Aging is influenced by genetic and lifestyle factors, which manifest differently in each individual. While genetic predispositions and structural brain changes occur throughout the aging process, interventions such as mindfulness meditation are promising in preventing cognitive decline and promoting healthy aging. Findings from various studies explore the impacts of various lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, and mindfulness interventions on cognitive function and overall health as people age. Furthermore, mindfulness interventions have been shown to enhance cognitive performance, emotion regulation, and cardiovascular health. Addressing the psychological and physiological aspects of aging and the benefits of non-pharmaceutical interventions offers a holistic approach to healthy aging that is often overlooked. In this thesis, I examined various literature reviews, exploring the intersections between individual differences and mindfulness interventions in promoting healthy aging.

This thesis is an exploration into somatic movement methods to help ease chronic pain. The study follows my personal experience as a researcher and a dancer with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions. I carry forward a body-centered autoethnographic frame, as the prevailing ethos of this work revolves around considering bodily experience as an authority in personal well-being. My research follows the spirit of the Intuitive Inquiry research methodology developed by Dr. Rosemarie Anderson and evolved as I progressed through my own research and organizing processes. This thesis document is organized according to eight physical cycles of intuitive inquiry that emerged from my movement and research processes. The cycles address my conditions of chronic pain and disability, my history with dance competition in the United States, my experience with conceptualizations of the body, and the successes I experience with somatic practices, particularly Tensegrity as it applies to the body. My intuitive physical cycles conclude with a proposal for methods of movement and inner-body communication that promote ease in the body and sustainable movement.