Embracing the Forest Dweller Stage: A Perspective on Healthy Aging
Forest Dweller
This fall, at Mountain Yoga, the yoga studio where I work, we’re exploring a special theme: the Forest Dweller stage of life. This phase comes after the kids have moved out, when we begin to truly embrace the aging process. Although I’m just a few months into my 45th year and not quite in the Forest Dweller stage myself, I feel that now is the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on aging as a whole.
Accepting the Finite Nature of Life
One of the key aspects of this theme is coming to terms with the fact that life is finite. Despite what biohackers might tell us about the possibility of living forever, the reality is that each of us will eventually die. Rather than seeing this as a grim reality, I believe it offers us a gift—the gift of the present moment. By accepting our mortality, we can fully appreciate the time we have. Practices like death meditations can be incredibly liberating, helping us to focus on what truly matters: telling our loved ones how much they mean to us, and spending our time on activities that bring value to our lives and the world around us.
Planning for Your “Marginal Years”
Another crucial part of this theme is Dr Peter Attia's concept of “Marginal Years” which he dives into his book Outlive. These are the final 10 years of your life, regardless of how long you live. For example, if you expect to live to 95, your Marginal Years would be from 85 to 95. It’s important to start thinking about how you want to live those years, no matter your current age. Ask yourself questions like:
- What activities do you want to be able to do independently?
- What moments do you want to experience?
Once you’ve identified these activities, break them down into the skills you’ll need to maintain.
Breaking Down the Skills
Let’s consider a few examples. Suppose you want to:
- Cook yourself a homemade fresh meal
- Do your own grocery shopping
- Clean your own house
To achieve these goals, you’ll need to maintain certain skills as you age. I will share which skills are needed:
- Cook yourself a homemade fresh meal: Balance, walking, arm strength, hand strength, eye-hand coordination, hand dexterity, quick reflexes, memory
- Doing your own grocery shopping: Balance, walking, arm strength, hand strength, lifting heavy bags
- Cleaning your own house: Balance, squatting, holding arms above head, twisting, finger strength
By identifying the necessary skills, you can work backward from your future self to where you are now and create a plan to maintain or build those skills over time.
I am passionate about building our skills and incorporating these skills into each of my yoga classes. I would love to see you in person in one of my classes (check out my list of in-person classes) and check out my over 105 yoga videos so that you can work on these skills whenever you can fit them into your schedule.
As we explore the Forest Dweller stage together, I hope this perspective inspires you to think more intentionally about the aging process. Whether you’re already in this stage or, like me, still have some time to go, there’s no better moment than now to start planning for a healthy, fulfilling future.
