*this post is an expansion of the post shared on my social media platforms

October 1st is observed as the UN International Day of Older Persons, a day for us to acknowledge the contributions and wisdom of our older persons and raise awareness of the challenges they face.

I had the opportunity to attend, along with my parent, the Geriatric Society of Trinidad and Tobago's event in celebration of this day. We were fortunate to witness the honouring of several older persons from our national community, to hear statistics about our aging population, and reflect on the importance of putting things in place to better serve and care for our elderly with dignity and respect.

This photo of my parent is from a few years back, taken after a day of helping him install a new window. He tells me that I do not recognise he is getting older and I tell him that he does not recognise he is getting older. We both observe the changes in our bodies as we age - what we are able to do now compared to a decade ago, or even a year ago, is different.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have these experiences as we age, and we work at keeping the body, mind, heart and spirit strong. I do this through my yoga practice and share what I have learnt through my work. In September I facilitated the Blue Star's Longevity Circle (a monthly meetup for seniors) and the feedback shared was how eye-opening the session was in providing simple movements to manage the body - simple movements that would lead to increased flexibility, balance, strength, ease and greater quality of life.

Today, October 5th, is observed as World Teachers’ Day. Our older persons are our teachers. They share with us their knowledge and lived experiences so that we may learn and grow. I give thanks for all my teachers - my parents, my Guru, and all who have shared with me through my schooling and life.

If you are an older person who would like to work on self through yoga, please feel free to message me or to practice at home via my YouTube channel 🙏🏽

peace,