Josh and I have just returned from the Positive Aging Conference with new ideas and inspiration garnered from the other participants, who ranged in age from their twenties to their eighties (some may be older–we didn’t ask).
The preconference Life Planning Network meetings were opened and closed by the singer/songwriter Barbara McAfee, who writes from a unique perspective and sense of mission.
Music was around us all the time at the conference. In a moving tribute to Dr. Gene Cohen of the National Center for Creative Aging, who was a major influence on many of the researchers and, sadly, died very recently, we sang together “This Little Light of Mine” (click to listen), which lent itself wonderfully to additional verses celebrating his life.
Thank you to the enthusiastic participants in our workshop: Music and Happiness for the Mature Body, Mind and Spirit. Talk about good vibes! Your willingness to follow our lead wholeheartedly helped us demonstrate some of the many ways the mindful practice of music can nourish the character strengths most associated with well-being (gratitude, zest, curiosity, love, and hope ). Using your own favorite music can easily make this practice part of daily life.
If you would like to have the self-help tips we offered at the workshop to begin making music into a powerful mindfulness practice that supports daily well-being, just contact us using the form on this page.
You don’t need to formally meditate to become more fruitfully mindful. But you do need to practice paying attention to–and learning to savor–the good inside you and your environment. Music is a natural way to foster this kind of practice. Stay tuned as we explore all the ramifications of this thought in future newsletters.
