Elderly people’s experiences of what embodies a rewarding old age and vitality form a vital premise for developing comprehensive age-related services.This study sought to increase knowledge and deepen understanding of elderly people ́s life.

The objective: This study aimed to investigate how lightand nature influence elderly people ́s experience of health and well-beingin Iceland.

Method: We applied the Vancouver School phenomenological method to data accumulated from,interviews with 10people(6women and 4men) with anaverage age of 80.9 years. Participants were residents of Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður,and Mosfellsbær.

Findings: Participants reported that light and nature were important. Although individual definitions varied, they loved nature and described it as akin to life itself. Twilight had a special place, bringing a sense of romance. All participants felt physically and mentally healthy during the interview process. Nevertheless, each of them had experienceda variety of health-related difficulties in the past. They felt that vitality and mental and physical equilibrium form the basis of are warding old age.

Conclusion: From birth,an individual is part of his environment, which shapes him. This process is always active(i.e., anindividual re-analyses and values his health and well-being as conditions change). Although the values forming that basis vary, an individual must establish a balance between body and soul to feel healthy and achievewell-being. The findings reported here throw light on those factors which elderly people feel promote health and well-being, and are of value for those who study, teach and provide services for them.