The other day I was irritated and upset at my 10-year-old boy because he forgot his soccer bag at the field after his game.
When I pulled into our driveway, and he told me “Dad, I forgot my bag with all my stuff”, I immediately reacted and started to respond with my voice loud and aggressive. I sat there and gave him a lecture about being more mindful for about 5 minutes, but he already knew that he had made a mistake…
As I continued to speak, I glanced into the rear-view mirror and noticed my angry and distorted wrinkled face. I said to myself, “Wow, I look like an old man who just aged about 10 years.”
Then I decided to close my mouth, take some deep breathes and release the tensions I was feeling in my body. Next, I repeated my Mantra “I am cool, calm and centered”. When I glanced into the mirror again, I didn’t see that old man face I had seen just moments ago.
So, what was the catalyst for changing my appearance? Simply put, it was to shut up and be quiet. Even my wife has commented that what I get angry and start opening my mouth, I look much older. And, when I am calm, relaxed and smiling, I look much younger.
In our daily busy lives, it is easy to get caught up in so many different things, including our emotions, that we forget an important aspect of healthy living – stillness.
Being quiet and still is essential in everything that we do because without it we lack the awareness to perform our actions in a healthy and sustainable way. We produce more cortisol (the stress hormone) and less serotonin and oxytocin (the love hormones). And, without quietness and stillness, there is the possibility of aging much faster.
Of course, the movement of time innately leads to aging, which we are all subjected to through our cycle of life – from birth to death. No one is excluded from this law.
However, from a yoga and ayurveda perspective, linear time isn’t the only thing that affects the aging of our mind and body. The other factor is biological time, which increases due to movement.
The movement of our body and mind increases the rate at which we age. Therefore, the more we think, move and talk the more we increase our biological time-clock. As a result, we are subjected to deteriorating and aging at a much faster rate.
When our mind is still and we are quiet, we experience things in the eternal moment of “now” and time seems to stand still.
That is why when we are really focused and have that sense of presence and awareness, time can fly by and it seems like only moments.
Think of a time where you were really engaged and enjoying what you were doing. This is the magic of being in the moment or being in “the zone” of doing yet observing. This is also known as the “flow state”.
When we project, superimpose or get caught up in the past or future, our external world speeds up.
The one simple step to slow the aging process and maintain youthfulness is to therefore remain quite so you can create more stillness and presence. In fact ayurveda, the ancient science of longevity, promotes regular silence and quietude for health and healing.
Try this the next time you feel the need to speak and go on and on about a situation, circumstance or an event. Say what you need to say once and be done. Practice letting go and being in the flow. Be quiet, be still, be calm.
When we are in that place of stillness and consciously aware of our thoughts, speech and actions we expend less energy, feel lighter and look younger.
Namaste