I remember sitting at an Integrative Health & Medicine conference years ago when I first heard the term epigenetics. The idea that we could actually influence how our genes express themselves sparked my curiosity. It felt… hopeful. And, it still does.
I’ve been deep in research lately around women, aging, and the power of belief, and epigenetics keeps coming up. The science behind it is fascinating, but more than that, it gives us something we don’t always feel we have when it comes to aging: agency.
What Is Epigenetics?
In simple terms, epigenetics is the study of how your environment, habits, emotions, and beliefs affect how your genes behave. “Epi” means “above,” so epigenetics literally means “above the genes.”
Here’s the part that matters most:
Only about 10% of your health is dictated by your genetics. The other 90%? That’s where your daily choices, mindset, and environment come in.
What you eat. How well you sleep. The way you manage stress. The energy you carry in your body. Even your breath—all of that sends signals to your cells. Those signals help determine whether certain genes switch “on” or “off.”
So no, your DNA isn’t your destiny.
You have a lot more say in how you age than you were ever taught to believe.
Rewriting the Story of Aging
This is especially important for women—particularly after 50.
There’s a quiet (and sometimes loud) message in our culture that says aging is mostly about decline. That once we hit a certain number, we start disappearing. That our value fades.
I don’t buy that.
In fact, I think this time in life holds a kind of power we’ve barely begun to tap into—if we’re intentional about how we care for our bodies, minds, and energy.
I like to think of it this way:
We’ve been given bonus years. Now it’s up to us how we use them.
And the science of epigenetics backs that up. Research shows that we can:
- Support brain health and memory
- Strengthen immunity and resilience.
- Even slow cellular aging
…not through perfection or pressure, not through twelve million supplements, not extreme exercise or diet, but through consistent, doable shifts in how we live and how we think. The part that makes the biggest difference – your thoughts.
Where Energy Meets Epigenetics
This is where my heart lives—where science meets soul.
I’ve seen, again and again, how breathwork, energy healing, and mindset work can shift things in powerful ways. Here’s why it works:
- Your thoughts and emotions carry energy that your body responds to.
- Your breath tells your nervous system whether you’re safe—or not.
- Your beliefs about aging can actually influence which genes activate and which stay dormant.
That’s not woo. That’s biology.
The research around priming – setting up a pattern of thought prior to testing is exciting. Those that were primed with positive aging thoughts did significantly better than those who were primed with negative ones. This extended into real life. Over the course of a month participants were primed once a week, at the end of the month those who were positively primed had improved blood pressure, decreased pain and increased mobility.
To give yourself some positive priming, Try this:
Before you start your day, pause and say—
“I’m writing the script for my vitality.”
And notice how that lands in your body.
A Request for Input
I’m creating something new—The Vital Years—a course and community for women over 50 who want to age with energy, grace, and agency.
We’ll explore things like:
- How to work with your energy field (biofield) to support vitality
- Breath practices that influence stress and gene expression
- Releasing outdated beliefs about aging and updating mindset
- Simple rituals to anchor you in this next chapter
If this speaks to you, I’d love your help. Just hit reply and tell me: What do you most want to understand or experience when it comes to aging, energy, or longevity?
Because aging isn’t something happening to us.
We’re co-creating it—every day.
Be Inspired,
Cathy