In his book, "Grow Younger, Live Longer", Deepak Chopra makes the case that you can reverse your biological age by maintaining a youthful mind. Chopra says the body is a field of molecules. The mind is a field of ideas. Wherever a thought goes, a molecule goes. Fresh and youthful thoughts create fresh and youthful molecules. Psychological age therefore influences biological age.
Chopra says many studies have confirmed that biological age correlates better with psychological age than chronological age. If you are young at heart, your biological markers are likely to reflect a young heart....literally. It is therefore important to understand what creates a youthful mind because a youthful mind is likely to translate into a youthful body.
A youthful mind is a mind that is constantly growing. A youthful mind is dynamic, vibrate, and curious. Chopra points out that a youthful mind has the following vital qualities:
- A youthful mind is an enthusiastic mind. It is a beginners mind. It is, like a child, enthusiastic about everything - a butterfly, a rainbow, the stars at night, a new book, a fragrant rose, a fresh strawberry. The enthusiastic mind stays alert to the amazing display that is taking place around it.
- A youthful mind is spontaneous. It is unpredictable. It has not been conditioned. It is awake to all possibilities. A youthful mind tolerates ambiguity, which gives rise to spontaneity. Be spontaneous. Examples Chopra provides: kiss your spouse , start dancing, call your mother, start singing, take off our clothes, read a poem, draw a picture.
- A youthful mind is fluid and adaptable. It does not allow itself to be trapped by boundaries. A youthful mind does not get stuck in fine distinctions. It does not view things from a narrow, limited perspective. It practices seeing the big picture.
- A youthful mind is nourished through the exploration of new domains. It sees the environment with fresh eyes. It does not take the world for granted. It has vivid imagination. It senses, it listens, it feels, it breathes fragances from a garden.
- A youthful mind is a growing mind. It is dedicated to continual expansion and learning. A youthful mind thrives on new experiences and new knowledge. Chopra says make a commitment to learn throughout your life.
- A youthful mind is playful and lighthearted, It laughs easily, genuinely, and with abandon. Laughter is the best medicine for the body and mind, says Chopra. Scientific studies have shown that laughter can enliven the immune system. Play is literally an opportunity for re-creation....an opportunity to re-create yourself.
Deepak points out that laughter is a symptom of spirituality. Laughter, he says, is the flow of love, coursing through your body. To maintain a more youthful mind, he encourages us to: Invite more enthusiasm into your life, Invite more playfulness, Invite more lightheartedness, Invite more laughter.