50 Plus Yoga Instructor Dee Greenberg

Dee Greenberg is a dynamic yoga instructor.  Check out her website at www.50plusyoga.com. This is her first entry on our blog.  Welcome, Dee!

Sometimes an impending birthday takes on great meaning. For me, turning 50 was quite a wake up call.

And now, at 58, it’s interesting to reflect back on a time where, relatively speaking, I felt very young, at least compared to how I feel now.  I’m sure you know how that goes.

There is something to be said for the old adage: “older and wiser.”  And for those of us who are consciously and intentionally evolving – it does seem as if  ”wiseness happens.”  I’d hate to think that with each passing day I was getting a little bit dumber.  And obviously depending on the state of our health, it may feel like our minds are getting dimmer, not brighter.

That’s why I practice yoga!  I hope to keep my light bulb shining well into what is sometimes referred to as “old age.” And not only do I want my light to shine, but I also very much hope to experience this thing we call old age.

But let me go back in time for a moment.  At 50, I was single, living in Boston, recovering from a dysfunctional relationship and still feeling somewhat beaten up by it.  I was also self-employed, but without any clear goals or prospects for the future.  I had been teaching yoga for 3 months.

So basically, you could summarize my condition at 50 as more or less “spinning my wheels.”  My life lacked purpose, momentum and most importantly, goals.

And then all of that changed, seemingly in the blink of an eye.  At 50 plus, my life began to take shape in an entirely new direction and I am happy to say that now, 8 years later, my life no longer lacks purpose, momentum or goals.

The catalyst for this change was a chance meeting I had with a very extraordinary yoga instructor named Shiva Rea.

I stumbled into a week long workshop with her totally by chance.  She rocked my world, and I am a different person today as a result of the 8 consecutive years I spent studying yoga with this most gifted teacher, who became my mentor.

OK , well,  actually there was one other very significant thing that occurred that same year.  On my 50^th birthday, I was at a 4 day yoga retreat nestled deep within the heart of the Catskill Mountains with another very gifted, world class yoga instructor named Dharma Mitra.  Over the course of that weekend, I took a good, long, hard look at my life, and I set some goals for my yoga practice.
There were 2 very difficult arm balancing, inverted postures in which I wanted to gain proficiency.  So I set a goal at 50:  I *would* focus on these 2 postures and gain proficiency.  Two months later,  I stumbled on the aforementioned teacher who would become my mentor for the next 8 years and lead me towards that proficiency.

My purpose in writing this post is to spread my message to the world, which is this:

Life Begins at 50!  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

All right, let me say it a different way: Life begins at 50, or 60, or 70,  or whenever YOU decide it begins!  The actual chronological number is completely irrelevant.  Life begins whenever you decide to begin to live fully in the moment.

So go ahead and decide.  Let your life begin right now!

Bob Miller

One of the things I love about blogging is the ability to meet people anywhere – anytime.  When Sue Counts (guest blogger) wrote about co-housing a few weeks ago, we got tons of emails and comments from readers everywhere.  One such person was Bob Miller, and the next thing I knew, I was inviting him to be a guest blogger – our first male blogger on Oops50!  Thank you, Bob. 

Annice

My wife and I became members of a co-housing community called Wolf Creek Lodge earlier this year.  The lodge is currently under construction in Grass Valley, California.  We expect to move in sometime late in 2012.  We have chosen Wolf Creek Lodge as an appealing environment for our senior life style.

Future Wolf Creek Lodge

The conventional American living environment can be hostile to the senior species.  They want community, walking access to stores, entertainment and recreation.  They want low maintenance, sustainable housing.

Community is important to me and my wife.  Earlier in our lives we found this at our workplace, through our children’s activities, our extended family, our church and sporting activities.  We no longer go out to work and our children are living their own lives and our older family members have passed away.

We watched our parents become isolated in their later years.  We believe we can do better by taking action now before change becomes challenging.

Who's Slowing Down?

At Wolf Creek Lodge we will have our own condominium-style apartment, one of 30.  However, we will also use the common room, living room, patio and gardens.  We will invite friends to stay in one of several guest apartments.  We will stroll on the adjoining trails, walk to the nearby shops and enjoy the cultural activities of Grass Valley.

Community will be at our front door.  Most evenings we will dine in the common room sharing cooking and clean up activities.  We will join others over coffee and relax on the patio.  We will continue to ski, bike and hike in the northern Sierra, which are only an hour away.

What a Ride

We realize that as the years pass we may become unable to drive and our physical capabilities may become more limited.  The Wolf Creek Lodge environment will continue to work for us.  The lodge even includes an apartment for a care-giver, should we need extra help.

Wolf Creek Lodge is a creation of its evolving community.  The community worked with the architect on the design to oversee the construction and formulate the processes which will guide the members’ common activities.

Already, months before moving in, we are enjoying the community.  We are in constant electronic communication with all the other members and attend the General Meeting in Grass Valley once a month.  My wife has a key role on the landscape committee reviewing the planting plans and identifying members who want to work in the gardens.  I help on the marketing and technical committees.

Under Construction

On the marketing committee I am working to find people to join us and fill the remaining 6 apartments.  It’s fascinating to talk to potential members as they try to understand this co-housing concept.  They pay us repeated visits to decide if they want to spend the rest of their lives with us.  They finally take the decision and pitch in.

We do not really know what it will be like to live at Wolf Creek Lodge.  We are working hard with our new friends to make it happen and having both fun and challenges along the way.

Bob Miller is currently a ski bum in Truckee, California.  Born in England of an English mother and a Scottish father, he moved to Scotland at the age of 11.  After graduating from Glasgow University with a degree in Physics he married Claire, started a family, and moved to the Boston area in 1978.  Bob’s career was in the computer industry.  Since his retirement, he moved with Claire to Truckee.  Besides skiing, he rides his road bike and hikes in the Sierras.

Annice and founder, Corinna

The 7th annual SE Women’s Herbal Conference

What a great week-end I had at the 7^th annual Southeast Women’s Herbal Conference in Asheville, NC.  This year, was the biggest conference ever, almost 900 women gathered to learn, connect, and deepen into the Wise Woman Tradition… earth-based healing, local plants, & deep nourishment.  Those of you who know me, know I’m not an herbalist but I tend to use herbs and natural products as my first line of defense when I feel something coming on.  This conference brought together such an amazing group of healers, and not only did I get to attend this year, but the organizers invited me to monitor the Embodiment track.  There were 8 incredible classes ranging from Shadow Work; Making Peace with your Body; Our Predatory Nature; and the Power of the Drum.  Let me just say that listening (and dancing) to over 100 women learning to drum was phenomenal, and these women practically brought the tent down.

What I loved most about the class was the teacher, Kristen Arant, who runs a non-profit in Washington, D. C. called the Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project which helps promote self-esteem in young women.  Now why didn’t anything like that exist when I was growing up?

President Obama visits Asheville

So, after an inspiring week-end, I was given a ticket to attend Obama’s kick-off speech in Asheville to promote his “Jobs Act” bus tour. What amazed me was that after living in D.C. for 20 years, I could still get excited about seeing the President and shaking his hand.  I know North Carolina is a battleground state, but hey, he won it before, and it ain’t over till it’s over.

Sue Counts

My friend, Sue Counts, retired three years ago as the Director of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Watauga County after more than 40 years in government.  During her tenure, Sue initiated educational programs in the areas of sustainable tourism, sustainable energy, Hispanic outreach, and women in agriculture.  Sue says, “At this point in my life, I’m seeking a better life for the Baby Boomers who are entering that stage of their lives known as ‘the senior years’.”  So, when Dene Peterson, the founder of ElderSpirit Community came to Boone a few weeks ago to talk about her life’s work, Sue was there attending meetings about the possibility of creating such a community in Watauga County, NC.  She graciously shares important information on “Retirement Housing.”

IT’S OFFICIAL!  We are now in the “ERA OF THE GOLDEN BOOMERS!”.  On January 1, 2011 the very first Baby Boomer turned 65, and 10,000 boomers will turn 65 every day for the next 19 years.  This gigantic generation has transformed America as they have passed through every stage of life…..and housing for the elderly will not be any exception.

It's Official

Co-housing communities if you will!  These communities bring together the value of private homes with the benefits of more sustainable living.  That means common facilities and good connections with neighbors.  All in all, they stand as innovative answers to today’s environmental and social problems.

According to Charles Durrett, author of Senior Cohousing Handbook — 2nd Edition, A Community Approach to Independent Living, “No matter how rich life is in youth and middle age, the elder years can bring on increasing isolation and loneliness as social connections lessen, especially if friends and family members move away.  Senior co-housing fills a niche for this demographic — the healthy, educated and proactive adults who want to live in a social and environmentally vibrant community.  These seniors are already wanting to ward off the aging process, so they are unlikely to want to live in assisted housing.  Senior co-housing revolves around custom-built neighborhoods organized by the seniors themselves in order to fit in with their real needs, wants, and aspirations for health, longevity and quality of life.”

Elderspirit Community

The ElderSpirit Community at Trailview in Abingdon, Virginia is the living example of a community of mutual support and late life spirituality.  It is the first mixed-income, mixed ownership Elder Co-Housing Community in the United States and in this capacity it is making its way as it “walks the talk.”  The founder of ElderSpirit Community is Geraldine “Dene” Peterson, a “spry” woman in her 80’s who recently received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 2011 National Cohousing Conference in Washington, DC.

Dene Peterson

At eighteen, Dene  Peterson left her parents and ten siblings to join a convent. She ultimately chose to leave the religious order, but her spirituality remained deeply rooted. In 1995, at age 65, she created the ElderSpirit Community in Abingdon, Virginia. Inspired by a Danish model, Peterson wanted to form a co-housing retirement community that would allow friends to live together in a collaborative and supportive setting while also offering some of the autonomy of private dwellings.  Peterson also envisioned an alternative to institutional long-term care, a place where community members would have the emotional support of their peers as well as the necessary medical assistance to live out their lives at home.  Using a creative patchwork of funding from public and private resources, Peterson raised $3.5 million, and her vision materialized.  Construction of the 29 residences, common community building, and a prayer room was completed in late spring of 2006 and houses both the moderate and low-income.  The model has gained national attention, and an ElderSpirit outreach extension program in now helping to plan similar communities in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Kansas, and Virginia.

The ElderSpirit Community is dedicated to making possible new opportunities for Elders in the 21st Century.  The ElderSpirit Community values are: To live in a community of diverse spiritual paths; To give and receive support in relationship with neighbors in community; To belong to a community who make the decisions on how they will live together; and To encourage each other to live simply and care for the earth.

ARJUNA

Our friend, Arjuna da Silva, lives at Earthaven, an aspiring ecovillage in a mountain forest setting near Asheville, North Carolina. Everyone living there is dedicated to caring for people and the Earth by learning, living, and demonstrating a holistic, sustainable culture.  Arjuna helped start Earthaven in 1994, where she’s lived for the past twelve years.  She just moved into her earth & straw temple of a house there. Everyone who knows this beautiful woman over 50, celebrates her spirit.  Here is what she has to share…

ARJUNA'S HOME

Originally, I wanted to write a piece about what a joke it is to work my way through a day of living on the land, off the grid, learning to grow food, and recycling my waste into valuable (fertilizer) resources.  But after several tries, I realized those choices deserve much more credit and that my inner voice is the one who’d rather let someone else do all the hard stuff.

So, yes, I do start my day by (sometimes anxiously) checking the meter to see how my batteries held up overnight storing solar-accessed electric power; and I do pay attention to the weather report regarding the day’s anticipated power access.  I even pay attention to the calendar that tells me if the stars would treat my tomato seedlings better today than if I waited to plant them on Friday.

When I first started to write this piece, I called my draft, A Drop in the Bucket, intending to convey the double meaning of the “sustainable” life I choose to live.

• Meaning 1: peeing and pooping in containers so those resources can be utilized as soil amendments (instead of depending on fertilizers that have to be bought and shipped, possibly scraped off another part of the earth).
• Meaning 2: then there’s the more cynical reference being the effort us folk (who live in this valley) put into recycling, preserving, using renewables, etc., which is just a drop in the regional (let alone global) bucket.

ARJUNA ON THE LAND

But, today I’d rather tell you I’ve found ways to minimize the things I don’t like (carrying what’s too heavy, smelling what’s too foul, etc.), and feel pretty happy refining my rugged life into something that even fussy people might be able to handle.  In fact, I’m thinking others might choose this path if they could feel the inner rewards that come from paying attention to what we do and what we use to do it.

The  choice to take risks (as if anyone lives without them) and move in what looks like “the right direction” for oneself, one’s neighborhood or the planet, is such an uplifting choice!  The experience of following through on the nitty-gritty details of trial and error with new systems and organic self-reliance is exhilarating at times and is mostly just deeply satisfying.  Maybe you’d like to try it?

Please post your questions and comments here so we can have an open discussion.  Arjuna’s workshop, “Your Enneagram and Your Sub-Personalities” airs August 10-21 at Earthaven.  For more information, please email: arjuna@earthaven.org.  All power to the people!  Make your own, grow your own, and use your own!

THE ROAD TO EARTHAVEN

SADHVI

As a woman over 50, I am always looking for deals.  Ok, to tell you the truth, this has nothing to do with my body being over 50; I have always liked being a bargain hunter and finder!  And I am always into sharing.  So here’s the best place I have found to buy quality vitamins and herbs that will save you lots of money; it’s not in any store, it’s online at a site called Swanson Vitamins.

SAVING MONEY FOR A RAINY DAY!

I now buy vitamins twice a year from Swanson, and smile when I go to the health food store and look at the prices of the same vitamins there that cost a lot more money.  Do you have a better place to save money?  If so, please share because these days we are all into simplifying our lives and saving money!

Sadhvi

Everyone I know is either taking yoga, doing yoga, training to become a yoga instuctor, or thinking about all of the above. Growing up there was only Jack Lalanne, so I think the trend is a good sign that we all want to feel good as we get older!
Here is a clip I found that shows my own personal workout that I do right along with the Ross Sisters. It looks a lot harder than it is. Try it yourself and see if you don’t start feeling a lot more flexible in no time!

Content coming soon.

Sadhvi

Hello and welcome to this week’s “Sadhvi Sez” here at oops50!

I am going to let you all in on my private arsenal of sleep aids that help me get the sleep I need.  I find it quite interesting that almost everyone I talk to these days tells me that they are having a hard time sleeping - men, women, teenagers.  Even my dog, Bello, recently told me that he wakes up all the time during the night and can’t get back to sleep!  I flip through the 358 channels on TV and there seem to be a lot of commercials for drugs that make you fall asleep…have you noticed that too?

Hmmm…

If the big pharmaceutical companies are spending money on these TV ads, then what my belly is telling me must be true: there are a LOT of people who cannot sleep!  I have nights when I cannot sleep too, and if I go without sound sleep for too many nights, I feel like I am about to go insane during daylight hours.  I never had this until I started menopause about a year ago.  This could be why.

Or it could be something an astrologer friend of mine who is not wacky told me.  He said that a new “portal” had opened and it was streaming energy in from another galaxy and this energy was hitting everyone’s nervous system in a big way.  That could do it.

Or maybe we really ARE all connected and those people who are getting their adrenals short-circuited with the double and triple shots of Starbucks are creating a rippling effect?  On my last road trip, I noticed that there are hundreds of energy drinks on the shelves of gas stations everywhere.  The best according to my 16 year old nephew is one called “Java Monster”.  I tried it and I must say that I got the biggest rush since, well, let’s just say that this stuff ROCKS!

I don’t do HRT or Prozac or anything else (YET!)

So what to do when sleep just does not come???

Being the scientific type, I tried things at the health food store and online out of desperation, and here are a few of my favorite things:

Sleep’n Restore:  This contains melatonin and valerian and some other stuff. I order it online and it works.  www.natrol.com

 Rescue Sleep:  This is a Bach Flower Remedy that ”…calms your restless mind providing natural relief of occasional sleeplessness caused by stress and repetitive thoughts”.  www.rescuesleep.com

Coffea Cruda:  Since I do drink coffee, this is a homeopathic formula that does the trick every time.  I don’t know if it would work as well if one does not drink coffee.  www.borionusa.com

And lastly, if I know I need to sleep deeply because I have not slept well for a few nights, I make an herbal tea that just about knocks me out.

Fidnemed Nighttime:  The tea I like the best is from Mountain Rose Herbs called “Fidnemed Nighttime”.  This is what they say about the tea, “Fidnemed means a sacred and quiet forest grove.  Relax, and enjoy some of this full flavored infusion blend after a hectic day.  We almost called this ‘Sleep on Rocks’ because it works so well.”  It has interesting ingredients like lemon balm, skullcap, hibiscus and hops, valerian root, passionflower, and lavender flowers, all organic.  In my opinion, Mountain Rose Herbs make the best tea blends.   www.mountainroseherbs.com

If you are having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, you might want to give these a try and let me know if they help.

And may your efforts lead you to peaceful dreams, really and truly.

Sadhvi

Yesterday was the icing on the cake.  Since my oldest daughter and first-born child is turning 22 this weekend,  I decided to take her shopping, to pick out what she wants for her birthday.  It was going to be a lovely, happy mother-daughter outing, just like in the movies.  Grown mother.  Grown daughter.  Out having fun together.  What I didn’t realize before we left the house was that I had forgotten to remove the hormone patch that I was supposed to remove before I replaced it with a new patch yesterday morning.  So I essentially had two doses of estrogen going through my skin into my abdomen.  Sure, the old one was probably somewhat weakened, since it was, after all, time to replace it.  But it was definitely not dead.  Next thing you know, I’m yelling at my daughter–in the store check-out line, mind you–about her specific choice of present and about her whole approach to birthday presents in general.  Then I’m storming out of T.J. Maxx, in front of a line of people waiting to check out.  Next thing you know, I’m in the car, with my daughter asking me to calm down, and I’m calling her names.  I’m railing and ranting against “young people today” who have no appreciation for material things, so they simply replace something perfectly good with something newer whenever they get tired of it.  I’m making my daughter wish she had never even suggested we do something like this together–and wish she didn’t have a birthday coming up at all. On top of everything else,  I’ve left my 13-year-old daughter, who made the mistake of wanting to share in this fun outing, in the store, wondering where I am.

There was probably some tiny bit of validity in what I said to my daughter.  Sure, she spends too much.  She’s 22, for goodness sake, and she has her first real full-time job.  Also, she probably really doesn’t need another purse, especially not an expensive one where the brand name jacks up the price.  Certainly she needs to learn how to budget her money. I’m sure I had a point, somewhere in there!  But, for crying out loud, it’s her birthday this week, and I love her, and I’m so proud of her in so many ways.  So why did I have to do what I did?

This whole experience made me wonder:  how many women who go out of their heads and commit violent or abusive acts are on some kind of hormone replacement therapy?

I’d at least like to blame it on the hormones.  I don’t really feel I have any other reasonable choice.

In the end, hormone replacement therapy may turn out to be great for me.  It may make me want to put on a black negligee.  Who’s to say?  Whatever happens, it had better be worth it.  It would sure be nice if I could call my doctor and discuss my reaction to this stuff.  She’s certainly never called me to find out.  That’s not how American medicine works.  But don’t get me started on a different subject for ranting.  I’m still feeling some effect from that second patch!

In any case, I’d like to know what other people have experienced with HRT. If anyone out there reading this blog has any helpful suggestions, comments, experiences to share, I, for one, would appreciate hearing them.  (I suspect my daughter would, too!)  Jane

Left to right:  Sylvia Swiger, 54, an ex-marathoner, Allison Smith, 42, the organizer of the group, although not an athlete herself, Kathy Sheldon, 50, ex-soccer-player, and Helen Robinson, 54, also not an athlete.

One afternoon in January 2009, three of the moms in our mother-daughter group (a fantasy group at this point, as our daughters – now in high school – have been disengaging for years) were walking together, NC, as we often do. Out of the blue, Allison suggested getting in shape by doing the “couch potato to 5K in 10 weeks” race training course. Silvia and I embraced the idea – though, Silvia, as an ex-marathon runner, with much less trepidation than I.

We talked about times, location, clothes, body image (we decided to say nothing derogatory about our bodies during this period – needless to say that lasted about a minute) and the next Wednesday we began. Run for 30 seconds, walk for a minute. Run for 30 seconds, walk for a minute. Whew.

This was easy. Piece of cake.

It continued to be quite easy for a few days (maybe even a week or two) – then it got hard. We whined and complained. We decided we needed new shoes.

We decided NOT to buy cute new running outfits because what if we ended up hating the program, and never used them again? We kept at it. Kathy joined us. (In fact many of the other moms joined us – briefly.) In the end, there were just the four of us training three times a week at the UNCA track.

We got to week 7 and repeated that for about 3 weeks. Then we repeated week 8 for a few weeks. Then Silvia decided that we needed a real race to work towards. We all agreed. Silvia signed us up the Chamber 5k race. Then one day we decided to run the race course. DREADFUL. There were actual hills (which felt like mountains) – and we could barely run half of it. We all got totally depressed. We talked about how were training to feel good about ourselves, not like failures.

We decided to do it anyhow. We spent much time discussing team shirts. I wanted to make shirts with giant potatoes on the front – which no one liked other than conceptually – but luckily Allison found our very cute matching shirts at Target. We decided to run the race as a team: when one of started walking, we’d all start walking. And that’s what we did. Our time was terrible, but we ran most of the way and had a great time doing it.

I’ll sum up the experience with a quote from a recent New York Times article:  “There are few things in middle age as wonderful as having streets lined with people who cheer you just for running by.”

Annice

Annice

Yes – I’m over fifty, and today I feel like it, thanks to the sciatic-like pain creeping down my right butt and thigh. The pain comes unexpectedly, like a knock at the door, and I get it a few times a year.  Tomorrow it might be gone, and I might be able to hold Adho Mukha Svanasana for three minutes–that magical number needed to not only build strength but remove fatigue and rejuvenate the body.

Never mind that I used to be able to do Downward Facing Dog for 5 minutes – and not so very long ago – with less effort.  That’s what it’s like to be over fifty – different every day. Isn’t it nice that life is full of physical surprises? But it’s okay – I don’t have little tots to run after or car pools schlepping kids to ballet or karate  – only two big dogs – one with special needs (more about that another day) – and a husband older than I am who’s becoming more and more conservative with every new arthritic ache from his younger jock days.

Most mornings I’m up between 5:30 and 6:00. I’m working on a novel and savor that time before I have to get ready to go to work.  Some mornings I read, and every single morning I drink two cups of coffee in a beautiful hand-crafted ceramic mug.  Unless it’s raining, I also enjoy our hot tub with the conservative husband who insists it’s very therapeutic and gives him immediate relief in his joints–which is important because it justifies the monthly auto draft from our bank account. Never mind that, for me, it provokes hot flashes. Then it’s off to work, where I help small-business owners deal with problems like how to get a bank loan, how to increase sales, how to sell to the government and other entrepreneurial headaches I’m glad are not mine. At 6 or 6:30 p.m., I come back home, let the dogs out, and watch the news before thinking about what to cook for dinner. Sometimes I have a glass of red wine, and then I regret it because that, too, can provoke not one but a whole series of hot flashes. So I ask you, should I be switching to cold beer?  Sometimes, in the evening, I get on the treadmill that the husband bought for me (paid cash) so I would stop complaining about how much weight I’ve gained from menopause.

I'm so challenged

The first two weeks the machine was in our house, I worked out religiously, but then I got bored, so the husband bought me an Ipod, so I could listen to music and not be bored any more.  Never mind that he first had to teach me how to use it and we fought for days until MY music was loaded.  So what if I’m a little technologically challenged?  Truth is, when I listen to Tina Turner and work up a sweat, that, too, provokes hot flashes, but thanks to a tiny auto fan button on the front panel next to the pulse button (I stopped pressing because I can’t figure out what the numbers mean) I just drink my cold water and allow the small auto breeze to  refresh my face. Ah – life is good after fifty.