Welcome.
Please go ahead and get comfortable where you are.
Close your eyes if you'd like to.
Let's begin by taking a deep breath in through the nose.
And then slowly exhaling through the mouth.
One more time.
Inhale.
And exhale.
Aging is living.
And living means experiencing grief.
We lose people we love.
And no amount of money,
Security or preparation can protect us from that kind of loss.
It's part of being human and we have rituals and support systems to help us through it.
But there's far less recognition for the grief that can come with aging itself.
Maybe you've walked into a room and realized that you're no longer receiving the kind of attention you once did.
Maybe people interrupt or overlook you more.
And if you've noticed it,
You may have been startled by how much it affects you.
We're given so many messages about what we're supposed to want from aging.
We're supposed to become more comfortable with ourselves.
We're supposed to stop caring what other people think.
We're supposed to be grateful for everything our bodies and our lives have carried us through.
But especially for women,
So much of our identity has been tangled up with youth,
Beauty and desirability.
That feeling as though we're losing these things can be confronting and destabilizing.
Perhaps visibility is something that's noticeably changed for you over the years.
There can be grief and discovery that something you once took for granted has become something you miss.
Perhaps you've never really felt visible to other people.
There can be grief in realising that you've spent your life feeling overlooked.
Whatever grief is here,
Let it have some room.
You don't have to turn it into gratitude.
You don't have to find the silver lining.
Maybe for now,
It simply hurts.
Take a breath and notice what happens in your body.
As you let yourself admit what's true for you.
Perhaps you're calling to mind a particular moment.
Someone looking through you.
A change in the way you're treated at work.
A conversation in which you realised that your opinion was being received differently than it once was.
Or perhaps it's something much more subtle.
A gradual accumulation of moments that have left you with the sense that the world has become less interested in looking your way.
Just breathe and allow yourself to recognize the experience.
When you've spent years receiving messages about your value through other people's attention.
It can be difficult to know what remains when that attention changes You may have built parts of your identity around being attractive or desirable.
You may start wondering whether you still are.
You may find yourself checking the mirror more often or avoiding it altogether.
You might begin comparing the woman you are now with the woman you once were.
Take a deep inhale.
And a slow exhale.
Remember this.
You don't have to choose between honoring the woman you were and accepting the woman you are.
You can miss a younger version of yourself and still love the person you are now.
You can acknowledge any loss you feel without allowing it to become the measure of your value.
Take another slow breath.
And as you exhale,
Ask yourself.
Who is the woman you are today?
Notice what she cares about.
What she's curious about.
What she's no longer willing to tolerate.
Notice what excites her.
What makes her love?
What gives her a sense of purpose.
The more you see yourself,
Especially in ways that aren't connected to your appearance.
The more anchored you'll feel.
Your worth was never supposed to depend on being young enough or beautiful enough.
The life you've lived is here.
The things you've learned are here.
The things you still want are here.
You are here.
Remember that being visible and being valuable are not the same thing.
You can keep taking up space.
You can keep dressing in ways that please you.
Speaking when you have something to say.
Pursuing what interests you.
Asking for what you want.
You can continue to participate fully in your own life.
Take a breath in.
And let it go.
When you're ready,
Begin to bring some movement back into your body.
Maybe wiggle your fingers or toes.
And in your own time,
Gently open your eyes.
I hope this meditation helped you to acknowledge the grief that can come with aging and the complexity of what that experience can sometimes be.
I'd love to know what kinds of challenges you've been dealing with related to aging and whether this meditation helped offer you some clarity or support.
I read and reply to every comment so please share with me.
I'm grateful for you taking the time to be here with me today,
Sending love from my heart to yours.
