Age Like a Yogi: A Heavenly Path to a Dazzling Third Act

by Victoria Moran, Sharon Gannon (Foreword by)

Overview

2025 Indie Book Awards Finalist | Body Mind Spirit

Yoga and ayurveda as keys for aging beautifully

While advanced age is revered by some, very few of us are in a hurry to get there. This guide treats physical well-being and spiritual growth as two sides of a coin. It is custom-crafted for midlife and later by addressing both eternal verities and physical health. Yoga, the time-honored philosophy of which headstands and downward-facing dogs are only a fragment, doesn’t sugarcoat: physical life will end and material joys, as lovely as they can be, are temporary. In acknowledging our true nature, the eternal divinity that is our essence, we have the best shot at well-being on every level.

This book explores spiritual awakening yoga-style, and the fundamentals of yoga’s sister science, ayurveda, for care of the body. No one is too young to take up these practices, and no one is too old either. Asana practice, the “physical exercise” component of the spiritual adventure of yoga, is fully adaptable to anybody of any age. And the mental and spiritual practices of yoga need no adaptations.

Age Like a Yogi not only gives the reader immediately applicable tools for spiritual awareness and physical health in the post-fifty decades, but also a way to leave this world kinder, safer, saner, and a little more beautiful.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781958972595
Publisher:	Monkfish Book Publishing Company
Publication date:	01/14/2025
Pages:	234
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Victoria Moran is a longtime devotee of yoga and author of 13 previous books on wellbeing, compassionate living, and eclectic spirituality. Creating a Charmed Life was an international bestseller, and Shelter for the Spirit and Lit from Within earned her spots on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Victoria hosts the Main Street Vegan Podcast, is founder and director of Main Street Vegan Academy, and a cofounder of the Compassion Consortium, an interfaith spiritual center based on the principle of ahimsa. She was, at age 66, voted Peta's Sexiest Vegan Over 50 and in her early 70s trained as a yoga instructor (RYT-200) and raja yoga instructor. Victoria is a frequent speaker and podcast guest, based in New York City.

Sharon Gannon is a yoga teacher, animal rights advocate, musician, author, dancer, and choreographer. Along with David Life, she is the co-founder of the Jivamukti Yoga method.

Read an Excerpt

In my life, aging like a yogi incorporates what I’ve learned studying spiritual systems with their roots in India (including yoga, theosophy, Vedanta—clearly different for scholars, but one lovely, expansive teaching for me), as well as Christian and Jewish mysticism, the 12 Step programs, and New Thought, the late 19^th-century American movement that brought to the fore such concepts as positive thinking and the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit. If something suggested in this book doesn’t resonate with you, move on to the next idea. Back burners are ideal places for slow-simmered stews and for notions that could—maybe someday, maybe not—turn out to be delicious. 

Out of respect for yoga tradition, I'll provide the names that these concepts were given in the original Sanskrit. The English follows immediately, though, so you’ll never find yourself lost in translation. When it comes to yoga asanas or postures, however, I'll generally stick with English. These terms are in the vernacular of Western exercise, so let's keep things simple. In addition, we’ll stay with the practically applicable aspects of teachings that can go very deep indeed.

This purpose of this book is not necessarily to turn you into a “yoga person” unless you already are one, or yoga captures your imagination so thoroughly that you want to immerse yourself in it. My aim here is to familiarize you with the grammar of yoga so you can start right away to apply select elements to rejuvenate your body and uplift your life. For example, you don't have to do formal breath control exercises to breathe a little more deeply and consciously on your walk tomorrow morning.

Many of the tips I’ll offer about the care of our physical selves come from yoga’s sister science, ayurveda, which means “knowledge of life.” These two bodies of wisdom grew up alongside each other. Despite the prevailing contemporary view that yoga is only a way to exercise, an alternative to Pilates or barre classes, it was, and is, primarily about spiritual growth. Its well-known postures came into being late in its history as a means to develop a body that would harmoniously house an evolving spirit.

Editorial Reviews

Victoria Moran is the wonderful combination of dedicated yogi and gifted writer. Her words transmit the essence of compassion and calmness, with plenty of fun besides.” —Rep. Jeremy Gray, Alabama state representative whose 2021 bill overturned a 28-year ban on teaching yoga in the state’s public schools

“Victoria Moran has always spoken from the heart; her native tongue is Spirit and her teaching is truth. She has a way of weaving in history and research so that you know these things are not just her opinions, but rather holy truths to be returned to. Read and feel lifted!” —Kathy Freston, New York Times bestselling author of Quantum Wellness

“A feast for body and spirit, Age Like a Yogi draws on the time-honored teachings of both ayurveda and yoga to provide practical guidance and mystical insights for living wisely and well throughout life.” —John Robbins, author of Healthy at 100

“Age Like a Yogi talks with you. Erudite without pedantry, transparent without that narcissistic hook, spiritual but not a hint of preach. Reading it, you feel it was written by someone who loves you.” —Loren Fishman, MD, author of Yoga for Osteoporosis and Healing Yoga

“If you believe that life should be a meaningful adventure from start to finish, Age Like a Yogi is for you. Drawing on yoga’s time-honored track record of promoting physical health and inner peace, this book is an honest and light-hearted companion for fully embracing every day and every decade. Highly recommended!” —Dean Ornish, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of UnDo It!

“Age Like A Yogi is an essential guide to living a long, vibrant and fulfilled life.” —Tara Stiles, author of Yoga Cures and co-founder of Strala Yoga

“This friendly, funny, and comforting book is an invitation to enhance your vitality and experience your inner peace more fully—a winning combination at every age!" —Meenakshi Angel Honig, yoga instructor, wellness consultant, and author

“As a longtime yoga practitioner and woman smack dab in midlife, I’m in love with Victoria’s latest book. She weaves personal anecdotes, encouraging advice, and timeless tradition into a well-rounded resource to help readers create and celebrate a dazzling third act. Prepare to be inspired—highly recommend!” —Kimberly Wilson, psychotherapist, author of Advanced Tranquility

“Victoria Moran uses yoga and ayurveda to underpin a fresh perspective on aging. With heart and actionable wisdom, Age Like a Yogi fills the gaps on what is often missed in our modern Western culture: a reminder that healthy aging embraces physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components.” —Sarah Kucera, DC, CAP, author of The Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook

“The author, a longtime yogi and prolific self-help writer, here focuses her attention on the concept of aging. While acknowledging that genetics and lifestyle choices greatly influence how one ages, she also draws attention to the cultural and spiritual aspects of the process…. A thoughtful and engaging reflection on what it means to get older, both physically and spiritually.” —Kirkus Reviews

“We all face the challenges of aging and coping with local and world problems. Victoria Moran’s book is an inspiration and guidebook, almost a textbook, to assist with these challenges, not only for those who are older, but for those of any age.” —Quest Magazine

From the Publisher

2024-11-04
Moran shares tips on aging well in a culture obsessed with youth.

The author, a longtime yogi and prolific self-help writer, here focuses her attention on the concept of aging. While acknowledging that genetics and lifestyle choices greatly influence how one ages, she also draws attention to the cultural and spiritual aspects of the process. Heavily influenced by Eastern practices, Moran alternates between concrete suggestions (for good skin care, wear sunscreen and eat herbs like Tulsi, amla, and ashwagandha) and more esoteric musings (“just think of your inner being as soul or spirit or whatever word you like. Terminology aside, that inner being is the real you, and it does not age. The more thoroughly you can identify with the part of yourself that has been you all your life, the more youthful you will feel and appear”). Occasional text boxes contain “Practices for the Path” with additional exercises for readers to try, like “Adapt an appropriate and appealing asana routine for yourself.” Moran includes plenty of personal anecdotes, such as her experience bungee jumping at age 43, as well as yogic parables, like the tale of the blind sea turtle. The author’s voice remains warm and conversational throughout, easing readers into sometimes rather complex concepts—the idea of the body’s three doshas (or energies), for example, with the dominating one being “solidified at the moment of conception as your body type.” In addition to all of the spiritual notions that Moran introduces, she also addresses some very practical issues, including the importance of a living will. It is the deftness with which Moran handles this delicate balance between the metaphysical and tangible that makes her guide such a pleasure to read. Her approach to aging may hover in the periphery of the mainstream, but there is valuable information here—whether or not one subscribes to all of the ideas.

A thoughtful and engaging reflection on what it means to get older, both physically and spiritually.

Kirkus Reviews