Join me for a FREE
28 day challenge to learn ways to overcome challenges and cope with change
YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO: 99 Stop Overwhelm By Setting Smaller, Attainable Goals 99 Breaking It Down – From Challenge To Baby Steps 99 It Will Get Easier – Getting Used To Change 99 The Importance Of Taking Time To Grieve 99 Embracing Challenges And Creating New Routines
99 Sleep On It – How A Good Night Sleep Puts Everything Into Perspective 99 You’re Stronger Than You Think – A Look Back At What You’ve Overcome 99 Celebrate Your Victories And Successes 99 Reflect On How Far You’ve Come And Where To Go From Here
I have been where you are now, feeling hopeless and alone. Not knowing how I was going to cope with everything, but here I am now, moving on and thriving. I didn’t make it this far by giving up when the going was tough and neither did you. Join me so we can figure this thing out together! We can leave a legacy for our daughters and all those wonderful women out there. Let’s give ageism the flick and live our lives with passion and purpose. Come on, become a member of my team and see if we can’t shock a few people.
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Contents
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HOW JOAN RIVERS MOVED ON
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ARE YOU TERRIFIED OF MOVING ON?
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WAYS TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR PENSION
20 MADE TO DANCE
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DEDE RANAHAN: CRITICAL NEEDS
LYNN HOFMANN: LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
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MARIE BIG TRAVEL NUT
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OFF THE BEATEN PATH HOW TO TRAVEL SOLO
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PLASTIC SURGERY SHOULD YOU DO IT?
Move On M A G A Z I N E
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Contributors MADE Tasmanian based dance company, MADE, runs mature-age dance classes in contemporary, ballet and improvisation classes led by local, national and internationally recognised dance teachers. Their dances tell stories of life experiences and challenge audience perceptions of the mature dancer. Stunning performances are created by choreographers including Kelly Drummond Cawthon, Angela Strk, Liesel Zink and Graeme Murphy. Performances feature dancers aged 50 and over. Dancers perform at venues and festivals across Australia including Mona Foma, Ten Days on the Island, Canberra, Brisbane, King Island and Saitama in Japan.
Lynn Hofmann Lynn Hofmann aka Dr Rainbow Australia, is a JOY Alchemist, Clown Doctor, LOL Yoga Facilitator, Art Therapist, NLP Master/Trainer A colourful Speaker, Trainer and Master of unhooking her clients, from the mad, sad, bad, craziness of the world. JOY from the inside out is the goal.. Removing the “I’ll be happy when,” Lynn believes that true JOY is available to all of us now, with the right tools and JOYful heart/mindset. Under the tutorship of the famous Patch Adams, Lynn became Dr. Rainbow, bringing smiles and Laughter to many who needed the alchemy of JOY. lynnhofmann.wixsite.com/mysite
madecompany.com.au dance@madecompany.com.au 4
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Marie France
BIG TRAVEL NUT Marie-France is a Canadian freelance writer based in Toronto, who has been exploring the world mostly solo over the last 27 years. She has travelled to 65 countries on every continent and is especially fond of sunny destinations with good coffee. Her blog bigtravelnut.com focuses on affordable solo travel for the 40+ crowd. Follow her on: @bigtravelnut @bigtravelnut @bigtravelnut
Dede Ranahan Dede Ranahan is a mother, grandmother, and long-time mental health advocate. In 1982 she authored a book for young girls that won a national award for nonfiction. In 2001 she established the Institute for Mental Illness Education on the Cal State Hayward campus. In 2004 she served as the Walk Director for the first NAMIWalk in San Francisco. From 2007 to 2010, she worked in the NAMI California office as the Policy Director for the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63). Today, in her over-55 community, Dede runs a support group for families who have members coping with serious mental illness. She says, “In trying to help our loved ones, we need help ourselves. We need to know we’re not alone.” soonerthantomorrow.com
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Editor-In-Chief I
hope the year has been good to you!
I am interested to know if you found any of the articles that have been presented in Move On Magazine helpful and would love to hear about your ideas for stories. There are so many wonderful women out there doing amazing things; traveling solo (as you will see in this issue), starting businesses, going back to learning... I have just spent some time with my family in Perth, where I met some of my friends from years ago for a coffee, spent time with my grandsons and went to a house concert in Perth to hear these 2 Irish gentlemen sing (Neil Byrne and Ryan Kelly) they are part of the lineup for Celtic Thunder, they proved to be everything I expected, beautiful singers and great entertainers.
I also explored some Artisan markets, where I met a bush poet who has published her own poetry books. She literally printed and bound them herself. SO, you see, there is no limit ladies. Expand your comfort zone, take risks and don’t take any notice of the naysayers. When I look back on how risk averse I have always been (still am really) I feel surprised at some of the things I have done and am doing now. I’ve learned that you don’t have to go out and do a hundred degree turn overnight, just begin and you’ll see things happen. Make up your mind to take a few risks, have fun. Udemy.com is a good place to find any manner of courses - whatever your interest! Or, you could join your local council, as some of my friends have. The death of my 30-year-old grandson and sudden death of my ex-son-in-law, really put things in a bit of perspective for me. We just have this one life, dear ladies - no second go, sorry. I am planning my first overseas trip next year - taking care of all the bookings and planning without travel agents. This could test my adventurous spirit, but I’ve been doing that a lot lately! Stay in touch and have a wonderful Christmas and 2020.
Dot
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HOW
Joan Rivers MOVED ON
T
he year was 1986 and Joan Rivers was playing sold-out shows all across America. Her new book, Enter Talking had just been released and she was a permanent guest host on Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show. After decades of hard work, she had finally become a superstar. She couldn’t know that in the coming years, her shining life in the spotlight would take a tragic turn, stripping her of it all. She had fame and fortune, the job of her dreams, a loyal husband, a loving child, and a lavish estate. Not only had Rivers succeeded as a comedian, but she had made history on the newly launched FOX Network as television’s first and only female late-night talk show host. In May 1987, the First Lady of Comedy was fired from her job, and publicly humiliated. Her husband, Edgar was unable to bear his own failure as her manager and producer and sadly, took his own life. They’d been married for 22 years.
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The worst was yet to come for Rivers. Reeling with grief and rage, she discovered she was broke. After earning millions of dollars and living a life of baroque luxury, she was unaware her husband had squandered her wealth on bad investments. She was $37 million in debt, and her opportunities for making more money had vanished. Their daughter, Melissa, blamed her mother for his death and at the Bel-Air mansion where five telephone lines once buzzed relentlessly, the phone never rang. Nobody wanted to hire her as an entertainer. Suicide wasn’t funny, and her husband’s tragic death turned her into a professional pariah. Even her social life evaporated. No one invited her to anything. As her 55th birthday approached, she couldn’t see any reason to keep on living. It was hard enough for young women to succeed in show business, but for an aging has-been, the prospect
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of resurrecting a ruined career looked hopeless. She told the Daily Beast she contemplated suicide eight months after her husband’s death. “Melissa wasn’t talking to me, my career was in the toilet, I’d lost my Vegas contracts, I’d been fired from Fox … I thought, ‘What’s the point? This is stupid.’” She credits her Yorkie, Spike, for saving her life, when he jumped into her lap, and she realised that no one would care for him. “I had the gun in my lap, and the dog sat on the gun. I thought, ‘No one will take care of him.’ He wasn’t a friendly dog — only to me. I adored this dog. He was theoretically a Yorkie, his mother cheated. His name was Spike. He was the way you want your dog to be - devoted only to you.” Rivers decided it was time to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life. Faced with personal tragedy and humiliating professional defeat, she didn’t give up. Instead, she reinvented herself, and by the 2000s, she had returned to the centre of the conversation — bigger and better than ever. She began by making a TV show out of those dark times, as a form of therapy. In 1994, Rivers and her daughter, Melissa, teamed up to publicly reckon with Edgar’s suicide with a TV movie. Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story, with the pair playing real-life versions of themselves as they come to terms with Edgar’s death.
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“It was very therapeutic for Melissa and me,” she said. “Edgar’s death was so raw. So we bonded tremendously.”
himself, if we wouldn’t have ended up just a very bitter couple in a house on the hill somewhere.”
In 1990, Rivers began her long-running association with the QVC channel, where she sold her own line of bedazzled jewellery, clothing and accessories. She made the decision to start hawking her wares to debt. “In those days only dead celebrities went on [QVC],” she told the Staten Island Advance in 2004. “My career was over. I had a lot of bills to pay. I have a very large family and we all take care of each other.”
“I understand it, and feel terribly sorry for him,” she adds.
The Joan Rivers Classics Collection would turn into an enormously successful venture, amassing over $1 billion in sales and becoming one of QVC’s top-selling lines. Moreover, her appearances on the shopping channel, became yet another venue to make people laugh.
In an interview for the Daily Beast, she said “After he died, because there was nothing, I had to strike out again. A friend of mine at his funeral said, ‘He’s freed you.’ I thought that was very interesting. And in a way he did, because I had to really start again, thank god.”
Throughout the process of building her career back up, she was finally able to get a grasp on where things went wrong and come to terms with what happened.
By 2014, Rivers had been the subject of a critically-acclaimed documentary, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, authored nine more books and was routinely performing clubs across the country. She had made it back on top.
“When I was fired, he [Edgar] knew it was his fault [he was her manager], and he committed suicide. I always think of Samson pulling down the temple. Edgar just took all the columns away and pulled it down. We were all down in the rubble, and he didn’t want to dig himself out. I understand it, and feel terribly sorry for him, but I wonder if I’d be sitting here today talking to you, if he had not killed
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Her life experiences have enabled her to reach out and help others. “I lecture on suicide because things turn around. I tell people this is a horrible, awful dark moment, but it will change and you must know it’s going to change and you push forward. I look back and think, ‘Life is great, life goes on. It changes.’”
She had recreated herself as a cultural icon, a vastly influential trailblazer, and a business powerhouse who built a billiondollar company before dying in 2014 following a minor diagnostic procedure for her larynx. She was 81.
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W A Y S TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR
Pension
R
etirement can be a bitter sweet reward, can’t it? You work hard for decades, wishing you could have time to do other things, and looking forward to a long and relaxing retirement. Once that arrives, you have a limited amount of funds, and no idea how long the money needs to last! A critical game of balancing time and money, while wanting both to last as long as possible.
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Whether you’re living on the aged pension or your own super and assets, there will be times when you wish there was a little more cash to splurge on travel, eating out, or spoiling the grandkids. There are two ways to make your budget stretch a bit further, either by economising in some areas or supplementing your income with some extra cash. Spending less doesn’t have to mean missing out on a social life – in fact a budget challenge outing can add to the fun, for example finding free entertainment, using coupons and vouchers, exploring on public transport and taking your own packed lunch and flask. But while saving on some weekly expenses can help stem the flow of cash going out, having more cash coming in will help to reach savings goals faster, and allow you to splurge on whatever treat you have your mind set on. Part-time work can generate a steady income without the stress you may have endured in a past career. You may be able to take on particular components on work you enjoyed in the past, or try something completely new and enjoyable. If you don’t want to get locked into fixed hours or traveling to work, there are a number of money-spinning ideas you can try for home – perhaps selling items you no longer need online (think ebay, gumtree, etsy and Facebook Marketplace) or setting up a market stall. Or if you’re creative, how about making items to sell? As we become more conscious of the environment and sustainable living, handmade natural items are becoming more popular – from reusable packaging to garments made from natural fibres. If you have a flourishing garden, you may be able to sell plants or vegetables, or make plant-based gifts. 12
If you’d like to get out of the house and meet people, draw on your many skills and talents to offer help to time-poor local people. Whether it’s gardening, making healthy meals, sewing, cleaning, walking dogs, feeding cats or babysitting, chances are there are people in your community who are willing to pay for someone trustworthy to take on tasks that they don’t have time for. If it’s skills rather than time that’s lacking in your potential customers, try offering some one-on-one tutoring, or even set up some small classes. Your local community centre, library or college may be able to help set you up with a venue as well as market your services through their database. If you have space in your home, AirBnB can be a great way to earn some extra cash. It’s free and easy to set up and you can choose to open up as many or few days as you like. For a few hours cleaning and preparing a room, hosting guests can be quite lucrative if you live in a popular tourist location, and can lead to you meeting some interesting people. If you’re not keen on working for extra income, take a look at whether you can squeeze more out of your existing assets. Look at the performance of any investment or share portfolios, try your hand at share trading, or consider a reverse mortgage to release some equity. Of course any additional income may have tax consequences and you should seek advice before embarking on any venture that may generate significant cash. If you are receiving the full aged pension you can earn up to $474 per fortnight (as of 1 July 2019) without affecting your pension benefits, but be sure to check your particular circumstances.
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Marie
BIG TRAVEL NUT
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T
raveling solo sounds amazing and gives a lot of us Eat. Pray. Love. vibes of freedom and indulgence. However, the reality of traveling alone can be scary and nerve-wracking. Many mature women are deterred from traveling solo due to finances, safety concerns, or the fear of being lonely. That is not the case for Big Travel Nut, Marie.
solo. It was either travel alone or not at all vand I had already waited too long! I was 29 when I went on that first solo trip across the pond.
Marie has been traveling solo for years and, in 2013, started Big Travel Nut as a means to give the 40+ solo traveler the means and inspiration to safely travel on your own, to stay off the beaten path, and have unusual adventures without breaking the bank.
Marie: The most stunning and mesmerising place I’ve ever visited is Antarctica! It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip with fantastic wildlife and breathtaking landscapes in an untouched and wild, natural environment.
The Big Travel Nut site gives solo travelers advice on planning, how to save money, where to eat, and other tips and stories from fellow solo travelers. We spoke to Marie about what she loves about solo travel and why you should give it a go!
What inspired you to take the plunge to start traveling solo? Marie: As far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to see what’s out there. As a kid, I was getting in trouble for riding my bike further than I was allowed to, always wanting to see what was up that road and across that bridge. As a teen, my dream trip was going to Europe, specifically to Paris. It took me a long time to get there though. First, I had to study, find a good-paying job, save money and vacation days, and then try to convince someone to go with me. Overseas travel wasn’t as common back then, and it seemed like everyone I knew had other priorities. Finally, I made the decision to go 14
You’ve visited a lot of places! What has been your favorite?
In terms of more accessible regions, I have soft spots for both Southeast Asia and Mediterranean countries. I like to vary my destinations and types of activities since I have many interests—from architecture to art to history, music, food, wildlife, and more. I like to explore places with very different cultures as well as similar cultures. On a given trip, I also like to alternate between busy cities and quiet towns and beaches. The countries I enjoy the most always have a few things in common: sunny weather, friendly locals, good food, good coffee, and affordable prices.
Are there any places you think best suit solo travelers? Marie: My three criterias for best solo destinations are: safe, affordable and social. You want a place to where you feel relatively safe and where you can afford comfortable accommodation in good areas. You also need good public transportation, because many solo travelers don’t want to rent a car. And you want the locals to be helpful, friendly, and respectful - even if they don’t speak your language!
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Southern European countries like Portugal, Croatia, and Greece are good choices, as are the more developed parts of Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. For a little more money, New Zealand and Australia are very interesting (at least for North Americans) while feeling comfortable culturally. Latin American countries like Argentina, Peru, and Costa Rico are also good choices, especially if you speak a little Spanish.
What are some benefits to traveling solo instead of with someone else or a group? Marie: Freedom and awareness. When you’re solo, your trip is entirely your own. You can go anywhere and do whatever you want. You
don’t have to consult anyone about where to eat, and you don’t need to compromise. Whether you want to spend all day in a museum, shop until you drop, or do nothing but lounge in a hammock with a book all afternoon, it’s up to you. Photographers will appreciate the freedom to spend as much time as they need, waiting for that perfect shot. Without a companion, you’re also a lot more approachable. Although it may seem counterintuitive, you actually end up meeting more people, both locals and travelers, when solo. You also tend to be more aware of your surroundings. You’re more observant, notice small details, and have time to reflect on your discoveries when there is no one around to distract you.
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What are some common misconceptions about solo travel? Marie: The most common misconceptions are that it’s unsafe (for women) and you’re going to be lonely or bored. Back when I started traveling solo in the early 1990s, it was rather unusual, so I’m sure some people thought I was crazy or had a death wish. In Southeast Asia, locals always asked where my family was and why they weren’t with me. I don’t get this anymore, so I think they’ve gotten used to seeing lots of solo women now.
How do you stay safe? Marie: First, I do my research to make sure I don’t end up in a conflict zone or unstable country. Checking your government’s travel advisories and some recent blog posts by other travelers is a good first step. Once I’ve picked a country, I also check out a guidebook (usually Lonely Planet) to find out if there are any specific dangers or scams to be aware of. Pickpockets are especially common in developing countries, but you can easily protect yourself. I also keep all my vaccinations up to date and carry a basic medical kit with me. You’re more likely to get an upset tummy than you are to get mugged. Finally, I follow common sense precautions, just like I do at home. I don’t walk alone at night, I avoid deserted areas, I don’t follow guys who start talking
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to me on the street, and I don’t carry a lot of cash. Last, but not least, I always trust my intuition.
There’s so much good information on your site– but what are the top tips you’d give someone who wants to travel solo? Marie: If you want to enjoy traveling solo, get used to being happy in your own company. This is pretty straightforward if you live along. But if you’re used to having people around all the time, a good way to practice being on your own is to explore your city alone. Walk into a different neighborhood, grab a coffee, some lunch, see a movie alone, or visit a museum. If you’re nervous the first time you venture abroad, join a small group tour in a country of your choice, then spend some time on your own after the tour ends. Like anything else in life, the more often you travel solo, the easier it becomes, both logistically and psychologically. Doing it repeatedly makes it normal. Traveling solo isn’t as unusual as it once was. There are tons of solo travelers out there, of all ages, and most seem to be women! You’ll never really be alone.
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ARE YOU Terrified
OF Moving On?
M
oving on after loss can seem impossible when it’s happening to you.
Whether you are moving through a divorce, or grieving your partner passing, the process is different for everyone. You do have to allow yourself time to grieve, otherwise all you do is put it behind a brick wall, and at some point that brick wall is going to come down. If you are stuck in the grief holding pattern, and the idea of moving on is still incredibly daunting, let’s look at some ways to help make the steps to moving on a little easier.
MOVING ON AFTER DIVORCE The first step in recovering from a divorce is to give yourself permission to take the time that you need to heal. During this time, you may also want to consider speaking with a counsellor or joining a support group - divorce is a lonely experience, but that doesn’t mean that you need to go through it alone!
of who initiated the split, it’s important to recognise the futility of blame. If you find yourself consumed by bitter thoughts – or grief, if you were the one left – you must recognise that it is happening. Some people find putting everything they’re feeling and experiencing into writing can be helpful. For others, just talking it through with close friends is enough. Otherwise, it’s best to turn to a professional. An experienced therapist can give you coping tactics and help you find a path forward if you’re deeply hurt and unable to move on with your life. Accept what you can and cannot control. There are always going to be things out of your control, and any attempt on your part to change that will inevitably result in further frustration and unhappiness. Many initiators of late-life divorce are taken aback by the sudden animosity of their former in-laws, or other extended family.
Let blame and bitterness go. Regardless
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Recognise that this is out of your hands. You can’t control what your ex-spouse or anyone else says, thinks or does, but you can control your reactions. Remind yourself that if they decide to be bitter, or angry, that’s their decision. It needn’t stop you from moving on with your life. Reframe your thinking. It’s easy to see your past marriage through a negative lens. Words such as “failure” or “waste” may be cropping up in your mind over and over. Thinking like this is not only pointless, it’s harmful for your mental health and prevents you from moving on and making the most of your future. Your marriage was an important part of your life, and a valuable experience. Just because it didn’t last forever doesn’t make it a failure.
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Get to know yourself again. It’s easy to end up suppressing certain elements of oneself when in a long-term relationship, even subconsciously. Try writing a list of all the things you’d have liked to do whilst married, but couldn’t, or wouldn’t. Next to that, list all the things you will never, ever do again, now that you’re single after all these years. Looking at these lists side by side will give you a clearer picture of who you are now and where you might be going. Take stock of your health. Your physical health is the basis for everything else and as we get older, we can no longer take our health for granted. As tempting as it may be to give in to comfort eating, excess drinking etc. to get through the
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stress of a divorce, resist! Regular exercise, good eating habits and plenty of rest will improve your mood and overall outlook. Climb “The Fear Ladder”. “The Fear Ladder” is a popular approach in cognitive behavioural therapy. It means overcoming any anxieties that you may have in small, manageable steps. If you’d like to reach out and make new friends, but are uncomfortable in social situations, then take it slowly. Firstly, read about events you would like to attend online, and look at the pictures. Next, go along with a friend by your side. Then go again with a friend, this time mingling among others. Finally, go alone and introduce yourself. Seek out adventure. This is the best part. You are now freer than you have been in many years, so it’s time to have some adventures! Whether you take a new route home, book a cruise or attend a salsa class, trying something new every day, will keep your outlook fresh and your mind open to new experiences – maybe even new relationships. Recapturing your sense of independence and adventure is the key to leaving the past behind – and making the most of whatever lies ahead.
Moving On If Your Partner Passes You probably feel as though you will never recapture what you had, but at some point, you need to come to terms with it and begin to move on. Don’t give up. Experience the pain of grief. Unfortunately, the only way to overcome grief is to move with and through it daily
as the feelings ebb and flow. The person who avoids grieving may even suffer from some form of depression or physical problems. Fully experiencing the pain – most often through tears or some form of expression – provides genuine relief. Adjust to your environment. You may be assuming some of the responsibilities and social roles formerly fulfilled by your deceased loved one. If you dread coming home to an empty house, you may want to consider the possibility of enjoying a pet or including some new routines that give you comfort. Increase your time in nature, increase your use of music and make regularly scheduled phone calls to close friends to adjust to life on your own. Invest in healthy and life-giving relationships. Many people feel disloyal or unfaithful if they find enjoyment in social life or form new attachments. Remember that the goal is not to forget your loved one; it is to reach the point where you can remember and honour without being halted in your own living. New friendships allow you to progress as a person with a hope and future even though your loss still hurts at times. You may feel like you want to hide away from the world forever and the thought of moving on might be the furthest thing from your mind, but it’s important not to be hard on yourself. If you want to move on, consider seeking out a recovery program offered by a local church or perhaps setting aside a few hours weekly to journal, or reflect on your grief personally and seek counselling. Trust that time does heal and that you can do this.
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MADE
To Dance
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D
ance isn’t just a social activity. In the 1940s, dance was taught to traumatised veterans of World War II to help them express their emotions and work through trauma and stress, and it’s still used today throughout the medical community as a form of therapy. However, dancing isn’t only an activity that benefits young people. Benefits from dance for seniors range from improving physical health to increasing sense of happiness and well-being. If you ask a troupe of Tasmanian Baby Boomers, dancing is the answer to beating old age. Established in 2005, MADE (Mature Artists Dance Experience) is a non-profit Tasmanianbased arts organisation that partners professional artists with nonprofessional dancers to create and present beautiful contemporary dance theatre. The kicker? No kids allowed. The dances are performed by those aged 50 and over, in a primarily nontraditional performance space. We spoke to Shirley Gibson from MADE about dance and the mature dancer.
Tell us a lit le about MADE
Shirley Gibson: MADE connects to audiences of all ages, communication life experiences, reflecting on life, and expressing story through dance/ theatre. Audiences are offered an
alternative view of the mature body and contemporary dance in a performance context. Dance performance for and by the mature body can either conform with or challenge dominant physical norms for people 50 years and older. It must be acknowledged that, via choreography and dance conventions, dance can create and maintain the “elderly” as a distinct and subordinated category. Further, the organizing of older adults’ dance very often takes place in terms of the discourses of healthism. MADE’s performance practice moved beyond both applications of dance. Fundamentally, MADE views dance among mature community members as more than a popular health promoting and social activity. MADE views it as an area in which age relations are negotiated and constructed. We engage with this arena via embodied storytelling.
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How does dance benefit mature adults?
SG: The diverse experience of ageing: Significantly, among mature community members, there are differences in health as well as perception of wellbeing. For some, the years after 50 offer an opportunity to make good use of time and for others it’s a time of illness and economic deprivation. The extremely diverse experience of ageing surrounding socio-economic journey and varies ethnic values is highly significant in MADE’s experience, understanding, and values when it comes to creating performance. Looking forward, we are committed to creating work in view of the different meanings and conditions of life as an older person. Like a mirror reflecting a beam of light across time and space, 22
we aim to case our life’s experience onto new platforms and into new forums, contributing vibrantly to cultural conversations.
What about some of the benefits of dance on the ageing body?
SG: Research has revealed encouraging people to remain physically and mentally active strengthens community both socially and economically. Dance delivers these aspects – physical, emotional, social, and mental wellbeing. Feedback from class participants indicate: An improved physical, core
strength and coordination
Increased confidence
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Improved wellbeing – physical and
mental
Skills development Reduced stress
And what about social and
cognitive benefits?
SG: After our Movers & Shakers class, we have a cup of tea and chat about everything from the dance we just did to any thoughts and memories that came up during the session. It’s a community of friends who dance. We pay attention to this time as much as to the class time, as there is clear evidence of the social outcomes and joy the class
brings. Dance reduces isolation and improves socialisation and is enjoyable and fun.
What is your favourite part about being involved in a company that empowers mature dancers?
SG: I’m passionate about not only the physical joy of dance but also the mental benefits of having to learn new choreographic works, new pieces, and/or exercises in class. Dance is my soul food! I want to share this with as many people as possible. Everyone can dance. Even if you say you can’t, you think you’re too inexperienced, out of shape, or too old, think again!
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O FF TH E BE AT EN TR AC K:
WTravheelreSolToo
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“Traveling is without a doubt one of life’s greatest adventures.”
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s we get older, our time should increasingly be spent doing the things that we love to do. A considerable part of your life to date may have involved focusing on your career, taking care of your kids and spouse, leaving very little ‘me’ time. This is now the exciting chapter in your life – a time to discover and explore and being single should not stop you from getting out there and having a ball. Traveling is without a doubt one of life’s greatest adventures. Discovering new places, architecture, food, culture and people are a tonic for the soul and as the famous quote by Saint Augustine says “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.”
Many people, especially many mature women, are hesitant to travel alone but these days solo travel is becoming increasingly popular with more and more tour operators, hotels and travel companies catering specifically for those exploring on their own. Solo travel can be fantastically rewarding. It’s a great way to connect with new people, see places unencumbered by the demands of others and indulge in fulfilling your own unique set of interests and desires. Here are our pick of interesting places that are great for women to explore solo:
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Iceland Perhaps not the first place that springs to mind for a woman travelling solo but Iceland has lots of appeal for those traveling on their own. The landscape is spectacular and with minimal infrastructure and scant population there is very little to spoil the view. It is the perfect destination for a road trip exploring natural wonders such as volcanoes, waterfalls, mountains and glaciers. If you have an adventurous spirit, then there are a wide variety of activities to fill up the solo travellers day including caving, snowmobiling, whale watching and snorkelling to name a few. Despite it’s small population, Iceland boasts a close and welcoming community of locals and visitors. They are renowned for their friendliness and as the locals put it Icelanders are “cold on the outside, warm on the inside”.
Japan Whether it’s a skiing adventure, discovering a hiking trail, conquering Mount Fuji or possibly eating one of the best meals that you have ever had, Japan ticks almost all of the boxes for being the ideal place for women to travel solo. Despite the size of the country the Japanese public transport system is highly efficient, extremely easy to navigate and with low crime rates, it allows women to feel at ease while exploring. Whether you visit in Cherry Blossom season, or in the Winter, Japan is a beautiful country with an array of natural and cultural treasures that are worth exploring. Also, most Japanese hotels also charge per room, not per person meaning that you are not penalised for traveling solo! 26
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Laos Laos is one of those beautiful parts of the world that is yet to be spoilt by hordes of tourists and full moon parties making it the perfect place for solo women to visit. Think the beautiful ornate Buddhist temples reminiscent of Thailand but without the crowds. The reserved, gracious Lao people provide a sense of calm and the distinct cuisine will delight even the most seasons of traveller’s palate. You can take a boat ride along the Mekong, visit small villages, hike in the beautiful countryside, take a cooking class or enjoy the serenity of the orangerobed monks.
Argentina This huge nation has a plethora of places to explore and things to do. You can hike around lakes and mountain, taste wines, visit museums and churches, ride a boat to a glacier or visit some of the biggest waterfalls in the world. If you like music and dance then Buenos Aires is a must visit with its live music filtering the streets at every turn. If you want to escape the crowds then the pretty colonial cities of Cordoba and Salta are worth a visit. Getting around Argentina is fairly easy and if you don’t like flying you can easily travel by bus, which is safe, affordable, and comfortable.
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8 Ti ps for t he solo female t r avele r: 1.
Be adventurous but be prepared. Make sure that you are well equipped for any trip that you take. This includes having travel insurance, all relevant medications and the correct gear and equipment for your trip.
2. Keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid
to step outside your comfort zone. Although it might be easy to stick to the tourist areas or only visit English speaking country it can be hugely rewarding to challenge yourself. It’s fascinating to eat like a local, and explore new and intriguing cultures.
3. Be open to making new friends. Solo travel can be lonely so it’s a good idea to adopt a friendly approach upon your travels.
4. Choose a reputable travel company.
Pick a quality travel agency to book your trip and get them to look into single travel options. Many hotels now offer room rates or discounts for solo travelers.
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5. Do your research. It is a good idea
to do your homework before booking any tours or guided trips. Make sure that you know what you are getting and what exactly is included.
6. Look at small tours for solo travels. This can be a great way to safely and economically explore various regions.
7.
Take safety seriously. A good trick when you check into a hotel solo is to ask the hotel clerk to write your room number down on a piece of paper instead of saying it verbally – that way you can check your number once you are in the lift. It is also very important that you are always aware of your surroundings and that you make sure you take no unnecessary risks and that family or friends have a copy of your travel itinerary at all times.
8. Just do it. Don’t put off fulfilling your
dreams and traveling the world because you are single. Just pack your bag and GO – solo travel can be amazing!
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Dede Ranahan :
Critical Needs I
n June 2013, I was looking ahead to turning 70 in May of 2014. I wasn’t thrilled. I decided to fully experience this transition and to keep a diary of my milestone year. I had three rules: 1) I’d write everyday. 2) I’d write organically — that is from the natural events of the day. No contrived drama. 3) I’d try to craft each entry into a small story with a beginning, middle, and an end. So I began, and as I wrote, I had no idea I was capturing the last year of my son’s life. I completed my diary on June 15, 2014 and on July 23, 2014, my son died in a hospital psych ward. Suddenly, my diary morphed into a more poignant record than I’d anticipated. With my daughter’s help, I set up a blog. In my experience as a mental illness advocate, mothers and women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s were the only ones fighting for their adult children with serious mental illness
(SMI). I set up two sections on my blog (www.soonerthantomorrow. com — A Safe Place to Talk About Mental Illness in Our Families). In one section, I’d post my diary in two weeks segments for a year, to see if it resonated. In the second section, I’d
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post stories from other moms and SMI caregivers. The resounding response to my diary convinced me to publish it. In April of this year, Sooner Than Tomorrow — A Mother’s Diary About Mental Illness, Family, And Everyday Life — began collecting all 5-star reviews on Amazon. Three-and-a-half years in, my blog is growing with 20,000 readers in over 85 countries. Serious mental illness is a global humanitarian crisis. I’ve been a serious mental illness (SMI) advocate for over 25 years. SMI refers to the 10 million adults in our country who suffer from schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, OCD, and other incapacitating anxiety disorders. SMI impacts individuals, their immediate and extended families, and their surrounding communities. At a minimum, those affected are 40 to 50 million people. A few months ago, I grew frustrated with the fact that none of the 2020 presidential candidates was talking about SMI. A few mentioned mental health and the opioid crisis. How could they not be talking about a serious illness that cruelly disables so many? How could they ignore an issue that encompasses homelessness, incarceration, solitary confinement, suicide, preventable tragedies, the urgent need for beds and housing, outrageous HIPAA laws, and on and on? I asked a question on Facebook.“Is anyone interested in developing a plan
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to give to 2020 presidential candidates to help them address SMI?” That question turned into a brainstorming session with over 80 mental illness advocates from across the country and the Virgin Islands. Through a series of Facebook posts, I quarterbacked our public discussion. We agreed, disagreed, and came to a consensus. The end product is a Grassroots 5-Part SMI Plan that’s now been submitted to all the presidential candidates. We want to hear them talk about SMI in their campaigns, and post their SMI plans on their campaign websites. To receive a copy of the plan, send an email to dede@soonerthantomorrow.com and I’ll email you the plan documents. I was dreading my 70s, but I’ve begun to rethink them. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” Maybe my 70s will give me the chance to become a beautiful old person. A work of art. That remains to be seen. For now, a plethora of critical needs requires my on-going attention.
Dede
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Lynn Hofmann: L AUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
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f you’re stopped at a red light somewhere in Victoria, and the woman in the car next to you is guffawing away, you may have been lucky enough to stumble across Lynn Hofmann, aka Dr Rainbow. A Joy Alchemist, Clown Doctor, an Art Therapist, and NLP Master Life Coach, Speaker and Trainer, Lynn is also a LOL Yoga Facilitator. Lynn’s love of laughter and its impact on the body, mind and soul from the inside out developed from a love of comedy and her favourite movie, Patch Adams. A biographical comedy/drama, the movie is based on Dr Adams’s life and his views on the power of laughter in healing. Inspired by the movie, Lynn’s alter ego Dr Rainbow made her debut at the Children’s Ward of her local hospital, dressed in a rainbow outfit and accessories and topped with a doctor’s coat, its pockets filled with toys. Dr Rainbow was a big hit with kids
and parents, and as time passed Lynn realised the rainbow colours, silliness and love for making others laugh had spilled into her everyday life, especially after training from the real Dr Patch Adams. She took the joy of laughter into her other roles as a therapist in mental health, and even started a laughter club. Through her training, Lynn learned about the scientific health benefits of laughter – the release of happy hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins and melatonin. Laughter Yoga was just the obvious next step! Developed in India by Dr Kataria in 1995, Laughter Yoga is based on scientific research on the many mental and physical health benefits of laughter. Like a traditional yoga practice, classes are led by a facilitator through a series of gentle exercises with funny names. But while traditional yoga may inadvertently lead to the odd stifled snigger due to collapsed
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Dede Ranahan: Critical Needs
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poses or unexpected noises, the purpose of Laughter Yoga is to laugh out loud, lots! Instead of names for each physical pose, there are 40 terms to describe each type of laugh, like Greeting Laughs, the Milk Shake, the Zipper, and the Red Traffic Light Laugh, a must for all road ragers. This exercise involves all participants moving around the room mimicking driving – hands up on their imaginary steering wheels. When the facilitator yells “Green light” the participants keep moving, with a quiet consistent chuckle to represent engine noise. Everyone drives on happily, weaving in and out of each other until they hear “Red Light.” At this point all participants stop and laugh as long and loud as they can, quite often right in the face of a stranger. Liberating! This continues until the “green light” signal is heard above the laughter, and the ‘driving’ is resumed. This exercise is repeated - Laughter Yoga Laughs are usually done in sets of three for a minimum of 30 seconds, allowing all the feel good hormones to circulate through the body. And no risk of injury! Other than a sore tummy from all those belly laughs.
laugh can be wonderfully life changing rather than feeling frustration each time your car stops, experience the relaxation of continued laughing and deep breathing. The key to laughter therapy and laughter yoga is releasing happy hormones from within. While hearing a joke, watching comedy or even cat videos may make us giggle, practising full belly laughing does not need outside stimulation, meaning you can benefit from this growing movement at any time, even days when you don’t feel like there’s much to laugh at. If you’re interested in transforming your life, health, business or group by finding more about inner joy and laughter, you can call Lynn on 0439 683 004.
Outside of yoga practice, and literally behind the wheel, the Red Traffic Light
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Plastic Surgery Should You Do It? I
f you feel like you want to freshen up your look and you’ve considered having plastic or cosmetic surgery, you’re definitely not alone, with the number of cosmetic procedures growing significantly in the last five years. This is a sign that “having work done” is becoming more accessible and acceptable. Prices decrease as procedures become more popular, and the stigma attached to the
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industry has been dissolved through celebrities and instagram influencers admitting to and celebrating their sculpted faces and bodies. But while the majority of media posts celebrate a contoured face, plump lips, pert breasts or a tight tummy, there are also horror stories of surgery that went
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wrong or botox and fillers that were grossly overdone.
THE FIVE MOST POPULAR PROCEDURES OVERALL ARE: breast augmentation
ALL SURGEONS ARE NOT EQUAL
Be sure to thoroughly research doctors before committing and ensure you consult with a skilled board-certified plastic surgeon. Don’t make price your only criteria.
RESEARCH THE PROCEDURE
liposuction nose reshaping eyelid surgery tummy tuck For women over 55, procedures tend to focus on the face, with facelifts, brow lifts, and eyelid surgery the most popular. There are many pros and cons of cosmetic and plastic surgery, and of course the decision is up to the individual, so here are a few things to consider in making the decision:
PRICE
While procedures are decreasing in price, you’ll still be paying between $5,000 and $10,000 for any of the five procedures listed above.
WHERE DO YOU STOP?
Having one procedure to fix one problem area can give you a great boost in confidence, so much so that it becomes addictive. With so many procedures available, the cost and risk will increase with multiple procedures.
Make sure you know exactly what is involved for the procedure and recovery time. In your consultation be clear about what you are trying to achieve, and seek a number of opinions to make sure it is achievable. You’ll also need to be in good health to withstand both the surgery and the recovery. Most importantly, think hard about why you want the procedure. We all age and yearn to look like we did ten years ago. The digital age of photography and social media means we are constantly bombarded with pictures of our younger selves. We are our own worst critics and will obsess about the changes taking over our faces and bodies as we mature. For some, it will be watching their cheeks hollow, while others long for the return of their hidden cheekbones! Remember that other people see the whole you – not the tiny imperfections that you may be self-conscious about. Your loved ones see your inner and outer beauty, your smile, the love in your eyes, your essence.
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A healthy lifestyle of good nutrition, exercise and a consistent skin care routine may produce fabulous results that help us to regain our youthful looks. But if that doesn’t help your problem area, a cosmetic procedure may resolve an issue that is causing you concern. Just make sure that the only person you are trying to please is you! If someone else is suggesting you change, it says more about their issues than you. Plastic surgery won’t bring back a past partner or make a new one stick around. It’s unlikely to get you a job or significantly
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change the way people see you. But it may help you like what you see in the mirror, regain a part of you that’s been lost, and project confidence from within. Like with any important decision, it can be useful to talk to someone objective, such as a counsellor. Make sure you understand your own reasons for wanting to change, how you think your life will change after having the procedure, and consider whether there are other ways to achieve the same outcome.
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