Mind, spirit, body

Celebrated poet and novelist, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote when he was ill with leukemia:

“We were such wonderfully good friends, my body and I, I don’t know at all how it happened that we separated and became foreign to each other.”

For those who have a serious illness or chronic condition, I think they are separating from their body at a faster rate than those of us not seriously ill. We are separating from our bodies at a slower and less dramatic pace. Ageing could be seen as a gradual separation of mind/spirit from the body.

As we age, the shape of our life changes. So does our relationship to spirituality. So, as we separate mind and spirit from our bodies, here are some tips on how to keep the connection as long as you can:

1. Keep asking questions. Why do you believe what you believe? What would help strengthen your beliefs? What could you do differently?

2. Give thanks. Don’t forget to take a moment every day to think about what we have to be grateful.

3. Take time for reflection. Not only is it a fulfilling exercise, but it can be beneficial to your mental and physical health.

4. Stay optimistic. Looking on the positive can help comfort you in difficult times and inspire you during the good times.

5. Pray. For those of you who equate spirituality with religion, praying is a simple act of faith, and it can have a positive impact our spirituality.

Keeping mind and spirit together is important, but what about self-image as we age and is there a difference between genders? Several studies have shown that older men express less concern about their appearances and the age-related changes in their bodies and compared to older women have higher self-esteem in later life. However, some men and women may experience a decrease in their self-esteem and feelings of attractiveness as they age because they bow to the idea that it is better to maintain a youthful appearance.

In addition, other studies show that many older women tend to be dissatisfied with their appearances and they continue to express the same levels of discontent found in young and middle-aged women.

As we slowly separate body, spirituality and our bodies become strangers to us we move toward total separation, which is death. It is, I believe a natural progression and I see it as no longer as a betrayal of my body by my mind, or my mind my body.