INDIA: Seniors learn the art of 'aging gracefully'

. PANAJI, Goa / The Times of India / Life & Style / September 11, 2009 Rekha Sardessai, a 57-year-old bank employee, doesn't believe she is old. Yet, she has taken four days off from work to learn how to "age gracefully". Stepping away from the downers normally associated with aging-convalescent homes, limited financial independence, ailments and memory lapses-Sardessai is among 109 others, all above 50, who are attending a four-day course at the Chinmaya Mission Centre, Panaji, to learn graceful aging, or how to plan their future better. The course, a first-time for the centre, was held last week in Ponda where it had 30 participants. It focuses on the physical, emotional, social, financial and spiritual aspects of aging. Participants learn to financially plan for their retirement and to keep physically fit with yoga. "You have to age. It's inevitable. But there has to be pleasure in aging. And this can happen only if you love what you do and if the mind and body are in sync," says Sardessai. Sixty-two-year-old Jayanthi Kamath, a former managing director of Minsu Infosystem Pvt Limited, Bangalore, and a course participant, adds, "You need to know how to handle old age. All your life you have enjoyed power, respect and suddenly as you grow older you realize that you are nobody. We need to learn to cope with these changes better so that we continue to contribute to society." Explaining the need to have such courses for aged persons, Jagmohan Gomber, course coordinator, says, "Old age is considered to be the weakest time, when the future seems uncertain as emotional and financial insecurity creep in along with illnesses. But proper nutrition, regular exercise, stress management, cognitive training, social support combined with spirituality can lead to healthy aging." Of the 110 plus people in the course, about eight are in the age group of 40 to 50 years, while a majority are in the age group of 55 and 60 years. "Aging in India is not like how it was in yesteryears. The stress experienced by senior citizens is increasing due to the steep rise in prices and increasing number of nuclear families which have forced seniors to look elsewhere for a caregiver or for companionship," stresses Gomber. Adds 77-year-old Suresh Sardessai, also a participant, "It is nice to once again evolve yourself and gain confidence in old age." [rc] Copyright © 2009 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.