Listening To Ourselves

By Ryhaan Shah

Having spirituality as we grow older is a powerful resource for enhancing well-being, providing meaning, hope, and purpose, which help to manage the challenges of ageing, including health issues and loneliness. Studies indicate that stronger spiritual engagement is linked to reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improved mental and physical health in older adults.
Spirituality does not necessarily mean belonging to a religious faith. It could simply mean being at peace with ourselves. It’s having that still, calm centre that comes from a positive self-assurance that no longer needs external validation, whether from friends or family. It comes with the ability to be alone without ever being lonely and to find peace with our own thoughts and feelings.
Meditation, connecting with nature, and reading poetry and books that offer positive attitudes to life can all help us gain a spirituality that helps us become calm and at peace with a world that is becoming more and more fast-paced.
This kind of restfulness of the mind helps us to reframe the ageing process and to address the emotions associated with our mortality and any sense of “meaninglessness in the world” that can come with ageing.
Solitude is not loneliness. It is a place of peace that we choose because we are comfortable with our own company. During this quiet time, we can process our memories, soothe any worry or distress, and release the weight or stress of past obligations and responsibilities.
We can cultivate solitude by spending time doing the things we enjoy, whether it is reading or listening to our favourite music, gardening, or even taking up a new hobby. We now have time to enjoy these moments alone without the external demands of jobs and pressing family responsibilities.
To achieve such solitude, we may have to find peace with the regrets we may have: regret that we neglected our family by working too many long hours or regret that we failed to pursue a dream or passion. One regret for many is having failed to take care of our health earlier in life, which can lead to age-related illness.
Our quiet time alone should be a source of comfort and not become an excuse to avoid the outside world. Maintaining family and social connections is still good for our overall health and well-being.
Having friends and being active in our community are all good for our mental health and can be balanced with the serenity that comes from enjoying our own company. This kind of solitude is quite different from loneliness, which can be a painful and distressing feeling where we can feel disconnected from our friends, family, and community.
While a shift in perspective from a materialistic to a more transcendent view of life often occurs as we grow older, feelings of hopelessness, which can be a sign of spiritual pain, can be counteracted by seeking a spiritual connection.
Many of us find peace in religious faith, and attending religious services is central to our lives, providing us with a connection to a higher power that brings both peace and hope and reduces feelings of anxiety and isolation.
The three great religions of the world – Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism – all offer solace and hope through prayer and rituals. They view old age as part of the natural cycle of life and provide a sense of peace and hope in a promised hereafter, or, as in Hinduism, a sacred progression towards spiritual liberation.
Research suggests that spirituality helps to lower depression and can even reduce pain and help us better manage serious illnesses.
This is the time to contemplate the fleeting nature of worldly life and to turn towards spiritual preparation, recognising it as a time for increased wisdom and repentance. It provides us with time to practise and to pass on the wisdom we have gained from our lives.
Despite our physical frailty and decline, our soul can grow richer. Like climbing a mountain, ageing offers a broader, more extensive view of life, and if we can maintain a joyful and positive attitude, we can arrive at a place of tremendous possibilities gained by inner peace.
That spirituality reframes ageing from a mere physical decline to a treasured time that we are gifted in order to find peace, expand our wisdom, and express gratitude for our lives as we reach these later chapters.
American poet Maya Angelou put it best in her poem “On Ageing”: “When you see me sitting quietly / Like a sack left on the shelf / Don’t think I need your chattering / I’m listening to myself.”