. So we might benefit now but very likely will end up in the same mill when older because we haven’t changed anything to our lifestyle that is so clearly reflected in our elderly brothers.

  107. I am looking forward to and embracing my elder years because if I go by the last 14 years being inspired with the teachings presented by Serge Benhayon and one of the fundemental teachings to connect to my essence and bring self-love to what I already know is true. I feel younger and more vital than ever, even when I was fifteen running around playing touch rugby!

    1. So by that math, you’ll be a toddler again when you hit your eighties!! Joking aside, it is extremely powerful to see the wealth of lived examples of how these simple self-lovings steps can accumulate to such dramatic effects.

    2. It’s amazing to also see the photos of people as they grow older living according to what they feel from within and the presentation of Serge Benhayon. There is a steady but distinct increase in vitality and wellbeing that you can feel from the pictures.

  108. Life is medicine is healing and is here for us all to learn from and it is inspirational to see people as they age becoming more gracefully alert vibrant upright and claiming life and themselves in full and that this is really possible as it is.

  109. By attributing all our ailments and loss of function to age and genes only we are skillfully avoiding what we deep down all know: the way our body ages is for the largest part determined by the way we live our life. Life is medicine. The numerous people who have turned their health around and seem to only get younger every year because they have changed the way they live, are the living proof of this.

  110. Even in our elder years, we can still make significant changes that will heal our body and help us to understand how we have been living that has contributed towards our ill health. Understanding and taking responsibility is all part of the healing process.

  111. Rereading this blog it really makes me wonder what really makes us age? There is the inevitable physical deterioration and decline sure but maybe this is just part of it? Maybe what really makes us feel old and worn out is all the other stuff Carmel mentions here – the emotional and mental ‘baggage’ that weighs heavy on the body and in the body? The unresolved hurts, guilts, regrets, emotional turmoil, unsettlement and general tension that we really start to feel from very young but by the time we are in older age we have accumulated a lot and this must have an effect surely. So I can see why if these things are discarded and resolved why people would still feel rather sprightly and light and young at heart even though their physical bodies may be wearing out.

    1. And when we feel lighter and unburdened imagine how much more joy and fulfilment that can be shared.

    2. I make you totally right Andrew, take something like grief, if a person carries grief like a heavy burden their whole life it is sure to show mentally and physically in their twilight years

      1. Many elder women I meet live on their own for the first time in their lives after the death of their husbands. Each woman responds to bereavement in their own way, but for some it can be a struggle to find a sense of self meaning to life once their husbands have passed over. This lack of purpose can also be burdensome.

    3. I agree Andrew. De-cluttering isn’t reserved for homes but also our minds and bodies. To hold on to old stuff that no longer serves, clogs up the system and holds us back from living full lives and harms our sense of well-being. When we de-clutter ‘as we go’ on the inside and outside, we feel much lighter.

    4. This is a great point you make Andrew, that if we do not have years and years of mental and emotional baggage cluttering up our minds and bodies, then our whole being has the potential to be much lighter and more spacious, enabling us to move and think much more freely and easily.

    5. I agree, Andrew, for example, when you see men and women who are unhappy in their work or their life in general, there is a roundness to the shoulders, a slump in their posture that speaks volumes. Our posture makes a difference to how we feel and our feelings make a difference to our posture.

  112. My posture is improving as I age! Now in my late sixties…. Having had poor posture since back problems as a young child and then being tall and not wanting to stand out I contracted myself. No more.

  113. The elders who live in vitality are such great role models for how they show – without perfection – that there is another way to age, a way that does not necessarily mean losing oneself in the process.

  114. Yes, that becomes obvious as we are getting older but are we keeping our vitality or even increasing our vitality.

  115. Even if we are heading towards walking frames there are many different ways to deal with deteriorating physical health. Even joy is quite possible in such circumstances. It may not be easy but it is possible.

  116. Dementia and walking frames is not an inevitable part of ageing… nor is being depressed, crotchety and feeling a general sense of lack lustre. Being in joy, full of vitality and spark, is absolutely possibility.

    1. This is true Rachel, aging is so much more then our physical function. The way we feel, being open and loving, having purpose and joy, being active and not reminiscing about what should or could have been is all part of ageing gracefully and very much possible.

  117. In general the body of people who study and embody the teachings of Universal Medicine are incredibly well, something that is widely commented on. The vitality and vivaciousness is evident first and foremost in our eyes and reflected in our bodies. Even those diagnosed with cancer and other serious illnesses are still bright eyed and bushy tailed, confirming the deep nourishment that arises from connecting to our essence, love and fiery Souls.

    1. Yes, the presence of those Universal Medicine students healing themselves through a cancer diagnosis exude a stillness and inner contentment and vitality I’ve not seen in other people with serious illnesses.

  118. Every word you have spoken makes such sense Carmel – and at 73 I am aware that even though my body has been affected by wear and tear I can feel the joy in my body as I walk down the street – a certain beauty and grace that is deep down inside me. I have learnt step by step to gradually build a deeper sense of care in the way I move and how I treat my body with more tenderness. Universal Medicine along with traditional medicine is supporting me to have a full and meaningful life. I feel more alive now than I have done all my life.

  120. There must be an enormous market for walking frames and walking aids for the elderly, and it’s interesting how business and retail can change so hugely from year to year or decade to decade in order to meet society’s needs and health.

  121. Thank you for sharing this, Jane. It is important that we expose and talk about the corruption; we all know it goes on but still seem to want to keep it neatly tucked out of sight. We are talking about people’s wellbeing being affected by business profit margins, which is totally upside down decision making. In the case you mention we have a moment when common sense prevails.

  122. This is a brilliant conversation. It feels like ageing is another one of those areas in life (terrible twos, hormonal teens, midlife crises…) that we succumb to beliefs about how it is and let ourselves be led by that. What is offered here is the invitation to explore and build our relationship with ourselves from the inside out and make choices about how things unfold.

    1. The consciousness of old age seems to affect all the elders that I know – outside of Universal Medicine. There is something to be seriously investigated by the authorities, because I feel sure Unimed students will be less of a drain on scarce medical resources as we age.

  123. The more I do my best to embody the teachings of Universal Medicine, the more I come to appreciate that nothing in life is inevitable except for death. What I fully appreciate with these teachings is that they empower us to commit to life in full and prepare us for this inevitable step across dimensions without so many of the usual props we have come to accept as normal.

  125. As a society we have drawn pictures of what we imagine every single stage of our lives looks like, we then regulate ourselves to fit in with those pictures, thereby reducing our unlimited luminosity to the dreariest of smears.

  126. In so many ways the community that live in this way buck every trend of ill health and yet there have been no scientists from outside of it who have paid any attention to investigating further – this to me highlights just how misplaced our trust in science above our own feelings is.

    1. Sadly Science is now in the hands of those with money; funded research comes from chemical companies, pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, fizzy drinks companies etc, and anything set to reduce their profits, such as people living healthy lives and not needing their products, will be squashed. Look at what happens to those talking about sugar as a poison, doctors are no longer allowed to give nutrition advice – what nonsense. ‘Carry on eating what you’re eating so that I can give you this expensive medication that you wouldn’t need if you stop eating that’. There are too many vested interests in an unhealthy humanity, but eventually there will be enough people living this way and staying healthy and that cannot be ignored.

      1. Well said Carmel – it is not science itself but the intentions which have come to drive it commercially and with self-interests.

  127. It sure does Gill, I used to walk with my shoulders rolled in and a slight curve on my upper back, and I used to feel exhausted. But now, after Universal Medicine, I have gone through a huge transformation. When I look at myself in the reflection of shop windows when I walk, I can see my walk and posture is upright and my shoulders much more open and light, and I feel amazing. My movements have changed from being contracted to now being much more open, free and joyful.

  128. The way we hold our body and how we move communicates a lot and how we live is communicated through every part of our body. This reminds me of the street signs I see depicting figures of people holding a stick with their body bent over to indicate to drivers that there are elderly pedestrians around and to drive carefully. If I was to redraw this sign to communicate how the elderly people I meet at Universal Medicine hold their body it would be an upright figure and it would be hard to tell if they were in their 20’s or 80’s.

  129. Sometimes we see people struggle with their bodies and life and know that just beyond the limits of their awareness is the answer they seek, but are not yet ready or able to see it.

  130. It is not a failure to be an elder, with frailties and physical weaknesses, neither is it a given. So long as we learn from every life stage, we keep alive that inner spark that feeds vitality.

  131. This is beautiful, Elizabeth, such grace in your words. Mind you, I would say that the way so many of us are living today the wear and tear on are bodies is affecting us younger and younger. The beauty is that no matter our age connecting to our soul can be done at any time. The grace of our elders, like you Elizabeth can inspire those much younger to live differently and to live with this connection.

  132. Being in the youngest group of these you have stated, I can concur that we are getting younger, refusing to be a victim of time. Many of us have burnt some bridges in our past but the body is an amazing thing that adapts, and it is never too late to make changes that allow us to heal what we have abused. With this as a marker of what we can achieve in a short period of time to reverse our lifetime of abuse we have caused to our bodies, what will the children we are now raising from birth who are respecting themselves and making loving choices that support them, what will they be like when they have lived a whole life this way?

  133. Our Soul is ageless but spans across the ages. Reconnecting to this part of us is what holds us steady when our landscape shifts beneath us.

  134. To shrink away from life or to fully embrace it? This is the question we all must answer at every age and stage of our life and one that will directly impact how we approach the close of our incarnation – fully embracing life or retreating from it.

    1. Very much so and once we fully embrace life – or even start to embrace life – the impact can be dramatic.

  135. So true Elizabeth. Our bodies do grow older, there is at present no potion or lotion that can prevent that from happening. We can however continue to deepen our connection to our soul, an infinite supply of love that keeps on growing the more we nourish our selves on all dimensions.

  136. A very inspiring sharing Carmel on the real way we can live and change the concept of ageing to one of joy embracing, caring for our bodies and true movement with a grace quality and surrender to all we are and have lived.

  137. “…many have been working on letting go of lifetimes of burdens, hurts, guilt, all the mental stuff that wears us down and makes us feel small and later, old” – yes because if we keep hold of something like a big suitcase with things in it, eventually we get worn down and out by the sheer weight. Universal Medicine allows a person to ditch the things then eventually the case. Then we walk unhindered no matter whether we are medically diagnosed with illness, in a wheelchair, aged 80 or 20, the vitality inside our body is felt and emanated through our faces and skins.

    1. Yes, it is interesting to observe the elderly and the not-so-old who have illnesses such as cancer who are so full of light you wouldn’t know they were even ill, it is inspiring to see.

  138. How many products; equipment, procedures and pills are out there to fix something we have caused by our lifestyles? This prescription of fixes is worth billions of dollars. The only one that benefits from living a healthy, loving lifestyle, is the person, where is the profit in that, to these large corporations!

    1. I agree, Steve, there is a lot of money to be made from pharmaceuticals for the elderly, for example, not enough staff in care homes means residents get sedated to keep them calm and easy to manage.

    2. I so agree Steve. Slowly, slowly some doctors – in the UK – are catching on to the fact that lifestyle and our choices affect how we age healthily. It would seem like common sense to me.

  139. We are firm in what we think life is, yet if we brought this firmness to what we feel is true we may find our experience of life and what it is radically turns around.

  140. What a huge range of things we invent in order to manage our ills. I truly appreciate how Universal Medicine educates us in how to truly care for our bodies, cut the self criticism and learn how to nourish our body, heart and soul connection. Our bodies may at some point still require assistance as we age, but the medicine first sought is the connection to our inner essence, a powerful internal energy that naturally revitalizes us.

  141. I would say by experience that changing my diet along with developing a greater degree of love for myself by healing life long patterns of behaviour that actually weighed me down and burdened me making me feel old. Even though by age I am considered old I do not feel old as i now have a vitality, a steadiness in my walk and a joy in my life that was not there before, in this way ageing can then be a joy.

  142. We all know it, that the quality of our bodies and being is determined by how we live our lives leading towards age, but who does actually really care? Age seems to be far away, when young so far that it doesn´t seem to exist at least not for oneself. And sure, it doesn´t make sense to live only in anticipation and fear of what may come to avoid possible unpleasantries. But here Serge Benhayon simply presents to live caring and self-loving now because we deserve it now and then naturally we will bring that cared for and loved body and being step by step along the way; no anticipation or need for precaution, just the knowing that the future is guaranteed by the quality of the present.

  143. True, therefore there are so many people to study in this group of people who actively choose to engage with their lives and their health. Those who want to put Universal Medicine down need to do a longitudinal study on us – with clear reporting of their bias!

  144. It is worth asking if there is a vested interest because there is something not quite right about this. If we have, at our disposal, a way of changing the trajectory, then why are we not shouting it from the rooftops, but also why are we not engaging with it fully? We are the change agents in our own lives, so this is not just about what others are doing but seeing us as equally responsible.

  146. It will be great to see in the future the quality of our aged care systems transformed as people embrace self-nurturing and personal healthcare responsibility. A very exciting time ahead.

  147. An interesting point is made here – that the supportive equipment cause people to bend over further and therefore does not support a posture which in turn supports the body. Over time, especially in older people this will lead to or cause a further reliance on the equipment and they may lose strength and muscle tone required for their body posture and mobility.

    1. Yes, this goes for women and men too, this week I was helping a tall man with his walking aid – he has a large frame with cushioned forearm supports at the right height for him to walk upright but he still bent over despite my invitation to straighten his back.

  148. This is such a great blog to read as so many of us dread getting older and there are so many of us that don’t do it gracefully. Getting old isn’t heading towards the end but preparing for a new beginning so we can use what we have learnt and get on with it or check out and fade away, it is very much a choice.

    1. How many carbon copy lives have we all lived, or in today’s verbosity, repeatedly hit the reset button? We have the power to stop these fruitless cycles. They have always been just a choice away.

    2. Accepting the fact of reincarnation, brings purpose and meaning to every moment and stage of our lives. As we get older there is such an opportunity to let go of beliefs and dogma we adopted, that may have restricted us, and see the endless openness there is to be ourselves, spend time with others, build connection and community…

  149. My father was one that spent his life controlling his life and the things around him. He did all the man things required; family, house and job. Thinking back, I really can’t remember him being happy and forget joyful for he was always in control. In the end, dementia built the walls around him so he could manage everything within an arm’s reach. So, knowing and becoming myself part of that group of people that are sometimes called, over the hill, we are standing at the top of the mountain and looking towards the stars because we are just getting started!

  150. The body does degenerate with age but what has more impact on our well-being is our internal state, how we feel about ourselves and life. When we connect to our divine and multi-dimensional selves, old age is seen as a blessing, equal to every other life stage.

  151. “Let’s get healthy as we age – why not?” I work in the aged care sector and daily witness the damage life (we and through our choices) can inflict on our bodies as we get older. We need to change perceptions of ageing from something to dread, resent, put up with and see it as our wisdom years, to be enjoyed and be active contributors in our communities.

    1. Yes, what an opportunity. I am loving ageing – I am so young yet I saw the age I am now as so old when I was younger! I have found it to be all about perception and commitment to life.

  152. “Walk free”… I love that I can feel myself walking more and more free of my old physical and emotional heaviness.

    Something surprising I have been noticing for myself is that it is actually really challenging to accept how amazing I am, how truly good I can feel and what a positive influence I can have in the world when I “walk free” verses staying in my old hurts and patterns of feeling bad and acting small.

  153. I love the observation and the clear message that what we have settled for in terms of what we expect and accept about aging is neither true nor inevitable.

    The example Serge Benhayon and his family provide, shows clearly that for lifetimes what we have settled for in terms of what we expect and accept about who we are and how we live, has also been way off the mark.

  154. We dont actually need to accept anything as inevitable, whether it is about ageing or any other aspect of life. Choosing to live in a way that truly supports the body offers so much potential and it is literally miraculous as to what is possible as a result.

    1. Very true Sandra. When we put our bodies first and cherish our health and wellbeing from the inside out, the miracles that unfold are incredible. The more we commit to living a life of Love, the more we diminish the inevitable slide into old age, instead transmuting it into the dignified and expansive journey that it can be.

  155. I suppose a lot of age related diseases and illnesses are down to the fact that many of us sort of give up after we retire and take a back seat whereas the Ageless Wisdom shows us that we can keep being totally engaged with life right up until our final breath.

    1. I agree Kev and from this I also ask at what point do we start to give up? Is it only when we get older or has it really begun much earlier in life and it is only once we are in our later years that it start to manifest itself in physical and health conditions in our body.

    2. When we identify ourselves by what we do, if we don’t ‘do’ anything after we retire then there is no sense of purpose in our lives. Grandparenting fulfils many older people, but what if you have no grandchildren? Many retired people get involved in volunteering in their local community, and keep busy and it helps if they also take care to nurture their bodies.

      1. My dad was a farmer and a lot of his farming mates retired early and moved to the beach which saw a rapid decline in their health and all of them died a lot younger than they should have, probably because they lacked purpose. Farming is a way of life and keeps you very busy all of the time so going from that to doing nothing can’t be done if we want to stay vital and connected with a purpose.

  156. I live and work in an elders “retirement’ community. One observation I’ve made is the number of residents who go down to eat in the restaurant everyday, rather than cook for themselves (and then complain when food served is predictable or uninspiring). There’s little awareness of the benefits of lovingly buying, preparing and eating food we cook for ourselves. Cooking is seen as a drudge. People rarely meet to share meals in their own homes, but follow the format offered by the village. Isn’t this another example of giving up?

  157. We get the body and mind we have lived, as our patterns and behaviours become so set and entrenched as we age, we don’t want to face that so we check out. The key is to sort things out and learn from them along the way in life, and not store them up for our older years.

  158. Our posture can tell us so much about our state of being and quality of life – no wonder body language says so much.

  159. It is such a confirmation that it is never too late to make self-loving choices for ourselves and that really the younger you are when you start, imagine how we will be when we start to reach the elder years. If these elders are not inspirational then really what is!

  160. How we are in old age starts with how we are when we are young. Many of my mother’s generation lived well into their 90s and I know several centenarians. Perhaps their early life with plenty of fresh air, no computers and basic not processed foods gave them a good foundation for life, whereas it is possible that the next generation or even today’s younger generation, brought up with computer screens, TV and very little fresh air and exercise, processed foods packed with sugar and salt, stand little chance of surviving beyond their 60s or 70s.

  161. It’s clearly documented and researched that clean diet, exercise and social engagement are key to mental and physical health, but what you add here Carmel is the other dimension of love and self-worth: ‘Serge Benhayon, founder of Universal Medicine, is an inspiring presenter and his words are always confirming of the amazingness that we all innately are and he inspires us to connect with and live that innate love in our everyday lives. Living in this loving way, connected with the essence of who we are, keeps us young at heart and this is reflected in our faces and our bodies as we age with many experiencing a sense of self-worth not previously felt.’ The self love and self worth are foundational in giving ourselves the diet, exercise and type of relationships that in themselves are nourishing the health of our minds and bodies.

  162. If we only chose to consider the underlying energetic factors that lead to the various illnesses, disease and deterioration as the Ageless Wisdom has so clearly reminded us again and again throughout the ages, we would not be so quick at giving up and being resigned to half the ill conditions humanity is faced with.

  163. Under the inspiration of Universal Medicine I have put many health care checks in place; getting my bloods tested regularly, having my moles scanned, caring for my teeth, exercising regularly, having full medical check ups every two years, as well as giving up drinking, smoking, coffee, sugar, gluten and dairy. This all done by a man who 15 years ago, shoved whatever he liked into his body, never ever went to see a doctor and thought of his body as nothing more than a vehicle of function. There is more to learn, more to deepen, but I have ginormous appreciation for what I have been shown and also of myself for what I have put in place.

    1. Agreed ottobathurst, the personal responsibility, the commitment to life, the engagement with our own health, it has all gone up and the self-abusive choices that impact on the health system have gone down….surely that is something to be championed. The proof will be in the ageing pudding 🙂

      1. Modern science is constant and aggressively imposing the construct of evidence based medicine as being the only way to research and deliver healthcare. The students of The Way of the Livingness are a base of evidence that Universal Medicine works.

  164. “Serge Benhayon, founder of Universal Medicine, is an inspiring presenter and his words are always confirming of the amazingness that we all innately are and he inspires us to connect with and live that innate love in our everyday lives.” A Master of Love who innately confirms us from our essence first and foremost and knows that any expression that does not equal this immense love is an imposter. True compassion that empowers us to embrace our true worth and embody it to the max in our everyday living.

  165. ‘Let’s get healthy as we age…’ this is a great call and inspiration, something to give our attention to and an alternative to filling our diaries with doctor’s appointments and medication management… ‘why not?’

  166. “nothing is inevitable where it comes to ageing.” Too many people live life passively, accepting what they are told, consuming whatever they’re given with no regard to consequences. Many have given up when still alive, unaware there’s a way to master ones own life with dedication, love and self care.

    1. We teach true self-empowerment out of kids so very early – the system we have is very good at this as it leaves no room for a child to nominate what they feel and therefore what they truly know. In that hurt, they turn in on themselves and so many give up in the face of the overwhelm of an entire world that is locked up in the pain of not being met for who we are, which is so dysfunctional yet pretends that it is not. As you have suggested here the way out of this is so very simple; dedicating oneself to true self-nurture empowers us to see beyond the mess, to observe it and not absorb it so that we can be fully part of life yet withstand the assault of the lovelesseness that currently abounds.

  167. Have you noticed the size of the majority of people on electric scooters? Could it be that their lifestyle has made it hard for them to continue moving in life because of their choices.? With their motorised chair, they do not need to look at their options; just another mouth to feed… the scooter!

  168. Aging does not have to be an unhealthy experience, totally agreed Carmel – I am glad you have written and shared this blog for it does show that the way we age is largely due to the choices we have made – hence the quality of the body that ages is a reflection of how much we have actually stopped to look after ourselves and deeply care for the body and its needs. This is very inspiring indeed, no matter what age for it is never too late to begin the care and it is never too early to begin this too!

  169. The WHO certainly have discussed how the vast majority of illness and disease in our society is based on life style choices. Hence this means that if we are willing to change our lifestyle then many of the ills that we live with would be resolved. However, it seems we struggle to embrace this and actually put it into practice. I have people who often come in to my clinic at their wit’s end with the symptom picture of particular conditions and they say they will do anything to make the symptoms go away, but when you mention about working with the diet, they suddenly say that they are not willing to give up on certain things. What is it about us as human beings that hold onto the very behaviours that are major contributing factors to our ill health and often even champion those things, rather than embrace the change and the healing and the re-found vitality and love for life?

  170. In our current society, we see ageing and illness as synonymous – we seek ever increasing life spans, with ever increasing levels of illness and disease to plague the last years of our lives. But do we have to give up to this as an inevitable? In my life I am surrounded by older people who are working hard well into their 70’s and 80’s, looking no worse for the natural process of ageing as they take care of themselves and responsibility in their life

  171. Try and walk in a depressed way for a day and we can see how much of and impact our way of walking is. Imagine a whole life of walking with burdens and unhealed hurts and it makes sense how so many people are ill in their older age and need walking aids and or get dementia.

  173. “So, what is it about Universal Medicine that leaves the elderly walking upright? ” Maybe its the way we understand illness and disease and its purpose in life that keeps us walking tall. When we are empowered to feel the healing, blessing and cleansing in our bodies of everything that weighs us down our whole relationship with being ill, aging and even death fundamentally alters.

  174. It definitely feels like the more we stay connected to ourselves, be involved with our communities, keep physically active and take great care of ourselves, the less likely we are to check out and get ill health issues.

  175. Carmel there will be millions of people who if they had the opportunity to read this would be far more at ease in themselves that getting older does not mean less but can mean greater expression and vitality until passing over.

  176. Burdens can certainly have an impact on our physiology and levels of exhaustion, and so it makes sense that letting go of these may well benefit one’s wellbeing.

  177. Thanks to Universal Medicine and everything that I have seen and felt in Serge Benhayon and many other students and practitioners, I have learnt so much, such absolute gold, such incredible life skills, such a depth of understanding of how the world works, such an awareness of the bigger picture – insights that I have always craved but stuff that no school would ever teach me, stuff that my parents of course weren’t aware of, stuff that no religion or teacher or mentor has ever even got remotely close to. Universal medicine has radically and utterly changed my life and the way I live now and is unrecognisable from what it might have been had I not discovered this well of pure gold.

  178. Dementia is seeded by a lack of presence. I know this because I have felt it in myself; if I am not present, I forget things, I feel a fog come over me when I am talking with someone, I hear the words but they don’t sink in fully..I am not present. I do not have dementia, but I have definitely felt how it could start and where it comes from.

    1. Now that you come to mention it, I too have felt this and can see how easily it is to go into this dream world when things get tough or are just a little boring. The more we go into this state the less I suppose we realise we are in it and the harder it becomes to get out of it.

      1. Being bored is a definite sign of lack presence. When I consider the magic of the Universe, the wonderment of the science of how it all works and the unfathomable depth of what I have to learn and see then, if I am bored, I have to ask serious questions about how checked out I must be.

    2. Good call Otto to nominate how this can present in our own lives and sow the seeds of Dementia. Sometimes it’s in the small things that forgetfulness creeps in. I’ve become aware of how often I forget a person’s name seconds after they’ve given it to me. Definitely a sign of not being present.

      1. There is much in the world designed very specifically to distract you, to actually increase and enhance that feeling of disconnection and emptiness. It is a very specific evil that doesn’t want us to build that connection with ourselves. Why? Because if we are empty, we seek to fill or numb; food, entertainment, hobbies, alcohol etc all of which make people money…or, in the case of this article, dementia which makes lots of money for drug companies and care homes. We demand and it is supplied. The only way to stop this cycle is to re-build that presence.

  179. We are living decades more than in past times and so the more we can look after our bodies and adopt lifestyles that support our bodies the better our quality of life can be in our later years.

  180. This is well summed up. We age more quickly the more we hold on to our emotions and hurts and no matter how much we try to deny or to hide the effects of this on our body, the body never lies. However, I have watched people nominate hurts or coming out of an esoteric healing modality looking years younger after having let go of an issue!

    1. To attach to emotions creates tension, drains the body and this is what we walk with and leads to premature ageing. Feeling settled within is a blessing. It arises from participating in esoteric modalities and supported to nominate and clear what is buried in the body (hurt, sadness, resentment regret etc). As you say, once they nominated and clear an emotion from the body.people are transformed

      1. We can spend literally life times holding onto hurts. What I love about the esoteric modalities is that they can support us to let go of them in an instant. To me this is a true reflection of the power and love we are and the power and love we are held by.

  181. If you look at one of those evolution charts of primate to man charts that have taken millions of years to get where we are, what would the chart look like if you added just the last 30 years of our current lives to this chart? We would turn the chart into a bell curve! Have we, by our choices, chosen to de-evolve?

  182. Perhaps the problem relates to the consciousness ageing that pervades western countries. Research conducted by the University of Chicago has shown that people aged sixty-five and over who continue to work paid or unpaid and participate in purposeful life activities are healthier in body and mind. My own Mother, an example of this, worked and lived a full life until she died aged eighty-five.

    1. I love this Carmel and can feel this myself – great to simply bring more awareness to what we feel and allow our bodies to respond.

    2. In my fifties I am changing a lifetimes posture of forward slouching shoulders. It is an active choice and this simple thing is making a huge difference to how I feel… it is like making space for my heart to be at the forefront of my life.

  184. One of the most powerful modalities humanity has ever been given is the Walking Therapies that Serge Benhayon conducts. When we are freed of our cumbersome limitations and beliefs and shown how to move our bodies with fluidity and grace, it makes sense that the more we embody his work, the more we can walk tall in and by our selves.

  185. It seems to me that ageing is what we make of it, like life. While there are physical factors that we might have to deal with, based on the choices we made when younger, it is how we respond to those changes that determines everything else – and whether we embrace or reject what is happening, and maximise the learning from it.

    1. An old computer acronym GIGO garbage in garbage out, clearly places the error, not with the equipment. As you have said Bryony, it is not our vessel to blame, so the first place to find the source of the problem should be the mirror.

      1. I never heard this before Steve. Also GOGI – if we express garbage, then garbage comes to us. What you say about the mirror is so spot on and it’s the piece of the jigsaw that so many of us so gladly avoid. We express and consume garbage without stopping to look in the mirror to see the consequences and also to ask the question – why?

    2. I agree Bryony, I just got off the phone with my mum who is about to turn 88 and she was telling me what she had been up to in the last weekend, it was full of social occasions, a funeral and various other activities including working in an op shop, she is still full on every day. If we lead full active committed lives there is no reason we can’t just carry on if we have our health.

      1. I have known many that have retired and most remark that they are so busy they don’t know how they had time to work in the past! But then there are others that just wanted to stop and put their feet up. The two ends of retirement. What happens if, illness sets in? Our purpose and outward motions come to a stop, and we must face something we have been avoiding or running from, the end of this life. If we are healthy and living with purpose, the end is just a new beginning!

  186. Living truthfully with joy, love and harmony in life, reflects to people, that age ain´t nothing but a number. In fact in my experience, your age can´t get guessed as well as to other people, when it comes to age. As there is no usual parameter, that people can compare you with.

    1. And certainly the people I meet who are students of Universal Medicine defy being categorised by age… eye sparkles that keep everyone feeling and looking vital and full of life.

  187. It is a belief, that when you get old, you´ll become sick and frail. What if you actually become more and more beautiful the older you get? And sure, your body will have its limits by its natural age, but that does not mean, that you have to become a nursing case by all means only because you reached a certain age.

  188. Absolutely Ariana, we can also feel the difference our lifestyle choices make on a day to day or moment to moment level – every small choice adds to the quality we feel in our bodies.

    1. Look at the faces of the students and it is truly inspiring to age – no fear of getting old here!

  191. We need to challenge what we consider “normal” ageing because the people whom you describe here Carmel are obviously ageing in a completely different way.

    1. And the same way we should challenge the way of aging, we should challenge the belief, that children, no matter what age, are not wise, not knowing and need to learn life through us adults first.

      1. Yes the playing small and sharing that the children ‘do not know’ in order to lessen the quality that is available for all to learn when we embrace the wisdom with no barriers of age.

    2. The new normal is becoming an ill cycle. Teenagers have no jobs and take lots of drugs; what is the difference between them and old people? Yes, we need to challenge the new normal, it is killing us!

  192. Well thanks to meeting Serge I must say I feel like I am getting healthier as I age as when I met him I smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish and didn’t see the point in exercise because I do a physical job. Inspired by Serge to exercise to support my job has been a game changer for me and so supportive to my body and not smoking or drinking has not only done the body the world of good but also my relationships as well.

    1. Yes, exercising to be fit for the way we live and work is indeed very important. I don’t have a physical job but we live in an area where there are lots of hills and just walking up and down the garden is a hill climb! I have noticed that when I don’t exercise regularly I wake up feeling stiff but when I do just a few stretches and weight bearing exercises every day it makes a huge difference to how I feel.

      1. Walking is a mark of being alive and regenerative… And yet go into any aged care home and what you meet are residents who sit down all day, everyday, meals prepared for them, when they could prepare them themselves. I hear a new proposal in the UK is to move aware from residential care homes and build more supported self contained units where people can maintain their independence.

  193. People can live well into their eighties and nineties vibrant and in good health, It is not necessarily the life span but quality of life span. Living sedentary, isolated lives, sat in front of TV sets instead of outside or actively engaged in life, expecting things to be done for us as we get older kills vitality, leads to stagnation and ill-health.

  194. Why are men’s suicides highest from 40 to 50? Is this the point we give up completely? What do we show those younger than us what living a vital, full life can be when we age? With our reflection of how we have avoided, skipped or survived this period is a marker for all those younger than us, that we are all the light at the end of the tunnel!

  195. It’s wonderful that that kind of news is getting out there, but it all comes down to our own choices. It’s not that taking a great care of ourselves, loving ourselves, has never been an option, it’s that we are choosing something else. Not wanting to get a certain disease might be a good starting point for us to look at the way we live and are with ourselves.

  196. On a Greek Island, a woman in her eighties walks down steep marble steps towards me carrying what appears (to me) to be a heavy suitcase. I offer to assist her, she smiles and declines my offer gracefully. She say it’s nothing, for her it isn’t a burden or a struggle but part of her everyday. This quality of elders taking responsibility well into their nineties, being physically active and part of a community has inspired me during my stay on this beautiful island.

  197. As much as all these useful aides are needed as people age, it is great to know that it does not have to be like that. My mother had full-blown Alzheimer’s at the age I am now and I have always known that it was a posture of having given up, on herself, her family and life. It certainly didn’t start overnight, it was a long and slow progression from her 40s into her early 60s and beyond. I feel free to write about this now as she has been dead for over 20 years and it might just let people know that we have a choice, always and forever.

    1. Yes Gabriele, the giving up stance can begin early in life. There is never just one stage in life where we give up; how we are in later years or old age merely reflects the quality of life to that point. Powerful to know we can change the trend at any age by taking responsibility for our lives and health.

    2. So true and so prevalent with the rates of early retirement, constant holidaying and the thought of working full time in your 50’s is looked at oddly. There is an acceptance in society that working long hours over a certain age is harming. Giving up on life has its ramifications.

  198. Today I noticed the lack of love in many cases both in areas (shops and salons etc) and people. I also noticed how we live, our livingness, totally changes this and brings something different … and it does not cost a thing. Surely we need to find out more about this #UniversalMedicine

  199. The one inevitable of aging that occurs if we truly surrender to it, is that we deepen the connection to our wisdom. There can be no better counsel that an older person who knows truth and speaks it from the depth of their hearts.

  200. “I read an article recently about Dementia that mentioned the stunning effect a change of diet had on one woman who totally recovered her senses and no longer had dementia.” I heard also on the news the other day that a prominent male figure had cured his Type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes. He’s suggesting lifestyle changes could save the collapse of the NHS – Whether people are ready and willing to make those changes is another matter, though the fact remains; care with our lifestyle can bring us into old age feeling amazing.

    1. Love this contribution Rosanna. Be great if you could reference the article you read on Dementia. Someone I know diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetic has through diet and exercise reversed the diagnosis and is now described as “pre-diabetic’

      1. It was an interview on the Today Programme BBC radio 4 on Wednesday, he was a type-2 diabetic but shared had reversed the condition recently through diet and exercise – since summer 2017 he’d lost seven stone (44.5kg) and added that he’s now off medication for diabetes. Lifestyle changes are potent medicine.

      2. Thank you Rosanna. Since my comment I did my own research and came across an article of an 82 year old woman who over one year reversed memory loss caused by Alzheima’s disease through by changing her diet and exercise more. As you say, rather than focus on prescription medication, lifestyle choices post diagnosis are ‘potent medicine’ and can reduce symptoms of disease.

      3. Examples like these have open up great possibilities for aged care homes. Unfortunately, in my experience little consideration is given to quality and type of food served and few resident’s supported to exercise on a daily basis. Perhaps a misnomer to call these residences ‘care’ homes.

      4. Amazing stories. But in truth they are amazing because they are so absurdly rare. The changes that these people have made don’t cost any money, don’t need complicated medical intervention or support and are freely available to every single person no matter their location, income or age. No wonder he said it could save the NHS from collapse – YES! And Hoorah to Universal Medicine (the clue is in the title) who have been teaching this stuff for 18 years. #leadingtheway

      5. Yesterday, I attended free event called ‘The Truth about Cancer’ organised by an African-Caribbean community group in North London. Different presenters shared their lived experience of healing themselves; prostate cancer, Type 2 diabetes, a rare form of Lymphoma cancer. The beauty of this congregation was people’s curiousity and and openness to have conversations about their own health, take responsibility and change lifestyle. I sensed a whiff of rebelliousness in the air, not passive recipients accepting only what ‘the doctor ordered’, they were finding their own way. I may not have agreed with all approaches presented, but was inspired that people shared information on non-prescription medicine that exists, including change of diet and harmful effects of TV for example. It lacked the coherence of Universal Medicine teachings, but a start had been made.

      6. The traditional approach to cancer research and treatment has cost literally billions and billions of dollars and yet the numbers still rise. People are beginning to see that we need to look deeper.

  201. ‘Let’s get healthy as we age – why not?’ It is kind of accepted that when we get older, we will be ill or at least have all kind of pains and aches, no longer upright but bent over and yes, nowadays we are used to seeing people walking or shuffling with their walking frames where ever we go. There is nothing against using a walking aid but why do we not consider that it is not natural to be old in this way and then I did not even mention the amount of medication older people are on day in day out.

    1. Health and ageing can be synonymous, but more the exception today than norm. The hugely profitable pharmaceutical industry keeps the elderly alive with medication. Most have lost connection with the natural vitality that lives within them.

    1. Wow – Love this sharing Elizabeth. I can feel the deep love in and through you for others.

    2. Love this comment Elizabeth. It’s absolutely true – we can support each other by valuing each other and expressing our appreciation for each other for who we are. This, in turn, supports our bodies and the way we feel about ourselves. The fact that it can change how we walk, how tall we are, how communicative we are and so much more is so basic and so awesome.

  203. This is a fantastic sharing Carmel. The vitality of people attending Universal Medicine presentations is truly remarkable and quite a contrast to people living in care.

  204. There are many things that help us to walk with an upright posture and being heart-centred is one: being aware of connecting to our inner heart and allowing what is deep inside to impulse our movements, the ensuing self worth that emerges automatically inspires us to straighten up. We are good at making eye contact with people, our heads are held up, not in arrogance I trust, but with confidence. Letting go of burdens of life, not indulging in emotions, appreciating rather than judging, all these things affect the way we move, making it lighter round our shoulders.

    1. An interesting one this Carmel. I reflected to someone that when she walked she looked down at the floor and how this rounded her shoulders. She also reflected to me about my posture. With new awareness I’m working on correcting this and notice the difference in how I feel when I sit or move with shoulders fully expanded. I feel enlivened, open and empowered. This show how important it is to be honest and lovingly communicate what we observe to another, as it gives them an opportunity to change it.

    2. I was just reflecting on the saying that is often referred to ‘they’ve had a hard life’. And reflecting on when we live a ‘hard life’ – which would suggest hardship, struggle, adverse life events or trauma, there are inevitable emotions that come along with having to get through these life challenges, and that what shows in the face and posture is more than the ‘hard life’ events per se. I wondered if they were to be shown a way to deal with these events in a different way, one that kept them steady and not buffered by those emotions, one that supported them to let go of the trauma or stored emotion whether their faces would tell a different story. I’m pretty sure they would, and why I can surmise this is because I have witnessed huge changes, people looking younger over time, by leaving behind the ‘hard life’ as they embrace Universal Medicine and the healing lifestyle it supports.

  205. Why do we turn our noses up at the simplest of solutions? The voices are getting louder every year; our lifestyles are self-fulfilling prophecies of ill health!

    1. I wonder why it is only when we get to ill health and to the point of almost being broken that we are prepared to look at life another way. It would be much simpler to reflect and change well before disaster strikes.

      2. The beauty of Serge Benhayon is he invites us to care for and love our bodies as part of everyday. We don’t have to wait for an illness to present before we take stock and begin to make changes.

    2. Our pride rejects the simple solutions because those expose our addiction to drama and making it all about us. Get ourselves out of the way, listen to our bodies and move.

  206. It seems quite bonkers that we have grown huge industries based on ill health and hence should we dare to promote that fact that a huge percentage of our ills are life style induced, will aim to silence that message as quickly as they can. I wonder how many drug companies, and other industries for that matter, bribe our polititians, institutions and media to promulgate fake news about any organisations or businesses that educate people about life style choices that not only promote good health, but redress a massive range of ills and seemingly incurable diseases just by changing the way we live?

    1. We have invested in complication because deep down we know that all of the answers lay in simplicity. But for now we’re intent on stalling for more time to be irresponsible. For the moment we’re heavily invested in putting off facing the consequences of our actions because there’s simply way too much responsibility involved. But we’re on borrowed time and there’s a part of us all that knows that ultimately we can’t put off the inevitable forever, one day we’re going to have to come face to face with the truth.

  207. In nursing homes old people often get forgotten and not really honoured to their last breath. This is not to say that there are not staff in there that care, but most often these days the nursing homes are run as a profitable business with the focus on the profit rather than the people. However, it does not have to be this way, and true care can come into the care for the elderly. One such area that can begin to change is the food as aspects as this plays such an instrumental role in how we feel and the vitality we have for the day with the food choices that we make. It would be amazing to see how much difference there would be in the quality of a nursing home and its residents with making simple changes in diet such as removing sugar and other inflammatory food ingredients such as gluten and dairy. Imagine if this could be done as a study!

    1. Too many lobby groups that defiantly defend the invented benefits of sugar and dairy, to name just a couple of non-food items that were never meant to be ingested by human beings.

  208. Amazing how dietary changes alone can be powerful enough to shift illness and disease – and yet diet only represents a small portion of its effects on the body … imagine now adding in other life style changes… and hey presto half the world’s illness and disease would be reduced significantly if not wiped out! Wow. So simple. And yet such a resistance to make the change that we know we really need to be making. This is something worth exploring, but in the meantime, it is well worth shouting off the rooftops as you have Carmel, that it does not have to be doom and gloom as we age – that there are choices we can make that allow our lives to be more full and fun and grace and vitality! There is so much more than diet to look at but it is at least an amazing start.

  209. Awesome blog Carmel – very simple in its message and yet super powerful – we can age gracefully and it does not have to be down a road that has dementia and wheelie walkers!

  210. It is wonderful to see so many older people embracing thier age, and looking and feeling younger than they did 10 or 20 years ago, with not a walking frame in sight. And all because of the way they are choosing to live. It’s deeply inspiring.

  211. Gorgeous Carmel – a great reminder that health has no age, in that it’s more to do with living an energy that’s true – it’s this that ultimately agrees with us.

    1. Simple and true Andrew, and true health and vitality come from deep within the body and not from the superficial aspects we might be seeing.

  213. Nowhere it is more noticeable as to the number of people using walking frames, than in a rest home where I visit quite often and if I happen to be there around meal times I have great difficulty in getting to where I need to be as there are so many frames blocking my way. What is also so obvious is the lack of vitality in the users of these supports, but when you cast your eyes over the food they are being fed you can understand why. It is definitely not food that will support the residents through the last phase of their lives.

  214. Wellbeing. True wellbeing should be a fundamental element of learning and true education for all throughout all our stages in life. The word wellbeing is used a lot more now and many companies are holding wellbeing events and workshops etc for staff which is great, BUT .. are we just skimming the surface with this or are we truly (and I mean truly) getting to the root cause of things? Mmmm i wonder. Well from my experience and from attending a fair amount of workshops, courses, treatments throughout the years held by many different people on what wellbeing meant to them nothing compared to this when I met Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine where ‘lifetimes of burdens, hurts, guilt, all the mental stuff’ did actually start to shift and get healed. It makes sense doesn’t it that how we live affects our wellbeing including anything we are holding onto that is unresolved. There is so much for us to explore here.

  215. With the constant rise in illness and disease we need to seriously look at what is working and what is not, obviously diet and lifestyle play a huge part in all this. A future world where we could all look forward to better heath as we age is a winner for all so why not look to those who are living this future already.

  216. “The companies that make profits from all these walking frames and walking aids and the pharmaceutical companies that create drugs for dementia may not want this news to get about..” The full extent of the trillion dollar corruption of Big Pharma is still a long way for being understood and revealed, but the simple fact is that a healthy society is bad for business – and boy-oh-boy we need to see what is being done to prevent this from happening.

    1. The day will come when we do feel into our bodies and how our choices affect the way we live our lives. Where will we then, spend all of those trillions of dollars?

      1. Oh my gosh Steve. Imagine if the whole world did an audit on the money spent that truly evolves us compared to the money spent maintaining the lies, tension, circulation and comfort that we are all so wedded to. It’s too big to contemplate – but what I can contemplate and what is my responsibility is my own personal audit – where am I investing money, time, energy, effort? Absolutely there is still a whole lot that definitely isn’t in the ‘evolution’ column.

      2. Wow Steve that is an earth stopping question as for now most of the money spent is to find a way to keep doing what we do but simply not having to bear the consequences. It would indeed change the world on his head as Otto has replied.

    2. Agreed. We need to take out the word profit and replace this with people. As from my experience when we truly make it about people first the profit naturally follows.

      1. Well said Vicky. And/or recalibrating what we consider ‘profit’ to actually truly be, because it is so much more than just a + sign at the end of balance sheet.

    3. Yes, ‘The full extent of the trillion dollar corruption of Big Pharma is still a long way from being understood and revealed’ but being revealed it is, thanks to Social media. Although a lot of lies get printed in the media, many promulgated by the big pharmaceutical companies themselves, there are a few ‘little people’ who, before they are gagged, can still get the true news out there. Slowly slowly truth will out. Eventually it is my feeling that all of corruption will be exposed as more and more human beings demand ethical trading, business integrity and simple honesty in all our commercial dealings.

      1. Yes, the hiding places are getting harder for them, but that just means that Big Pharma up their tactics, by spending more money buying the output of the research. Own the facts and you own the solution; that is how they operate. That said, I do share your glimmer of optimism Carmel that the veneer is beginning to crack.

    4. We are collectively so fuelled and motivated by security that we put this over and above people. One day, however, this balance will tip but things will inevitably have to get a lot more intense before we are willing to see the sum total of the rot we allow.

    5. Also the companies that run a lot of these homes for the elderly and people with dementia are in it for the profit, it costs an absolute fortune to keep someone at one of these facilities and in some of them I bet the care takes second place to the profit.

      1. I don’t doubt it kevmchardy. But I find it interesting to reflect this back on myself. Putting profit before care is ultimately a case of saying “get it done, no matter at what cost”; and this is something that we all need to consider; are we prepared to sacrifice our own self-care to get something done? how about our connection to our bodies? Or energetic integrity? So many times, I have allowed the momentum of wanting to get it done, over-ride the quality in which it is done; which is exactly the same as putting profit before care.

    6. “a healthy society is bad for business” This is utterly damning. Roll on the day when we no longer avoid the truth.

      1. It’s so true though….and it’s the same with the food industry. If people aren’t hungry it’s bad business so food manufacturers are actively and consciously designing foods that not only don’t biologically satiate you but also actually activate the body’s receptors that tell you you are still hungry. It’s a trillion dollar industry and huge amounts of money are spent on scientific research to design foods that make us crave more. The hungrier we are, the more we eat, the better for business. Simple. But catastrophic for society’s health and also for the health systems that then have to bear the brunt of this rampant excess.

      2. When we consider the major industry players in our day-to-day, like food and pharma (neither of which we can do without as a society), even the explosion of gyms and yoga classes in the ‘health and fitness industry’ it’s easy to see the supply of everything that keeps us away from being truly healthy, as you say, each designing their products to keep us endlessly craving more, and by that, demanding more, which of course, hands are rubbed, and it is supplied. We lap it up and it goes round and around. There will be a point when it does go bang as we start to see the rot, corruption and intent of these industries, and towards that point I agree with Steve’s first comment, that we simply feel into our bodies and how our choices affect the way we live our lives.

  217. I love what you say about the burdens that we carry. Being healthy is as much about what you let go of as it is about how you take care of yourself. And it makes absolute common sense; a burdened body is far more likely to breakdown.

  218. Well observed and expressed Carmel. I have been attending Universal Medicine events for over 10 years now and this made me realise just how much I take it for-granted in how healthy everyone is. Even if people do present with cancer or other serious aliments there is still a vitality and joy within them. Quite remarkable that this could be our normal just through the way we live. Also an awesome point you made about walkers for there is nothing wrong with using a walking stick or aid if needed but why are walkers made in such a way where the person has to hunch over with them and cannot stand up straight. Surely the companies that make these are doing it to truly support others so this should have been a key element during the design.

  219. What if what we are witnessing here through the grace of the elder generation who have made the study of Universal Medicine their living norm are showing us the true inevitable effects of growing old: to deepen their connection to their wisdom, share their experience, joy and love, take huge care of their bodies and commit to life until their very last breath. If we all take heed of their lifestyle and philosophical choices then maybe Walkers and Dementia become the exception in our old age not the norm.

  220. I too am deeply, deeply appreciative and I am absolutely inspired by what Serge Benhayon presents and is offering to humanity. He continuously inspires people to live a love-filled life that emanates vitality, joy, and health, and that aging is simply a deepening of these qualities.

  221. This is amazing Carmel, there is nowhere else I have witnessed people living in a way that is reversing the current trends. Thank God for Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for inspiring people to live more vital, healthy, responsible and loving lives, and absolutely bucking the current lifestyle trends.

  222. ‘Living in this loving way, connected with the essence of who we are, keeps us young at heart and this is reflected in our faces and our bodies as we age with many experiencing a sense of self-worth not previously felt.’ To be honest I have never before met such a group of people who look younger than their years and so at ease with life.

  223. One day we may realize that dementia is a choice and not something that just happens to us when getting older. Then we can start considering the actual cause and the appropriate course of healing.

    1. So true Alexander. We choose to disconnect from life and not be present and connected to our body. This can start much earlier than we think but because it is a gradual process we miss the signs our body is showing us so by the time dementia has finally been diagnosed it is well developed. Knowing the actual cause, and understanding the body from an energetic perspective and being willing to see that at some point in our lives we choose to give up on life, will support us to heal dementia and not just manage it.

  224. That’s a good question, Doug, I certainly know that I have used food as a numbing device to stop my body from feeling, as are distractions like TV. I know individual substances like aluminium get blamed for some diseases but our whole way of eating could be an issue.

  225. We are not subject to ageing, we are the master of ageing in a way that we pass over in complete disconnection to that which we know is true.

    1. I love this perspective on ageing Michael. Yes, we are masters at holding on to our hurts, ideals and beliefs and so control the process of getting older by ageing considerably, decidedly not wishing to connect to the essence within and the truth it holds.

    2. A great call for responsibility Michael for if we admit we know exactly what we are doing we can look at why we are doing it and no longer pretend we are simply subjects to life and circumstances.

  226. I agree Carmel, the companies that make profits from walking frames and walking aids and the pharmaceutical companies that create drugs for dementia may not want this news to get about. I’ve seen and experienced myself, that bringing around my lifestyle to a more true and loving way of living has brought health benefits – that would suggest it can potentially prevent these ailments. Very worth exploring more.

  227. It isn’t any wonder we don’t want to get old when we have the pictures that being old is all about being sick and possibly immobile, and yet when I look at the Esoteric Community of Elders, there is not one ounce of giving up and waiting to die.

    1. How many of us cling to life and our possessions we have acquired as we age? It is like swimming with lead boots. By releasing all of the things to include values, beliefs and physical stuff, there is a pressure on ourselves we have created that lifts and allows us to view the world in a whole new way without pictures.

  228. The fact is that the percentage of people with illness and disease among the Universal Medicine students is well below that of the general public. But beside that the hugely significant factor to me is the growing level of vitality, joy, relationships and contribution in life regardless of any ailments. This in itself is remarkable.

  229. All of our choices throughout our lives make us what we will be in later life, and if we can let go of the burdens and sorrows we accumulate along the way it stands, to reason that we would be more upright and be able to walk unaided by not carrying around all that baggage.

  230. I’m on the roof tops with you Carmel shouting “we don’t need to be sick as we get older, we can take good care of our bodies and walk free”, and I like you, and many of our age, are the most inspiring advertisement for this truth. But as you say, there may be many businesses out there who do not want this message to get out into the world as they make their money from the infirmities of others. And the best way I know to keep on ‘shouting’ this message to the world is to live in such a way that inspires others to know that ageing does not have to be all downhill.

    1. I am too standing on top of the roof with you Ingrid and Carmel. You are both deeply inspiring women showing us how aging can be a deepening and expansion of our beauty and grace, and it is not the other way around as our current society is depicting.

  231. There are lots of images associated to the process of ageing that make us think that this is the only way when we will become elder. Universal Medicine and their elder students are the proof that we don’t need to end like that, as we can have a healthy, responsible, active and joyful life, honouring ourselves in every situation, endlessly learning and sharing what we are until our last breath.

  232. Why do some people look ageless? A pristine well looked after classic car or one that was a wreck and then restored is just examples of how we appreciate and take care of our car. Are we all, not ageless classics when we are born?

  233. There is often a dread and a fear of aging in our society and this is most likely due to the state of physical and mental health we see reflected in our current older generation. I must admit, I quietly felt this same dread and fear in the past but now, since Universal Medicine and seeing the amazing role models and inspiration from the elders at the Universal Medicine events, I am totally inspired by them. They all look joyful, vital and in great health. I also see people in their 80’s walk with confidence, purpose and grace, and I am deeply inspired by them and I know that aging can be a joyful process.

  234. Many people take care of themselves but what makes the care that the students of Universal Medicine and The Way of The Livingness is the conscious choice we make in the energy we choose to align to, our Soul.

  235. When we put our attention to the quality of our inner world it benefits our entire physique, which can only ever kowtow to our emotional and mental states. Universal Medicine is empowering so many to transform the quality of our health by healing our internal dilemmas so that as we age we relinquish the need to prop our bodies up with anything other than the quality of our wisdom and love, our core strength.

  236. it is not so much time that ages us, although of course the physical body will have it’s own ageing. It is much more the unresolved hurts and emotions, the relationship with ourselves, the reactions to the world around us, the way we (do not) care for and nurture ourselves our diet, our consumption in general and our way of working and living that ages us. Our bodies and faces our telling the stories of the choices we have made. The great news is that as is shown by the thousands who have taken the steps, for a great part this is reversible.

  237. In the past few months I have met a lot of new people and most of them have gaged me as being around 35-37 years old. I am 47 and even though it is a nice compliment to me it shows the power of changing our life as I do not only look 10 years younger I feel physically 25 years younger.

    1. I went for a full medical check up recently. The nurses thought I was early thirties when actually I am 47. To me this says two things; the first is obvious – that I am looking after myself well…the second is more interesting to me; that society’s standard of well-being has dropped to such a low level that someone of my age who presents with no serious health conditions, regular bloods, not over-weight, skin, teeth and bones all in good nick, etc…is such an anomaly that the presumption is that I must be 15 years younger. So the story here is not how good my health may be…but how bad the health of most of society is. We are accepting a very low standard as our normal.

      1. Well said Otto it is not that we are the ones that are not normal, we have accepted what is not natural and a much more dire state of being as our normal. Simply look back to the pictures of people in the 1950’s to 60’s. Even with all the improvements in our health and beauty industry, we rarely see the vitality and radiance seen in some of those pictures in people today.

      2. Totally agree and as another example, I was just speaking with a psychotherapist today who was the resident counsellor in two English Universities. The drugs that these young adults are now taking when they party are so extreme that they literally obliterate them into zombies for 24 hours. That is where they are going to to escape the stresses and tensions of their lives. I am definitely not saying that any kind of drug taking is remotely normal – but it illustrates how the situation is getting more and more dire and extreme – and still we consider this as just “young people letting off a bit of steam”.

    2. Carolien, this is so cool what you shared here, and funny enough I am the same age as you and have had some identical comments made recently at work, with most people flat out not believing me when I tell them my age. Surely there is more going on here than simply eating well and exercising. The Way of the Livingness encompasses every aspect of our lives and how we can not only heal our past hurts and burdens, but step into a way of living that is truly vital and claiming of our Divine origins, hence the predominant lack of needing walking assistance devices by the elders living this Way.

      1. Great point Michael, our food is only a small part of what we have changed and if done in truth that change is a consequence of the other changes we have made. Healing our hurts and emotions, being present and in our bodies, changing the quality of our movements, brining in responsibility and integrity, learning to let people in and deepening our awareness are some of the great offerings of The Way of The Livingness that has brought us to where we are today. Life, every aspect of it, truly is our universal medicine.

  238. Our way of life is either healing or harming, it is this simple and as time goes by those who live by the principles of the Ageless Wisdom show more and more that life is indeed medicine. What type of medicine is entirely in our own hands.

    1. So true Carolien – our own movements add up to our current situations and so too will our movements add up to our future.

  239. Not only can we take good care of our body and move more freely, we can actually even in old age improve our body, sometimes dramatically so.

  240. Universal Medicine is not taking away the ailments of age by any miracle, actually it simply honours every person, every body in whatever state of health they are and it is by this deep respect, understanding and care that a sense of wellbeing beyond the physical is ignited.

  241. Yes before any physical illness it is the issues, ideals and beliefs we carry around and become true burdens if we don’t heal them.

  242. I have seen people come out of early dementia like it were a choice… and so clearly so that it has made me stop and wonder if that is actually the case both ways.

  243. Its great to consider here that dementia and walking frames don’t have to go hand-in-hand with ageing… particularly if you have a life style of self awareness, self-love, self-regard, self-nurturing and self-care… ..qualities that maintain connection with your body.

    1. That’s correct Johanne, our health doesn’t have to decline when it comes to aging. Also, with self-awareness, self-love, self-regard, self-nurturing, and self-care, we can turn our life around no matter what age we are.

  244. there is a case here to get healthy as we age for sure – we have nothing to lose – and everything to gain. The way we live does not have to lessen because we age – in fact I know many people who are getting healthier as they age – and in this is the living proof of them feeling more vital and more themselves than ever.

    1. So true HM – it’s as if so many people give up as they age, then society also plays a role in this, as do we collectively value those at this stage of life – learning for us all.

  245. Curious to see a proliferation of mobility aids to support physical disabilities on the market and yet few true ways to support elders regain inner mobility and balance.

  246. Breaking down those images is so important Carmel and it’s great to hear it from the coal face and see you and many others age with grace and vitality- I no longer fear getting old because of this, thank you for blazing the path.

    1. Same here Monica, I too no longer fear aging because of the amazing role models I see around me at Universal Medicine who are in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s looking vibrant, joyful and healthy.

  248. Universal Medicine has had a major impact on my health – in the best possible way. Becoming more responsible for my health and life choices has enabled me to feel younger now than I did when I first came across Universal Medicine over ten years ago now.

  249. “And then it occurred to me that, of all my Universal Medicine friends, none of them use walking aids, including many who are well into their eighties.” This is such a great point Carmel. This is so different to society in general. I go to an older people lunch club (some younger than me) once a month to present sitting yoga and so many there use aids of some form or another.

  250. The real reality of what you are sharing here Carmel is amazing and something to really appreciate as humanity and our ageing global concern and dilema is increasing every day. We have the power to change the whole ageing process to one of embracing our lives our elder wisdom and contribute and give back to the world instead of opting out declining and giving up. The joy of ageing is something to deeply embrace by our livingness and quality we live our lives from within. Universal Medicine is setting new standards to deeply appreciate of how we live in every aspect and moment of our lives lovingly.

  251. A beautiful sharing and observation of the fact of the vitality and health of those living with Universal Medicine of all ages with a quality of life that brings the fullness and joy of who we are and this is felt and effects our movements, posture and daily life remarkably compared to the normal accepted ageing and living of life in the world. A real inspiration to our choices and how we live that changes everything and takes true medicine into our own hands with the support and amazingness of healing techniques and conventional medicine where needed.

  252. When you take the time to watch the students of The Way of The Livingness and see their state of being, the quality they walk in and the vitality in there eyes then you can not deny the fact that they look joyful and full of life, and yes it is deeply inspiring to see this in the elder community as well and that we are the makers of our future.

  253. While wheelchairs, walking frames and walking aids with wheels are needed and very supportive for the well being of those that need them we also need to be supported in our lifestyle choices we make on a daily basis. The medical profession is aware and claim that illness and disease are caused by the lifestyle we live so wouldn’t it be worth studying the elderly that are students of The Way of the Livingness.

    1. I agree Caroline. A wealth of evidence exists in the lives of Universal Medicine students (of all ages) that gives insight into how to achieve true health and well-being. But who is listening? And even when students are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses we learn and are inspired by their accounts of recovery and healing.

    2. Yes, it may be valuable to learn from those who are able to live the understandings and insights of medicine on a day-to-day basis.

    3. I agree with what you share Caroline. The medical profession have been very clear in stating something like 80% of our current health related problems are caused by lifestyle. To look at a large group of people who have been committed to changing their lifestyle to a healthier one and observing the results is well worth a study. As a group we are proving the medical profession correct with their understanding -that by changing lifestyle we can change our health…. very much so.

  254. This is a beautiful testimony to the fact that the body is the marker of all truth, and in this case it is the truth of the Ageless Wisdom as presented by Universal Medicine.

  255. Thank you Doug for sharing about an area that you know about intimately.
    When it is truly understood that “dementia is a disease of presence, brought on by choosing to check out of life”, our approach to it will be radically different and we will be able to offer far greater support to those facing the situation.

  256. I have set a pattern for working in a job for 20 years and then moving on to the next. I have done this twice and five years into my next 20-year gig. What keeps you young at heart is to be connected to it and discovering new things. There are always new tricks that old dogs can learn and learn from the mistakes we make. Life is about in-joying the journey, and the destination is just a restart.

  257. Yes lets all buck the trend and get healthier as we age, I’m, certainly living a lot healthier now than when I was younger and although I have slowed down a bit in how I physically work, that is a choice not to be so hard on my body.

  260. Carmel what you have brought to our attention, by your observations is just delightful. A total breaking with tradition of what it is to age in our communities around the world. As a 74 year lady I am delighted to be part of the “joy of ageing” with grace and joy.

  261. One is less likely to stoop as we grow old if one is living from their heart, with their chest open and shoulders back, and walking their true walk from within themselves.

  262. The quality of health and vitality in the older generation who study and apply the teachings of Universal Medicine are most definitely carving a new path to tread, one that promulgates how to stay vital, committed and wise to the very end of our days. They are a group worthy of much study as they head into their old age unencumbered by the usual needs for medication and walking aids, alive, active and a joy to know.

  263. The older people within the Universal Medicine Student body always amaze me for their wisdom, their commitment to life and vitality in their old age – they really do age gracefully

  264. As a student of The Way of the Livingness as presented by Serge Benhayon, I love that I am getting healthier as I age and I love love love seeing my elders around me looking more and more beautiful, sexier, wiser and spunkier as they age. It is incredibly inspiring.

  265. Carmel, thank you, I have an even deeper appreciation of how well the elders in our community are. The wider world context very much reflects the accepted norm of growing old as you describe, yet the vitality and purpose in life enjoyed by the elder Students of The Way of The Livingness (and those much younger), is testament to the teachings of the Ageless Wisdom and the healing modalities from Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.

  266. Love your blog Carmel and I agree many elderly students of Universal Medicine, like myself, are breaking the mold, so to speak, in that we are looking younger as we age and we have more vitality and energy then we did in our younger years. I have just started a new career in aged care at 60 where most are looking towards retirement.

    1. That in itself is breaking the mould, Mary-Louise, in that you are starting a new career in your 60s. I guess I did the same, going from business coaching/counselling to working as a cleaner in a holiday resort, then working in a supermarket cafe. Many people I know have more than one job, or have an employed job for regular income and then work self employed as a therapist serving their local community. We don’t need to stop working and if there aren’t any jobs available then we can simply start our own business making something or providing a service that people need and are willing to pay for..

  267. Love this ‘Let’s get healthy as we age – why not?’ – as we learn from life we are given the opportunity to make changes to become healthier rather than assume that we are predisposed to illness and misery in our older years. If we do become ill then understand why and embrace it for the healing it is and maximise what we can release through the body and to learn from.

    1. Nothing is never for nothing, I love how you show we can embrace everything life offers us.

  268. It is deeply inspiring seeing and observing the elders in the The Way of The Livingness community and how they truly do walk with grace and power, fully claimed and beautiful. I don’t have any hesitations or concerns about growing old and reflecting the same thing, I really get that there is no difference to what age we are, we just need to claim the power and grace that we are.

  269. Great title Carmel and it is so inspiring to see how so many students of The Way of The Livingness are proving that it is not inevitable that we mentally and physically decline with age so that we end up with dementia and bent over a walking frame. Our previous lifestyle choices are expressed in our body and mind as we age but if we are willing to work through our hurts and commit to life we can continue to be of service until our passing.

    1. Yes, Helen, no giving up, ‘if we are willing to work through our hurts and commit to life we can continue to be of service until our passing.’ beautifully said.

  270. Making the changes certainly couldn’t do any harm and could, in fact, help with the already established health conditions. I know for myself that making those choices has given me a new lease on life and improved my health so much that I no longer take medication, other than an occasional headache tablet. What have we got to lose?

  271. All of our drive and desire to remain young distracts us from our potential of getting old – of using our time on this planet to heal all the wounds we carry and live a a vital life. What Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine present is that every moment matters, regardless of how young or old we are we can make a loving choice and live a different life.

  272. Carmel I wonder how many things in life we think are “inevitable” and yet we could not be further from the truth given that so many things in life come down to the choices that we make and what we feel is important to us, what if there was very little that was “inevitable” and even the things many say are “inevitable” such as dying and that being in – are actually wrong as we never die simply pass over to do it all again until we endlessly expand back to God. Even death is a creation that we have chosen to be part of.

  273. We know what happens to us when over a lifetime we wear out our bodies. Anything that is overburdened will wear out. What if we had not needed to burden ourselves at an early age, not having to carry the weight of values, beliefs and hurts around with us? But, it is never too late to shed what we have carried for lifetimes and refuse to accept the norm of what old age has become.

  274. It is crazy that so many of us dread getting old and have a completely wrong image of how it is supposed to be when we can just embrace it gracefully and still live absolutely fulfilling lifestyles and have still so much to contribute.

  275. These are good points. Part of the reason for the upright walk is that many who need walkers are in their 80s and 90s and they only go into residential aged care if they have to. This means they are selected from a much larger population who isn’t as disabled.

  276. “So, what is it about Universal Medicine that leaves the elderly walking upright?” Love this question and as a 68 year old who is probably considered elderly by the majority of humanity, I do not feel old in any way. In fact I feel that I am actually growing younger and even the parts of my body that are slowly sagging, beautifully so, are not even keeping me back from feeling more alive and vital than I have ever been. The marvellous presentations from Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have definitely been the best medicine ever to heal any fears of growing old.

    1. Even the things we can’t change that as you have said like the sagging bits, the grey hair or no hair are badges we can wear in appreciation as a sign that we are not ready to go yet! We may look like a comfortable, well-worn leather chair, but it is not time to sit in it.

      1. Steve, your words conjure up the most amusing images with ‘saggy bits’ and a ‘well-worn leather chair’ but many of the people I know look so smart and sassy you would have absolutely no idea of their actual age!

  277. The only way to eliminate the stereotypical images of the elderly is for more of our elders to reconnect with the wisdom of their soul so that this warmth and this beauty becomes that which is emanating and thus being reflected through these bodies, alongside the natural ageing process. The elders in the Universal Medicine student body constantly defy the commonly accepted ‘norms’ of these stereotypical images and help to redefine a true level of normal so we do not live life thinking we have to wither away at the end of it but more so can live a full and vital life up to and including our last breath – the moment the soul chooses to withdraw from our physical form.

  278. Indeed let us return to a sense of inner and outer wellbeing, where the body is supported and cared for.

  279. I love what you have drawn to our attention to Carmel, the beginning of smashing a picture of older ageing that most people hold. It would be interesting to note the changes that might happen if diets within aged care residences were changed to include only meat, fish, veggies and fruit without any gluten, dairy and sugar. I also know some people that are within this ageing bracket who hold this diet and they still move freely, are free of dementia and look amazing. Universal Medicine is challenging societal norms and bringing more awareness and responsibility to the choices we all make in our commitment to life and how we live.

  280. In the future there will come a time where no diseases are seen as an inevitable part of ageing but rather the result of our choices in life and the opportunity to heal and release the ill energy we accumulate before we pass over and are reborn.

  281. This is pretty amazing, that in a group of 300+ people, many into their later years, and barely a single one of them needing support with walking, or showing any signs of dementia. I have two elderly relatives: one who is much younger than the other who uses a walking frame, and who has lost so much confidence in her own ability to move about and trust in her body, and the other who is 91, but refuses to feel and act old and until very recently was still riding her horse every day. The older one commented that the younger one had given up on life and had resigned herself to getting old. Our response to and relationship with ageing is such a major factor in determining the choices we make around how we move, and the impact on our bodies and how they age.

    1. You offer such a great point. The more role models we have showing that is indeed very possible and natural to remain vital and active right up to our last breath, the less people will believe that old age equates with wasting away and disengaging from life.

  282. Absolutely Carmel – I am with you and observe the same when I look at the Universal Medicine students with the joy of knowing that getting older is not the end of life but can see how much more there is for us to still live, embrace, deepen and share. And what is so inspiring in observing the elders of Universal Medicine student body is that you can see so clearly how yes the body is aging however the connection to the effervescence, wisdom, power and spunk of the Soul is very much alive and being lived. As I said, very inspiring to observe and know that there certainly is another way, one that does not have me dreading getting older.

  283. It is so inspiring knowing that i will not simply grow old and need to be in a wheel chair or old peoples home. It used to freak me out about growing old but knowing the way I live now and the choices I make now will determine how I am gives me a greater sense of purpose and knowing that just because other people go down the medical route and checked out route there are many others I can now see as examples who have chosen love and to commit to life and are actually enjoying life more now than before.

    2. Absolutely and by making different choices we can change the outcome and the inevitability of disease and illness being the only option as we age.

  285. All of those that I have met who are in their elderly years and choosing to live the Ageless Wisdom teachings to the best of their ability are the most lively, active, inspiring and fit elderly people I have ever met. Because they are healing their issues and reclaiming themselves in life again, a spark and joy has returned to their eyes and it is clear that that spark and joy has positive effects on our physical health and well-being too.

  286. I am working as a dentist at elderly care homes and notice how the diets are indeed really not healthy or at least not when I look at their teeth as the remainders of food in the mouth are all very soft and sticky which is not good for the teeth but probably also not for the rest of their body. I never see rests of greens of salad, it seems like everything is pureed. So what you are saying about the relationship between diet and dementia makes sense and of course just the whole way of being an living definitely have an effect on how people age.

  287. That is what I would call going against the trend:
    ‘we don’t need to be sick as we get older, we can take good care of our bodies and walk free.
    Let’s get healthy as we age – why not?’ And I would want to know all about it if I would read about this, so thank you for sharing Carmel and great there are so many students that live this as an inspiration.

  288. Reading this article makes me reflect that in society there can be an attitude and acceptance that when you are old you get ill, this acceptance feels unhealthy and untrue.I love that this article shows there can be another way, that if we take care of our bodies we can be healthy as elders.

  289. I love this; ‘we don’t need to be sick as we get older, we can take good care of our bodies and walk free.’ I hear so much people say ‘don’t get old’ and ‘you get ill when you get old’, so its refreshing and inspiring to read that this doesn’t have to be the case.

  290. Other countries I can think of such as Africa and Vietnam many elders still contribute to life, still work in markets, shops, restaurants are central to their families and live vibrant active lives. We have a culture in the west that says aged 65 you are retired, and then what? Many struggle to find a sense of purpose after leaving full time work and often live isolated or lonely lives. I agree diet and lifestyle play a part in the quality of ageing but so does having a sense of purpose and being an equal and active part of the community you live in.

  291. It is possible to live into old age without the need of walking frames and there many who live free of dementia. I’m on a Greek Island at the moment and have yet to see anyone using a walking frame or wheelchair. Each morning swim I in the sea with elders many of whom are well into their eighties a couple in their nineties. All of them walk to the site, a few ride mopeds to get there. I enjoy watching the old men do their morning exercises before or after entering the water. Elder women gather in the deep water, tread water and share news.. A 92 year old man, our neighbour, lives alone, slim of body, walks upright up the ancient steep stone steps of this island town as he begins his daily walk or goes out to meet his friends in town. He looks and feels amazing. There are cultures around the world where old age is not seen as a handicap, but a natural part of life and elders an integral part of communities they live in.

  292. ‘So, what is it about Universal Medicine that leaves the elderly walking upright?‘ – I love that question. What came immediately to mind: Dignity !

    1. Beautifully said Alex. To maintain our dignity as we age is probably the most important thing for anyone, and living in a way that supports us to do that has to be worth considering. Universal Medicine is certainly leading the way here and showing us all how this is possible.

  293. If we really get the fact that a lot of our issues are because of life choices, we will realise that it is a fallacy to blame our various health issues on ‘old age’. If our choices are harming us, by the time we reach old age we have been debilitating ourself during a far longer period. It is not a necessary factor of aging, but simply that we end up reaping what we have been sowing throughout our life.
    The difference in health and wellbeing seen in the older members of the students of Universal Medicine in contrast to what has so far been the expected ‘norm’ shows this well.

  294. “So, what is it about Universal Medicine that leaves the elderly walking upright? ” A great question Carmel. I know for myself that I was already giving up on life and therefore was looking for a crutch in life, a comfortable way to live and a way out from the pressure of not living in my essence and walking all of me in every moment, and from this I was already beginning to walk with a stoop. The truth is without Universal Medicine and all the tools and wisdom I am sure by the time I was in my 70’s if not before my body would be in need of much more support in the form of medical intervention, instead of the immense freedom I now have.

  295. Absolutely agree with you Richard, having an authentic sense of purpose that we’ve connected with from inside of ourselves is truly enriching and I would also say plays a big part in our wellbeing.

  296. I think it’s great how in the title you state that dementia and walking frames aren’t inevitable as we get older – as in it’s not just something that is just automatically going to happen to us. There are ways of looking after ourself and being more loving in how we are in all our relationships that have a big impact on our wellbeing all through our life and Universal Medicine supports this immensely.

  297. Why not, I say also. I’m now leading a far healthier lifestyle than I did before thanks to being made aware of how physically and energetically I was slowly killing myself. We lead lives thinking that we can get away with things but at the end of the day we can’t. 1 in 3 do get cancer in the UK if not 1 in 2 if the truth be known so it is time to get real and stop playing Russian roulette with our mental and physical health and look to ways of living that actually do work like what Universal Medicine in line regular medicine has to offer.

    1. When we truly grasp the truth that ‘life is medicine’ as Serge Benhayon presents, we will not be so reckless with how we choose to live or at the very least, we will be more aware of why we choose to live in such a way.

  300. Using what’s normal as a template for living will just leave us broken and feeling ripped off. Experiment with loving your way today and you may be surprised what comes.

  301. I volunteer two mornings a week, on one morning I am with the dementia residents and they are in different stages of physical ability and even mental ability, they all have their own personalities and ways of being and communicating. I am gradually getting to know them and can be playful with them. The other morning I am in a choir group where many are physically disabled so there are wheelchairs and wheelie walkers but most have reasonable communication abilities, and they love the singing. Of course there are older people in the community who are independent and walking unaided, in fact one of the volunteers is almost 90 herself, so it shows disability and dementia are not the way we all have to end up, it’s our choices and the way we live that makes a difference.

  303. Statistically, with the numbers of our general ageing population it would probably be expected that within a student body of over one thousand that some of our elder friends would be displaying some type of memory loss or the need for a walking frame. Yet, they do not, instead they show a twinkle in the eye, a greater commitment to life and to serving others with a vitality and health that defies the usual trend. There must be something about Universal Medicine that deserves a formal study.

    1. This is quite something to be a witness of and in the knowing that we don’t have to live life in the way we currently do. There is a way that life can be lived with increasing joy, greater vitality and well-ness with a full commitment rather than a giving up.

  304. Elizabeth it is so awesome to get this confirmation straight from the horse’s mouth! It is so important that we get collectively aware that there is a different way. As I age too, (I am nearing my 50s) I can also claim that my body feels more supple, far less achy and more gorgeous than I have ever felt it. This has gone hand in hand with letting go of my hurts, connecting to my essence, self-nurturing, expressing honestly, appreciating what I bring and then taking it out to all walks of life without comparison so that I can appreciate what everyone else brings too. A recipe I have found that supports my health and feeling of vitality as well a much richer commitment to life and sense of purpose.

  305. The elderly community within The Way of The Livingness Student body are indeed showing the world that there is vitality to be had in their ageing years. This transformation did not suddenly happen overnight they have put the work in to shed those heavy thoughts, ideals and beliefs, and continue to do so as things present themselves.

  306. Absolutely Carmel, I have seen both – working in old age homes and the alarming rates of Dementia and equally the vibrancy in the Universal Medicine Student body, as a result of applying the principles of the Livingness as presented by Serge Benhayon and the Benhayon family as a whole. It is all so simple, albeit hard at times to let go of what is known and comfortable, but simple nonetheless to surrender to a vibrant and joyful life from any age. The principles and modalities work like magic, they really do.

  307. There is absolutely no money in the lifestyle changes that have brought such great health to Universal Medicine students. But there are massive savings to be had with the healthcare system if just one of the principles of The Livingness was taught and applied in society.

  308. Rather than our elderly population being stereotyped as people with ill-health, broken hips etc., what if we transformed our approach to life as elders, committed even more to giving back to our communities, greater looked after ourselves and then as you’ve shared Carmel actually experienced life become more enriching.

  309. Great article Carmel, in my opinion, the health benefits of working on yourself like ‘letting go of lifetimes of burdens, hurts, guilt, all the mental stuff that wears us down…” free’s up the body and reduces the ageing process…

  310. Indeed Carmel I wholeheartedly agree. I too have a circle of elderly friends who are cutting a new path through our traditional beliefs about old age and health through their living study of Universal Medicine. Addressing the quality of our life style is a key ingredient in our health care regime and one that in my book should be considered well before we seek medication or aids to help us. I firmly know now that growing old does not automatically equal getting sick, it can be a rich process of getting to know who we really are, appreciating the quality of our love and sharing it with the world.

  311. Our spines compress and our minds go blank when we do not maintain our connection with our innate divinity and the truth of who we are and why we are here. Living a life that is dedicated to the purpose of returning to Soul – our most true and whole-some self – is the best form of medicine we could ever administer for it frees us from the shackles of succumbing to a lesser way of living that sees us slowly withdrawing from life and our part in it. One day it will not be unusual for the many amongst us to approach the close of their life with the zest and vitality that comes from living with an open heart. Universal Medicine helps to restore this quality within us by virtue of making a few adjustments to the way we live and thus the way we care for ourselves. It is never too late to begin this process. It all awaits within us.

  312. I love this Carmel, and you are so right. There are so many people in their 60’s 70’s and 80’s who attend Universal Medicine events who do have some form of chronic illness or medical condition, but all of them look and actually are very well, vibrant and full of zest for life. No doubt a far cry from what we would see if we took a general cross section of society of people of the same age group who were not choosing this way of life.

  313. It’s a great observation you’ve made about the elders and those with serious illness in the Universal Medicine student body, they are walking unaided and no one has dementia or is checked out. All the therapies Universal Medicine offers and the principles of self care as part of the esoteric way of life truly support human beings to experience health and well-being, including joy, purpose and connection to others. I’ve read that dementia is now appearing at younger ages and even pets are getting it.

  314. I remember that saying – when something really emotional happened and I’d go ‘wow, that’s heavy’. So no wonder if we keep adding to that for a lifetime then no surprise that we are burdened, wanting to give up, carrying the weight of the worlds on our shoulders. It’s a great observation Carmel.

  316. I have a family who since choosing to be a part of universal medicine – have made changes to their diets – and even though some of them are in their mid 70s – they still look amazing, are totally switched on and are very active. We have to appreciate the impact of a healthy lifestyle and how fundamental this is to supporting our bodies.

    1. I totally agree with you HM. However, whilst we do all know what a healthy lifestyle looks like so many of us do not choose it and it is to this we need to look. This exposes the emptiness of knowledge and how when we are devoid of self-love and appreciation we do not have the tools to arrest the self-sabotage.

  317. We have all accepted aging with getting more disabled, less vital, a bigger chance of dementia, more illnesses and pains as something ‘normal’ and just part of life, but what if this is actually not true? What if we can all choose with our lifestyle how we age….? The students of The Way of The Livingness are the living proof of what that looks like.

  318. Thank you for presenting these interesting facts, Carmel, if you look at the students of Universal Medicine a lot of them are getting older and the quality they are aging in, does stand out. I can feel it for myself as well, at 54 I feel more alive, vital and joyful than I did 10 years ago.

  319. I love your observation here Carmel. It’s true that I haven’t seen a single person in their elder years, connected to Universal Medicine need a walking frame, a stick or slide into dementia. Those that are sick and terminally ill are very well… bright, vibrant and full of life – one would not be able to spot them in a line up. This does deserve a shout from the rooftop!

  320. One day we will catch on to the fact that old hurts, burdens, issues and beliefs limit our expression and spread poison in our bodies and lives. And allowing ourselves to deal with them and heal is the most loving and responsible support we can offer ourselves.

  321. Getting older these days means giving up; giving up work, giving up our activities due to ill health and physical restrictions. How refreshing it is to read that it doesn’t have to be that way and that there are people living very fulfilling lives well into their senior years.

  322. This is a fascinating look at old age – that it does not have to be an inevitable physical decline and decay but that getting old and the ailments that go with it might have more to do with what we are taking on in life.

  323. A great call out Carmel – the state of health and wellbeing in students of Universal Medicine is going totally against the unsettling trend in society and this is something truly worth an in depth study.

  324. With an accepted rise in elderly numbers, we do not need to accept the associated norms of being elderly. As has been clearly shown amongst the Universal Medicine student body we can be in our 70s and 80s, be living with a terminal disease and a host of other conditions yet still look and feel vital as well as joyful.

  326. This is so true Carmel – there is no doubt that the personal choices the Universal Medicine Students choose with their quality of movement + exploring food choices + clearing out excess emotional baggage make a difference to our body and its mobility. Attending online meetings with 60+ Universal Medicine students, it is an absolute joy to see the beautiful, radiant and vibrant faces before me on the screen (men and women) every time.

  327. Wow, what a testimonial to the fact that there is another way to live and thanks to Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon we have living proof in our communities worldwide.

  328. That’s an awesome observation, it hadn’t really occurred to me that it the elder men and women I see at Universal Medicine presentations are not a typical cross section of elder men and women in society, they are so alive and vibrant and hardworking that I have come to accept that as normal, my normal that as you age you blossom into beautiful delicate and caring beings. This is a great stop moment Carmel to reflect on the vast difference of how people are presenting in life when they have made changes to deeply care for themselves and commit to life.

  329. It’s a sign when I do not feel good / great / amazing – I focus and be more vigilant to how I move in my tenderness and care for the delicate nature that my body needs to be warmly held in, both in the sense physically by being warm and energetically by calling out the negative thoughts.

  330. Slowly, slowly the news is getting out that we don’t have to experience old age with an inevitable barrel of pills, something that Serge Benhayon has been presenting since 1999.

    1. Sue visiting a pharmacy once I saw huge piles of pills being dispensed into large baskets, the numerous packets in each basket were each for a single elderly person, I commented on the many pills and the pharmacy assistant just replied that this was normal. It did not seem normal to me that the aged were so sick and so dependant on so many tablets. I’m sure this was not the case generations ago.

  331. “So, what is it about Universal Medicine that leaves the elderly walking upright? Apart from living healthy physical lifestyles, many have been working on letting go of lifetimes of burdens, hurts, guilt, all the mental stuff that wears us down and makes us feel small and later, old.” I feel younger now than I did over ten years ago when I first attended Universal Medicine presentations. Making different lifestyle choices – including healing old hurts – has had a major impact.

    1. Beasts of burden come to mind! Have we made ourselves donkeys where we choose to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders? By carrying the responsibilities of others, beliefs, ideals and everything else that is not ours, are we not physically wearing out our bodies? Homo erectus became extinct 1.8 million years ago are we trying to de-evolve by what we have chosen to carry?

    2. Being willing and supported to truly heal old hurts and self-sabotaging behaviours can really be life changing.

  332. The way we live is the best form of medicine and can be a great healer but we don’t take this seriously enough and instead rely on the health service to sort us out, should we get a problem. We are a society that no longer tries to support itself, hence the need for walking frames and walking sticks and the many aids that have been devised to help us in the home but we have not looked deeper and asked why this is.

  333. The effects of dementia are not only devastating for the person but also the family. I saw a patient at home recently who had quite advanced dementia and they were being cared for at home by their partner with very little support available locally. This person requires 24/7 care and supervision and the partner is exhausted and also not well also. The partner literally has to do everything for their partner and there is no break and this could go on like this for some time. I have often felt the same thing Carmel about Universal Medicine students. I look at our elder students and am really inspired by how committed they are to life and how amazing they all look. There is definitely something very right going on in our community in many areas, but especially health, wellbeing and ageing.

    1. Even in ‘care homes’ the level of care is limited by the numbers of staff available, and the nutritious value of the food presented is dependent on a system of general dietary regulations that may not always be perfect for each individual body.

      1. Very true Carmel. Overall we will be ill prepared for the increased numbers of people with dementia.

  334. The effects of dementia are not only devastating for the person but also the family. I saw a patient at home recently who had quite advanced dementia and they were being cared for at home by their partner with very little support available locally. This person requires 24/7 care and supervision and the partner is exhausted and also not well. The partner literally has to do everything for their partner and there is no break and this could go on like this for some time. I have often felt the same thing Carmel about Universal Medicine students. I look at our elder students and am inspired by how committed they are to life and how amazing they all look. There is definitely something very right going on in our community in many areas, but especially health, wellbeing and ageing.

  335. When I was young some 40 or 50 years ago I don’t remember seeing people with walking frames, occasionally I would see elderly people using a walking stick, and dementia was never talked about, where as now dementia is a possibility for most people as they get older. To me it has to be how we are living, which has been shown to us through Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon, that the way we live contributes to our health especially in the later years. We now live comfortable sedentary lives with little purpose. For most elderly people, TV is their comfort and is there as a constant back ground noise and distraction, but TV these days is purely for entertainment and has very little value in asking people to truly question their life. This is why the contrast is so great when you meet elderly people from Universal Medicine, there is a vitality and joy for life that is sadly lacking in many elderly people today.

    1. Inded Shami, dealing with our old hurts and taking responsibility for our own choices in our every day life, is deeply healing.

  337. “Let’s get healthy as we age – why not?” Agreed Carmel what a great point of view, it makes complete sense yet is so unusual. I love how you see that we don’t need to follow the trend of society but go against the trend, simply by nurturing and caring for ourselves.

    1. True, it is very unusual, almost like we think we are predestined to get unhealthy as we age. What a set up. It is time we break this consciousness.

    2. I was talking to someone close earlier this week, and they were saying how tired they were (of life) and that they were pretty much ready to give up. Such a difference to the case studies that you are talking about Carmel… love the idea of getting healthier as we age!

    3. It’s a great slogan, it certainly challenges the belief that illness is normal as we age, as well as giving up instead of embracing and engaging with life fully.

  338. The general health of the Universal Medicine Students is a true testament to the fact that the state of one’s wellbeing is the consequence of the choices of how one lives.

  339. So often we associate getting older with being able to ‘relax’ about things like our diet and drinking alcohol. We have a ‘I’ve worked hard all my life, now I can just let go’, kind of mentality but that is because we have previously tried to ‘eat healthily’ or cut down on our alcohol intake without working on the reasons why we’re eating or drinking in the first place. And it’s purgatory to do it this way round because it brings force into the body, which isn’t pleasurable at all. Whereas when we address the reason why we’re doing these things in the first place then our ‘behaviours’ simply drop away. And that is why, as you say Carmel so many older people in the Esoteric Community are so incredibly well, it is because they have addressed the underlying cause first and then the external by products have simply dropped away.

  340. Universal Medicine has been around for just under twenty years and has a few thousand people that have opted to change their lifestyles because it feels right for our bodies and many older people have more vitality and feel younger. The student body has people from most countries and jobs that cover the spectrum of doctors and lawyers to farmers and bricklayers with everything in between. We have had a few people with cancer that have left us but haven’t everyone on this planet known someone that had cancer! But, with all of our jobs held and our spectrum of ages from birth to 80+… no one has died in an accident! Statistically, are we just living right?

  341. Carmel, there is much in what you have expressed here. I work in an aged care facility and almost everyone has a wheelie walker and is at high risk of falling over. Care for our wellbeing begins long before we reach the physical age at which it is ‘expected’ or accepted that we will have the ailments that I see each day. Dedication to our health in all its aspects is a personal responsibility that ripples out far and wide and ends up contributing one way or another to the economy, the social fabric of our societies… and beyond.

  342. I love the shouting from the rooftops part of this, and the love for everyone that stems from this article, there is so much of that crippling down in old age and so much dementia nowadays that this way you describe of being old and upright with a smile is not only refreshing but liberating and inspiring for us all. Beautifully clear and supportive.

  343. The fact that amongst the students of Universal Medicine many of the health trends being found in society are not present or reversed should be being jumped on by western medicine and science and questions asked as to how and why such illnesses and diseases are not so prevalent and yet they have not yet caught on or more truthfully are to invested in their own way of doing things because in coming to the truth of the matter they will also face the fact that they need to be responsible for their own choices i.e. they know they will find more than they are currently ready to accept.

    1. I couldn’t agree more Michael with what you’ve shared, if Universal Medicine students were to be studied and their way of living put under the microscope, healthcare systems everywhere would be ‘in the black’ abundant in more ways than one. Could it be that we are constantly looking at a ‘norm’ of ill health reflected by a majority that we follow and subscribe to the same way of living? As a human race we don’t question enough of the social norms and therefore follow what is reflected before us. Universal Medicine elders are a reflection I’m up for looking at.

    2. How many of the amazing advances in science and medicine, have been because of our ill lifestyle choices? What if, we had invested all that energy into accelerating our evolution? Could it be that the students of Universal Medicine are showing us all, there is another way!

  344. An interesting observation Carmel. I am in my late 60’s and when I first attended presentations by Serge Benhayon 12 years ago I had knees that were becoming stiff and painful and restricting my pleasure in walking. I now walk with a spring in my step.

  345. It is not true that just because we get older we are going to get mental and physical disorders. It is not normal – we have made it the norm – otherwise every single one of us would be incapacitated or debilitated in some way. Universal Medicine students are leading the way, perhaps making themselves unpopular with most, however they are prime examples in counteracting the belief that ageing is a downward spiral and show that growing older can be a joyful and welcoming experience.

  346. It is so sad to see older people who are such lovely personalities disappear into shadows of themselves who are barely living, with very poor quality of life. Sometimes it is beautiful to see a smile of recognition, and to look into their eyes and feel their essence for, no matter how they look on the outside and whatever their mental state, the beautiful inner essence is there, untouched, deep within.

  347. “Let’s get healthy as we age – why not?” I love what you have written about dementia and getting older in your awesome blog Carmel. It is absolutely needed to show that getting older does not mean you are getting sicker. So while we are living it, the people around us start asking us about our “secret”; why we are so lively and not muddy – that is for me the best way to inspire them to do the same.

  348. Thank you, a great article Carmel. We don’t need to disappear into the woodwork as we age – ageing gracefully is a real and wonderful option 🙂 And how great it is to be aware this, as lifestyle is what it is all about. And so glad that you mentioned that a healthy lifestyle it is not only taking care of the body, but also the being. My father who died of Alzheimers was extremely healthy from a physical point of view. He ate very well and exercised a lot, but the deeper more emotional aspects of his life were not ever addressed. A very bright and sensitive man, he started fading away at a relatively early age.

  349. So true Carmel, in fact many of the elder community that attend Universal Medicine look at least 10 or 20 years younger than what they actually are. Could it be that they look at illness and diseases and aging in a different light? No doom and gloom but forever an opportunity to discard, heal and evolve to bring even more of themselves to life and others while they are here. They look amazing and stand up tall in whatever condition they are in. And yes I’m with you…. this deserves to be shared and shouted from the rooftops!

  350. This is an incredible case study Carmel, that just shows how we can in fact live vitally and even improve our health after we reach sixty or seventy, a confirmation that every year and moment is an opportunity to cherish ourselves more.

Comments are closed.