Experience the joy in aging

How do we find joy even in the impermanence of our lives?  Join Susan Moon, Zen teacher and author of Alive Until You’re Dead as she discusses death as part of living and the journey of aging. With humor and wisdom she encourages us to expect enlightening discoveries in our later years.

Susan Moon is a writer and Buddhist teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. She is the author of several books, including This is Getting Old , The Hidden Lamp and the book we are discussing in this podcast, Alive Until You’re Dead. She is a contributor to Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and other publications. She leads retreats in California and internationally.

Her website is susanmoon.wordpress.com

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Susan Moon offered many wonderful perspectives on aging. I particularly enjoyed her lighthearted acceptance of her age as she said, “There is a relief in accepting myself as an old person. There’s a sense of accomplishment even.” One of the perspectives she offers is that of Virya, a Sanskrit word that she translates as joyful effort, which doesn’t involve the effort of strength, rather an alive and joyful vitality. She also offers specific supportive practices for contemplating death, one of which is realizing that the ability to love doesn't end as we age.

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I really enjoyed our conversation about experiencing the joy in aging. I loved her comment in the book “I see now that doing battle against aging is not a good use of my time and so letting go of that fight is a big relief. I have a wider view, and it’s not because of my lens implants.” I found our discussion of the importance of virya, or joyful effort to be reassuring, as we are never too old to make an effort and to be joyful. I appreciated her comments about the importance of being triggered into feeling curious when we are faced with challenges, and that we can cultivate the attitude, “Can I be curious about this?”