I just opened my mail to find the following cover headlines shouting: “Stop aging now!” and “Reverse the aging process!” Really? The way I see it, aging is living, and I’m a big fan of living. These kinds of anti-aging messages make my skin crawl. When I think about the communication around beauty and aging, here’s the question I use as a litmus test: Is this a message I want my daughter to embrace? I don’t want her to view aging as a bad thing, nor do I want her to see women as “over” just because they’re older. I found myself hiding both magazines because I don’t want my daughter to see them.
But it’s not just for her that I hide magazine covers like this. It’s for me as well. I’ve made a conscious decision to surround myself with women of all ages so I am constantly reminded just how wonderful life is at any stage. The women I admire the most are those who don’t fight their age. The wrinkles, grey hair, and achy joints that all of us will grow into someday are not to be feared according to these women! One of the things I am most proud of at barre3 is the legacy I am building for my daughter. She does barre3 at 10 right next to me at 42 and her grandmother at 67. She also gets to meet all kinds of very cool young women who show great respect for their elders.
I recently taught a class in my barre3 West Village studio with an 81-year-old woman and her two daughters in attendance. They were visiting from Oklahoma where they do barre3 at our studios there. Guess who was doing the full expression of the postures and with inspiring form and alignment?
Instead of focusing on turning back the clock, I invite you to instead focus on all that we look forward to as we continue our life here on Earth. It’s a great privilege to age.
