Aging Gracefully, Not Disastrously

Dear Patients and Friends,

When I moved from New York City to Santa Cruz in 1974, I was equal parts intense-city-guy and mellow-hippie-type-dude. I liked the possibility of having both types of personalities and knowing when and how to call upon each style, depending on what the moment called for.

It didn't take me long to realize that Santa Cruz people didn't appreciate the disposition I had in situations that called for clarity, immediacy, and certainty. The good gentle people of Santa Cruz seemed to label me as a crazy fanatic; whereas, I thought of myself as ecstatically passionate. As a 22-year-old, I was optimistically convinced that after a few years of living in Santa Cruz, the people would see the wisdom of my ways and adapt my style of living because it was "better.”

How I Made My First Impression

My first job in Santa Cruz was in a hippie leather factory that made weird belts, ugly hand bags, and other forgettable articles of "clothing.” On the first day of work, I had to report to my supervisor. I remember standing outside the factory calmly (read: restlessly) waiting for him to arrive.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I saw a person moving so fast toward me that I thought he was going to knock me down. It turns out the guy was even younger than me and he was "commuting" to work on a skateboard, which I had never seen before in Queens. He had hair down to his butt and looked way to happy to be trusted.

I did my best not to ecstatically and passionately tell him what I thought of his greeting. I followed his orders for a few days. On Friday of the first week, I said something to "my boss" and it didn't go well. Of course, I became ecstatically and passionately insightful (read: defensive) and soon after, a few other calm (read: calm) people approached me. I can't remember what they said because I was deeply engrossed in my ecstatic and passionate reverie.

What I do remember was that I was asked to resign and to try not to ever come back again for any reason—ever. Because they were all so relaxed, I didn't believe them, but since I'm a really nice person, I did what they said and hopped on my bicycle and quickly rode away.

Living Longer

Super long story, but that incident was the beginning of re-defining my relationship to being intense and mellow. In the forty-four years since then, I have become adept at knowing when to "turn on" the intensity (rarely) and when to remain calm (mostly). I went to chiropractic college, specialized in stress management and wellness, and now teach people how to live long, healthy, and happy lives.

On Thursday, June 21st, I'll be teaching one of my most popular workshops called, "How to Slow Your Aging Process—Older Growing with Spunk & Spirit.” In this 90-minute presentation, I'll highlight why people age prematurely and, of course, how to slow down and (when possible) how to prevent unnatural and uncomfortable aging.

Click here for flyer details.

I'm about to turn 65 years young on June 2nd. I have never been emotionally calmer, mentally clearer, and spiritually happier. While I can't say I'm as physically healthy as I was when I was in Santa Cruz, I can tell you that I'm at 80% of my former abilities to work out and play sports like basketball and ultimate frisbee, which I still do regularly.

Join me for an informative and fun evening in order to learn the ageless "secrets" of healthy aging.

True,
Dr. Mark

Announcements

Monthly Yoga & Meditation Class

There's been such a popular demand for more yoga and meditation that, starting in July, I'll be happy to start teaching a monthly class at the office. If you really want to master your skills of maintaining a flexible body and a calm mind, I recommend that you attend the class every month. I absolutely love being a mentor to all of you who have been attending the class over the years, and I also look forward to teaching new people who want to study with me.

The next class is on Tuesday, July 17th.

Click here for flyer details and future dates.