Designing My Ageless Mind, Virtually
Learn about how attending a group for women over 50 in the virtual world of Second Life, surprised and got AMP co-founder, Lynne Berrett thinking about the role virtual worlds have played in her life.
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/designing-my-ageless-mind
New Frontiers in Aging: Meeting Other Ageless Minds in Virtual As Well As Physical Reality
How living in multiple worlds can help you craft and maintain an ageless mind.
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/new-frontiers-in-aging
Ageless Minds in Other Worlds: Exploring how virtual worlds can foster ageless minds
When Ageless Mind Project (AMP) was first started in 2015, our goal was to embrace a way of life that draws inspiration and practical advice from all the exciting new research being done on healthful aging. While that goal hasn’t changed we’ve gradually developed an approach of our own that is both unique and effective. That approach involves the use of avatars and virtual worlds. Read all about it here:
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/ageless-minds-in-other-worlds
A Mommy for Ageism Awareness!
I missed posting on Ageism Awareness Day (this initiative surely deserves more than a day). But that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about ageism; I have been an active member of the American Society on Aging for many years: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/a-mommy-for-ageism-awareness
BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BEWILDERED
By Joshua Berrett
Reconnecting with old friends can bring unexpected rewards. I am using “old friends” generically here, referring not so much to fellow humans as to music or literature or, for the purposes of this post, to my current re-conception of a course I first created many years ago.
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/bewitched-bothered-and-bewildered
Creativity My Way by Jena Ball
When it comes to brain health, one of the subjects Lynne and I talk a lot about is creativity. There are almost as many ways to be creative as there are people on the planet but we tend to divide and channel our creativity into categories, each with rules, guidelines, and expectations by which we judge the value of the creative work. Read the full post and visit Buttons and Bows Boutique here https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/creativity-my-way
True Confessions: Do I practice what I preach? by Lynne Berrett
I turned 86 this summer – no, that’s NOT the confession I’m making. In fact, I’m very grateful that I’ve made it this far, when so many of my dearest friends haven’t. But I have recently been reflecting more than usual on Life and my own life, and I’m struck by how much I’m still learning about both, even at this advanced age. Read the full post at https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/true-confessions-do-i-practice-what
Devils, Witches and the Supernatural in Music: An 8-week course on Zoom
Just who and what are we? In the early 19th-century E.T.A. Hoffmann wrote about “the conflict of human nature with the unknown, monstrous powers that surround it.” There is much demonizing of the “other” these days. At the same time, we are having trouble confronting change and our mortality: we challenge authority, bargain with fate.
In many ways, this course is a celebration of creativity, greatly enriched by drawing upon many diverse sources. The “other” becomes “us.” The creative spirit will not be easily stifled. And a little mischief has its own special rewards.
More Cats in Music
A New Frontier in Aging: A Podcast with Dr. Dorian Mintzer
This is the link to the actual podcast interview we recorded last week.
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/a-new-frontier-in-aging
We hope you like it and share it with friends. Please give us feedback here or at agelessmindproject@gmail.com, because we want to build a community that is truly helpful to you.
Rhythm Old as Time Redux
The post below was shared with us and published back in May. It was written by the gifted poet and astute commentator on the human condition, Gloria Horton-Young. Gloria has since gone on to pen many thought-provoking and exquisite pieces on everything from Sex, Faeries, and Thunderbolts and the history of the women’s movement to Stormy Daniels and the 2024 election.
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/rhythm-old-as-time-redux
The Cat’s Meow
Meet Sneakers, and enjoy this hilarious look at how cats play their part in the grand musical scheme of things:
Reasons: How nature shapes our lives
Reflections on Bringing Nature Indoors
Join AMP co-founder, Lynne Berrett, as she takes you indoors to introduce you to her 50-year-old plants (they all have personalities) and asks some good questions about longevity and the importance of plants in our lives:
As I Age: The Play of Light on Water
Join Leon Brown, Jr. as he explores how time takes on a life of its own, teaching him “…that each moment is a thousand lifetimes, and each lifetime -fleeting and ephemera.” The poem is accompanied by a painting done by Leon himself entitled, “Laughing Flowers.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/
Love and Curiosity by Kate Morgan Reade
Enjoy this delightful nature walk with Kate Morgan Reade and her daughter. Kate not only invites us into her world, but shares her daughter’s questions, observations, and opinions as well. You’re sure to be charmed and fascinated while learning something too: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/curiosity-and-love
When I Die
Join poet Audrey Roth as she shares how she would like her deceased body to be “…buried an open field, drenched in bright sunshine, fed by rain, covered in winter with a warm blanket of deep, white snow…” so that it can “morph into rich compost” and become an acorn’s doula. It is a lovely vision of the circle of life told through the lens of a true nature lover.
https://open.substack.com/pub/
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Chat Walks
What’s a “Chat Walk?” Have you ever been on one? What makes a “Chat Walk” different from a regular walk? Learn everything you need to know as two of our readers invite to accompany them on one of their delightful long-distance exchanges designed to keep both their bodies and minds healthy and entertained:
Walking Meditation
Have you ever tried a walking mediation? Read Maria Brown’s extraordinary piece on how she explores what her “mind is full of today and how is it affecting” her and shares some thoughts and suggestions for walking meditations of your own:
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/walking-meditation
My Roots
Come with our guest contributor, Audrey Roth, as she talks about how spending time with trees helps relieve stress and gives her a dose of the “divine.” It is a lovely reminder of the power of the natural world.
Beethoven Was a Nature Lover Too
AMP co-founder and musician extraordinaire, Joshua Berrett, takes you into nature with Beethoven this week in his post, “Beethoven was a Nature Lover Too!” Stop by his Substack to read about how nature inspired Beethoven and to hear an exquisite recording of Symphony No. 6, also known as the Pastoral. Here’s the link:
https://joshuaberrett.substack.com/p/beethoven-was-a-nature-lover-too
The Zen of Floofles
Discover what happens when humans and wild animals become best friends in this delightful poem by Lorraine Evanoff:
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/the-zen-of-floofles
We’d love to have you join us. You can learn how to take part by clicking HERE.
Correspooding with Nature
In the grand tradition of writers like Henry James and Edith Wharton, who were both good friends and enthusiastic correspondents, we’re suggesting you try writing to someone about an experience you had in nature.
https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/corresponding-with-nature
True Synchronicity
We’ve been posting Phil Youngblood’s suggestions for nature journaling This week he offered 3 approaches : Learn, Socialize, and Do.
Lorraine Tillbury was inspired to share photos and writing about her family reunion at her French Loire Valley country home: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/true-synchronicity
A Magical Beethoven Experience
Ageless Mind Project Co-founder and music aficionado shares his love affair with a piece of music that captured his heart when he was about eight or nine years old. That music was Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 4 in G. In this post he shares the reasons why he loves the piece so much and invites you to experience it with him. Click the link below to join him:
https://open.substack.com/pub/joshuaberrett/p/a-magical-beethoven-experience
Parallel Walking
(Bringing personal and professional narratives together in nature)
Join Sheila Webber on a walk through life as she describes what she calls “functional” and “non-functional” encounters with nature. Sheila is a keen observer, photographer, and writer so you are sure to enjoy her post. Here’s the link: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/parallel-walking
We hope Sheila inspires you to get out into nature and record your experience. Instructions: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/journaling-with-nature
Luminosity
Read how Jena Ball rediscovered her sense of wonder while penning her response to Phil Youngblood’s second post on nature journaling:
https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/luminosity
Lorraine Tilbury’s description of her walk at Chenonceau Castle and accompanying video will make you want to get out into nature.
https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/chenonceau-castle
Writing, sketching, taking photos, and simply basking in the sunlight are all great ways to nurture your ageless mind. Instructions for how to start a nature journal and share with us are HERE.
Beethoven: The Power of the Soft Answer
Join me as we continue to explore the theme of Orpheus, which has inspired so many great composers.
“A soft answer turneth away wrath.” The timeless wisdom of this biblical proverb (Proverbs 15:1) has found artistic expression in one of Beethoven’s most divine creations – the slow movement of his Piano Concerto no. 4, Op. 58, the Andante con moto.
To read the full post and listen to this exquisite version visit
https://joshuaberrett.substack.com/p/beethoven-the-power-of-a-soft-answer
Experimenting with Nature Journaling
Read this new post by AMP Co-founder, Lynne Berrett as she ventures outside to Rockefeller Preserve to write about both “Primavera,” first flowering, and the loss of a dear friend.
Please consider joining us by starting and sharing your own nature journal.
https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/my-first-experiment
This Should Be Fun!
Part II of Phil’s nature journaling series has dropped. I hope you’ll all grab your notebooks, sketch pads, and cameras and journey out into the natural world with us to collect, record, and share what you find. The trees, flowers, critters, and breezes are calling!
Nature Journaling with Phil: Part II
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/nature-journaling-with-phil?r=128wl
A Rhythm as Old as Time
This nature journal post was written by the gifted poet and astute commentator on the human condition, Gloria Horton-Young. Gloria is the author of the She Who Stirs the Storm Substack where she describes herself as a, “Poet, painter, storyteller, rabble-rouser – a tempest in red lipstick. Expect provocative opinions, spirited rants, and lots of laughter. This is my playground, the rules are rewritten daily.”
Journaling with Nature Update
An ageless mind takes time to develop…and so does a journal. Instead of overloading you (and us) with too many ideas, we’re going to slow the process down.Once we all have time to get settled into this project, we’ll share other suggestions Phil has made for deepening connections with the natural world. Research on the benefits of these active connections comes into my inbox daily now. Let’s create our own little research project through our journals!
A Beautiful Simplicity
To continue our exploration of music and memory through the example of the Orpheus myth, I want to introduce you to the composer Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714-1787). One of the gems from his opera Orfeo ed Euridice is the aria “Che farò senza Euridice?” (“What will I do without Euridice?”)
Journaling with Nature: Part I
This week we’d love you to experiment with us by starting a journal that will expand your inner wellbeing in targeted ways. You can download the pages to create your own paper journal. Play with us! Watch for 3 prompts this week to explore how your relationship with Nature can be enriched through journaling:
https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/journaling-with-nature
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We’re adding another activity to the Ageless Mind Project, one that can exponentially increase your success in building an ageless mind. In the coming week you will be invited to create a personal journal. Aided by prompts from our special guests and beautiful templates you can download, you will be encouraged to explore, reflect on, and practice techniques that will help you design your own ageless mind. Find out more here:
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/something-special-is-coming-soon
Cultivating an Ageless Mind With Nature
Conversations with Phil Youngblood: Part II
Here is Part 2 of our conversation with Phil, whose return to nature has made his retirement years richer for him and others. To read Part 1, use the link at the bottom of the article: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/cultivating-an-ageless-mind-with
A Life Shaped by Nature
Join us as we begin our exploration of how nature can help create and maintain an ageless mind with a conversation with @Phil Youngblood. Phil’s experiences growing up immersed in nature and his gradual return as an adult are both thought provoking and touching. https://open.substack.com/pub/
P.S. Phil will have more to share about how to integrate nature into your daily life in his second conversation. Stay tuned!
Personal Memories #1
Join Joshua Berrett, AMP Co-founder and music expert, as he embarks on a series of posts chronicling personal memories about how music has shaped and informed his life. joshuaberrett.substack.com/p/personal-m…
We Heard Long Before We Could See
Learn why expectant mothers need to be mindful of what they are listening to as Josh Berrett explores how music affects a mother’s nervous system as well as her baby’s.
https://joshuaberrett.substack.com/p/we-heard-long-before-we-could-see
Recommendation #7: Let Your Mind Wander
Join us as we explore how we can be inspired or suddenly see solutions to knotty problems when performing mundane or routine tasks.
Recommendation #6: For a healthier, happier life is to hug or hold hands
“We use touch instinctively when children need to be soothed. I think that, especially when we get older, touch is an even more important sense.”
We’d love to know your thoughts on this and your own experiences with touch as you age.
https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/recommendation
Want Better Cognition Later in Life?
It’s all in the practice, right? Read this short but informative article about how lifetyle affects how well your brain works later in life:
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/want-better-cognition-later-in-life
THE FIVE WISHES – How to Live Your Best Dying
Voices From the Field – Bone Health
We have just posted a new podcast (and its transcript) for AMP members on a burning topic for so many of us: Bone Health. If you have any problems accessing the podcast, let us know.
Recommendation #5 – Reducing Chronic Inflammation
What Role Does Chronic Inflammation Play in Your Health and How Can It Be Reduced? Check out our latest post about inflammation here: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/recommendation-5
Recommendation #4: Breathwork
Recommendation #3: Channel your inner Betty White
In this piece Lynne explores what it means to be a “Superager,” using the fabulous Betty White as an example. See the full piece here: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/recommendation-3-superager
Recommendation #2
Read Lynne Berrett’s second recommendation for living a healthier, happier life: https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/recommendation-2?r=128wl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
7 Brain Tips
Want Some Tips on How to How to Keep Your Brain Healthy in 2024? Follow us as we explore seven tips based on the neuroscientist Richard Sima’s article in the “Washington Post.”
OOPS! Navigating Life’s Ups and Downs
Read about my major “OOPS!” on a recent trip to Washington DC that made Richard Sima’s article, “Seven of Our Bet Brain Tips for a Healthier Life in 2024,” even more relevant. I’ll be covering all seven tips in greater detail over the next seven days, so be sure subscribe to our Substack: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/oops
On the Eve of Something Special
Happy New Year’s Eve Fabulous Folks!Do you have any traditions, foods, or memories to share as we head into the new year?
Everyone at AMP is wishing you all a new year full of new love, laughter, and new discoveries. Stay tuned for more wonderful stories and don’t forget to suscribe to our Substack so you don’t miss a thing: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com
Happy Holidays – An Ode to Joy
Everyone on the Ageless Mind Project team is wishing you happy holidays. We’re so glad you are part of our community and hope you will continue to share your thoughts and journeys with us in 2024.
Please click HERE to listen to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy a time-tested tribute to the love that unites and sustains us all. We’ll see you in the new year!
Recommendation: 11/30/23
As we end November, I’d like to remind you about the podcast we posted this month introducing Dr. Stephen Gasior and his focus on “The Science of Aging.”
Stephen will continue to bring us more information about current research into healthy longevity — our “healthspan.” What do you want to know more about? Sleep? Diet? Exercise? Bone health? Supplements?
Drop us a line with your suggestions to AgelessMindProject@gmail.com or simply reply to the conversation in our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807402954397807
How Can You Contribute to the Ageless Mind Project?
Learn about how you can help AMP continue to help our members design and maintain ageless minds by making a financial contribution.Go directly to our website: https://www.agelessmindproject.org/donate/
You can also become a paid subscribe to our Substack for $8.00 a month or $80.00 a year. Larger donations are also gratefully accepted. Here’s the link: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com
Giving Thanks for You and Yours
Everyone on the AMP team would like to wish you a holiday full of family, friends, and of course good food. We are very grateful to have you as a subscriber and look forward to sharing more insights into healthful aging throughout the holiday season.
To read more from the Ageless Mind Project archive of articles, please visit our Substack homepage and consider becoming a subscriber: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/
Let’s Talk Mushrooms!
Stop by the AMP Substack to learn about the health benefits of mushrooms and get some surprising mushroom-centric recipes that that are not only tasty but good for your health as well. Visit: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/lets-talk-mushrooms
AMP Recommendation 11/09/23: Healthy Brain Aging
“Up to a third of dementia cases are attributable to modifiable risk factors.” – Kaitlin Casaletto, Ph.D.
Stephen Gasior has recommended a short video (about 15 minutes) that is a lively presentation of some of the research being done at a major US center for “healthful” aging. (We use the term “healthful” to emphasize our commitment to proactive thinking and behavior.)
Today we welcome Stephen Gasior to the Ageless Mind Podcast, “Voices From the Field.” In this first of a series Stephen will be talking about “The Science of Aging,” and be taking questions from the AMP community. Listen and join the conversation here: https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/voices-from-the-field?r=128wl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Recommendation for 11/02/2023″The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health”
Based on her research, Psychologist Ellen Langer Ph.D. works from the premise that our minds and bodies mutually affect each other in more ways than we believe. In this recent podcast she is interviewed about her book by AMP Collaborator, Dorian Mintzer: https://revolutionizeyourretirementradio.buzzsprout.com/1881506/13515019-the-mindful-body-thinking-our-way-to-chronic-health-with-dorian-mintzer-and-ellen-langer
Read along and comment here: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/recommendation-for-11022023
Adventures in Mindful Listening: Bernstein and Candide
Introducing Jan Hively and the 6 Dimensions of Wellbeing
Jan Hively is someone who gives new meaning to the expression, age is a state of mind. Jan has never let her chronological age stop her from pursuing her dreams.
Read the story of how she has designed and kept her mind ageless here: https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/jan-hively
The AMP Story Continues
Part II of the Ageless Mind Project saga continues as co-founder, Lynne Berrett explains the history behind the project, why its mission matters so much, and what AMP hopes to accomplish.
https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/the-amp-story-continues
Welcome to Our World
Part one of the Ageless Mind Project story as chornicled by our co-founder, Lynne Berreett.
https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/welcome-to-our-world
Meet Veteran Trailblazer, Stacy Lee
Stacy was one of our featured presenters at the Healthful Aging Through Lifelong Learning Conference and is receiving TWO awards this month – one from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and one from Nation’s First. Read all about the awards and watch an archive of her HAC presentation here: https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/women-trailblazers-stacy-lee
Nothing Lasts Forever
The first annual Healthful Aging Through Lifelong Learning Conference has come to an end. The diversity of presenters, the range of topics covered, and the insights offered were both engaing and informative. Read on to learn how you can experience more of the conference and keep up-to-date on all the AMP news going forward: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/nothing-lasts-forever
Meet Dr. Valerie Hill (Valibrarian)
Learn about Dr. Valerie Hill’s 15-year adventures in the Metaverse and her mission to help people make sense of and find balance in both their physical and digital (virtual) lives.
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/valerie-hill-a-librarian-for-a-new
HAC Presenters Series 9 – Maria Brown (Pet Karu): Aging and Romance
Join Maria Brown (Pet Karu) as she explores the world of romantic relationships in Second Life where she works as a counselor and runs a relationship support group. “My goals,” she says, “is to restore the castaway, repair the broken, and give someone a soft place to land.”
HAC Presenters Series 8 – Dr. Dorian Mintzer: Embracing Your Bonus Years
Dr. Dorian Mintzer, also known as Sage in Second Life, is an avid student of aging. At the conference she will be talking about how the concept of aging as has been changing over time and what you can do to help ensure that your “second adulthood” is both the most exciting and fulfilling time of your life. For more information see https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/dorian-mintzer-exploring-middlescence
HAC Presenters Series 7 – Angela Allen: Stay Curious!
Meet Angela Allen, the Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Cal State San Bernardino, California. She will be talking about the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Model and the effect COVID had on the senior communities OLLI serves. Learn more and plan to attend: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/angela-allen-stay-curious
HAC Presenters Series 6 – The Long Now: A Guest Blog
The Ageless Mind Project and Whole Brain Health – co-sponsors of the Healthful Aging Through Lifelong Learning Conference – are pleased to share a guest blog by DeepThinker Oh about taking a long (really long) view of humanity’s future. Learn about a mechanical clock designed to run for 10,000 years, what Sherlock Holmes had to say about aging, and the results of a study on aging by the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH): https://open.substack.com/pub/
P.S. Be sure to check out the calendar of events for the conference and make plans to attend your favorites: https://www.
HAC Presenters Series 5 – Stacy Lee: EchoVets
Stacy Lee is a Veteran in her first life (US Army) and a Veteran of Second Life (SL). With more than 18 1/2 years of experience living and working in SL, she has a lot to say about how virtual spaces can enhance and expand life for military Veterans. Read her HAC profile and learn how you can join her live presentation on May 20th at 8:00 am (PST): https://open.substack.com/pub/agelessmindproject/p/stacy-lee-echovets
HAC Presenters Series 4 – Stephen Xootfly
The HAC Presenters Series 3 – Cattie Rosca
Cattie has a very special gift – the ability to be present and “hold space” for others who are grappling with death. She is a trained “Death Doula,” also known as a “Death Companion.” Learn more at her HAC presentation: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/p/carole-silvoy-cattie-rosca-death
HAC Presenter Series 2 – Shyla the Super Gecko
Shyla is one of our featured presenters at the Healthful Aging Through Lifelong Learning Conference being held from May 15 – May 21 in both the virtual world of Second Life (SL) and via live streams to the world at large.
The HAC Calendars are Up!
The daily calendars for the Healthful Aging Through Lifelong Learning are now live! Check out the exciting events and speakers we have planned here:
https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/
HAC Presenter Series 1 – Phil Youngblood
Meet Phil Youngblood – a retired scientist, educator, and nature enthusiast who will be one of the featured speakers at the upcoming “Healthful Aging Through Lifelong Learning Conference” starting May 15th. and continuing through May 21st.
We’re excited to announce the first annual Healthful Aging Through Lifelong Learning Conference. The conference will be held from may 15 through May 21 in both virtual and real world spaces.
To learn more, and keep abreast of all the news, visit and subscribe to our Substack blog. There, we will be sharing the conference schedule, interviews with our presenters, and photos from the virtual spaces where the events will be held: https://agelessmindproject.substack.com/
Questions? Email us at AgelessMindProject@gmail.com
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