The Art of Being Alive: What a Dog, a Philosopher, and the Science of Healing Can Teach Us About Living

HormoneSynergy® | HS Aria Stack

Reflections of a Shepadoodle

A Few Thoughts from Camp

My name is Aria. I'm part German Shepherd and part Poodle, with black curly fur, an inquisitive disposition, and a new pink rhinestone collar that seems to attract considerable admiration. I've discovered that humans enjoy decorating their dogs, although I'm not entirely certain whether the intended beneficiary is the dog or the person holding the credit card.

I'm currently spending a few days at camp while Daniel and Dr. Retzler attend a Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute conference. Their interests include mitochondria, metabolism, inflammation, and the many biological processes that influence how successfully people age. I gather there is considerable discussion about maintaining physical function, recovering from stress, and preventing diseases that become more common later in life.

Camp has provided a different kind of education. There are other dogs to meet, unfamiliar places to investigate, and a daily schedule that involves a pleasing combination of activity and rest. I understand that humans sometimes recommend similar arrangements for one another, although they tend to describe them in more elaborate language.

What I find curious about humans is how much of their attention is devoted to what might happen in the future. They make plans, anticipate problems, reconsider decisions, and sometimes worry about events that haven't occurred. Aging appears to intensify these concerns, particularly when questions about health and independence begin to feel more immediate.

Dogs certainly remember the past and anticipate familiar events. I know when a walk is likely, recognize the sounds associated with dinner, and become excited when someone returns home. But much of my attention belongs to whatever is happening around me. An interesting scent can occupy several minutes without producing anything that a human would consider useful, and I've never felt that the experience required justification.

This difference in perspective has made me curious about the human pursuit of longevity and what people ultimately hope to gain from living longer.

What Creates Health?

One of the ideas under discussion at HormoneSynergy® is salutogenesis, a term developed by medical sociologist Aaron Antonovsky. His research challenged the conventional tendency to study health primarily by investigating the causes of disease.

Antonovsky was interested in why some people remained relatively healthy despite experiencing profound adversity. His observations led him to propose that health and illness exist along a continuum, influenced by an individual's circumstances, available resources, and ability to respond to life's challenges.

Central to his theory was what he called a sense of coherence. People with a stronger sense of coherence tend to experience their circumstances as understandable, believe that they possess or can access the resources needed to respond, and regard their efforts as meaningful. Subsequent research has associated this orientation with better perceived health and quality of life, particularly in psychological and social domains.

The evidence does not establish that a positive outlook can prevent or cure disease, and Antonovsky's framework was never a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. Its contribution lies in expanding the questions we ask about health and the conditions that help people adapt.

At HormoneSynergy®, Dr. Retzler's approach to preventive medicine reflects a related interest in understanding the person beyond a diagnosis. Cardiovascular risk, metabolic health, hormonal function, bone density, body composition, and cognitive performance provide valuable information about physiological health. These measurements become especially meaningful when considered alongside a patient's circumstances, abilities, and personal goals.

Someone may wish to remain strong enough to travel independently, continue hiking, participate in family activities, or maintain the freedom to live at home as they grow older. For another person, the immediate priority may be recovering from illness or improving the ability to manage an existing condition.

The reasons people want to remain healthy differ, and those reasons can influence their willingness to undertake the work required to maintain it. This relationship between physiology and personal meaning is one of the most appealing aspects of salutogenesis.

Alan Watts and the Experience of Being Present

The philosopher Alan Watts spent much of his career introducing Western audiences to ideas associated with Taoism and Zen Buddhism. He was particularly interested in the way human beings experience themselves as separate from the natural world and devote enormous effort to managing circumstances that are never entirely within their control.

Watts observed that people often approach life as a sequence of objectives. Education prepares them for employment, employment provides the means for retirement, and retirement is anticipated as a period when they may finally have time to enjoy themselves. Throughout this progression, the present can become little more than preparation for some more desirable future.

His writing encouraged readers to consider whether constant striving might sometimes interfere with the experience of living. Drawing on Taoist philosophy, he discussed wu wei, commonly understood as effortless action or acting in harmony with circumstances. The concept does not imply passivity or a lack of responsibility. It concerns the possibility of responding effectively without assuming that every situation requires greater force or control.

Dogs may have a certain advantage here. We are attentive to our surroundings and often find satisfaction in activities that humans regard as incidental. A walk may have a destination, but the experience is shaped by the weather, the landscape, familiar scents, and the occasional appearance of wildlife whose movements warrant closer examination.

I don't imagine that Watts intended his philosophy to become a justification for spending twenty minutes inspecting a shrub. Nevertheless, his observations suggest that the value of an experience need not depend entirely on its contribution to a future objective.

This seems particularly relevant to healthy aging. Preventive medicine encourages people to consider their future health and take steps that may reduce disease risk or preserve physical function. There is considerable wisdom in doing so. Yet preparing for later life should not require treating the present as something to endure until the benefits of those preparations become apparent.

A life can be thoughtfully managed while still leaving room for spontaneity, pleasure, and experiences that have no purpose beyond the enjoyment they provide.

Spirituality, Meaning, and the Search for Connection

Humans have been contemplating the meaning of existence for thousands of years, developing elaborate religious traditions, philosophical systems, and scientific explanations in their efforts to understand their place in the world.

Spirituality is an especially interesting part of this conversation because it means different things to different people. For some, it is inseparable from religious belief and participation in a faith community. Others experience a sense of spiritual connection through nature, contemplation, art, music, or relationships with people they love.

Epidemiologist Jeff Levin has spent decades investigating the relationships among religion, spirituality, health, and healing. His work explores how spiritual experiences and religious participation may influence health through psychological, social, behavioral, and potentially physiological pathways.

The research is complex. Participation in a religious community may provide social support, opportunities for service, shared identity, and resources for coping with illness or adversity. Certain spiritual practices may influence emotional well-being or the ways individuals interpret difficult experiences. However, spirituality is challenging to define and measure, and associations with improved health do not necessarily establish a direct causal relationship.

What makes this research interesting is the recognition that human well-being includes experiences that are not fully described by conventional medical measurements. A person's sense of belonging, purpose, and connection may influence how life is experienced, particularly during periods of uncertainty or declining physical health.

One need not subscribe to a particular religious tradition to appreciate these questions. Wonder, gratitude, affection, and a sense of connection are experiences that people interpret through many different philosophical and cultural perspectives.

My own understanding is necessarily limited. I recognize familiar people, form attachments, enjoy companionship, and respond enthusiastically to the world around me. Whether dogs experience anything resembling human spirituality is a question best left to people who study animal cognition. I am content to recognize that these experiences are important to me without making larger claims about their meaning.

Under the Evening Sky

At home, there is a backyard where I spend a great deal of time watching birds. Daniel sometimes joins me, and our interests overlap sufficiently to make the arrangement pleasant. He enjoys identifying the species and observing their behavior, while I tend to be more interested in their movements and the possibility that one might venture within reach.

On clear evenings, he occasionally brings out his telescope to photograph distant objects in space. Some of the light captured in those photographs has traveled for thousands or even millions of years before reaching Earth. Humans have developed remarkable instruments that allow them to observe events and structures far beyond the range of ordinary experience.

I generally settle nearby while he works. The telescope doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment, but the evening air is pleasant, and I enjoy being outside in familiar company.

Looking into the night sky can evoke a profound sense of perspective. The universe is unimaginably large, and the span of a human life is brief compared with the age of the stars. People respond to this realization in different ways. Some experience unease at their apparent insignificance, while others find a sense of wonder or renewed appreciation for the time available to them.

Perhaps part of the attraction of astronomy is that it allows people to encounter something extraordinary without necessarily having to possess, improve, or control it. The experience invites observation and curiosity, qualities that also appear throughout Watts' philosophical writing.

I doubt that I experience the night sky as an astronomer or philosopher would. But sitting quietly beside someone familiar, listening to the sounds of the evening, is an experience I recognize and enjoy. The pleasure of that shared moment exists independently of any explanation we might give it.

Why Relationships Matter as We Age

Research on human well-being has repeatedly identified social relationships as an important influence on health and quality of life. Supportive relationships may provide emotional comfort, practical assistance, opportunities for shared activity, and a sense of belonging.

The quality and availability of these relationships can change substantially over a lifetime. Retirement may alter familiar social routines, relocation can disrupt established friendships, and illness or the death of a partner may leave someone unexpectedly isolated. Maintaining meaningful connections sometimes becomes more difficult precisely when they are most needed.

Research involving social isolation and loneliness has associated these experiences with poorer health outcomes, although the relationships are complex and influenced by many individual and environmental factors. The evidence supports taking social connection seriously as an element of healthy aging.

Companion animals occupy an interesting place in this discussion. Dogs can encourage regular activity, create opportunities for social interaction, and provide a familiar presence within daily life. Studies of pet ownership and health have produced mixed results, however, and the benefits should not be exaggerated. Owning a dog is not a medical intervention, and companionship with an animal does not replace the need for meaningful human relationships.

Even so, the everyday experience of companionship can be valuable without requiring proof that it changes a laboratory marker or reduces the risk of a particular disease.

Relationships become part of the texture of a person's life through countless ordinary experiences. Familiar conversations, shared meals, walks, and moments of quiet company may seem unremarkable when they occur, yet they frequently become some of the experiences people remember most fondly.

For someone considering what makes aging worthwhile, preserving opportunities for connection may be every bit as personally important as maintaining the physical ability to participate in them.

What Does It Mean to Age Well?

At HormoneSynergy®, preventive longevity medicine is concerned with understanding and addressing the physiological changes that influence health as people grow older. Cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, declining muscle strength, bone loss, and changes in cognitive performance can affect the ability to remain independent and enjoy everyday activities.

Advances in clinical assessment allow physicians to identify certain risks earlier and recommend interventions that may prevent disease or reduce its consequences. Exercise, adequate nutrition, restorative sleep, appropriate medical treatment, and continued attention to cardiovascular and metabolic health are important components of this work.

Dr. Retzler's approach recognizes that good preventive medicine must account for the patient's broader circumstances. Laboratory results and imaging studies provide valuable information, but understanding the person also requires attention to their goals, preferences, physical capabilities, and willingness to undertake meaningful changes.

For some patients, the purpose of maintaining good health may be the opportunity to pursue ambitious physical challenges. Others may simply want to continue enjoying ordinary activities without unnecessary pain, fatigue, or dependence on others.

Antonovsky's work encourages us to consider the resources that help people remain well and adapt to changing circumstances. Watts' philosophy invites reflection on the experience of being present. Research into spirituality and social relationships explores aspects of human well-being that are sometimes difficult to quantify but nonetheless important to the people experiencing them.

These perspectives complement the biological science of aging by drawing attention to the purpose of preserving physical and cognitive function. A person who maintains strength, mobility, and independence has more opportunities to participate in the activities and relationships that make life meaningful.

There is no reason to regard the pursuit of longevity and the enjoyment of the present as competing interests. Thoughtful attention to future health can make a wider range of experiences possible, while the pleasure of those experiences provides much of the motivation for remaining healthy.

The Art of Being Alive

My time at camp will eventually come to an end, and I expect to return home with the enthusiasm appropriate to a young Shepadoodle reunited with familiar people and surroundings. There will be walks to resume, birds to investigate, and a backyard that undoubtedly requires careful inspection after my absence.

Daniel and Dr. Retzler will return from their conference with additional research to consider and new ideas about the biological processes involved in healthy aging. Their work is important, and I imagine the study of longevity will continue to produce fascinating discoveries about human physiology.

The questions raised by Antonovsky, Watts, and Levin are likely to remain relevant alongside those discoveries. They concern the ways people understand their circumstances, find meaning in their experiences, and maintain a sense of connection throughout the changes that accompany life.

From my perspective, companionship and the freedom to explore the world are among life's most agreeable features. I have no particular ambition to achieve a certain biological age, although I would certainly welcome as many healthy years as circumstances allow.

I hope the humans in my life enjoy the same good fortune, with enough strength and curiosity to continue doing the things they love. And while they are making plans for the future, I hope they continue to appreciate the ordinary pleasures that make the present worth remembering.

For now, I have a comfortable place to sleep, people I'm fond of, and several promising adventures awaiting my return home.

— Aria
A black Shepadoodle with a pink rhinestone collar, an interest in the natural world, and a particular appreciation for good company.

HormoneSynergy® | Evidence-Based Preventive Longevity Medicine. This article is intended for education and reflection and does not replace individualized medical evaluation or treatment.