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Dear Friends committed to living and aging consciously:
The season of abundance is nearly here - that time when the energies of life are flowing most strongly in the world around us and in ourselves. In our lives, we have the opportunity to tap this strong force to nourish those expressions of vibrant life that seek to grow in us, and to attend to removing the weeds that compete for our energies. We hope you will find this offering from the Center for Conscious Eldering a useful support in your growth toward the ripeness of a conscious elderhood.
Our first story, by John Sorenson, tells of how, after a distinguished career as an aerospace engineer, he acted upon a strong call to apply his talents toward starting an organization that would harness the talents, idealism and passion of elders to advocate for social justice and environmental sustainability - to be conscious activists. The result is the increasingly influential Elders Action Network.
Barbara Roth, a talented new guide of our conscious eldering retreats, writes about how serendipities and synchronicities have played important roles in her life since she committed to the path of conscious eldering. She stresses the importance of openness - to people, experiences and thoughts that you do not expect. She writes, "Be curious, listen carefully and notice what is around you. The most amazing things will come your way, and your journey in eldering will be continually enhanced."
Our third article is by Chuck Lee, a beautiful man who over the past several years has grown into a model, for me and many others, of who and what a conscious elder can be. Now in his mid-80s, Chuck is facing a serious health challenge. He tells how the intentions that he clarified and committed to on several conscious eldering retreats have become the bedrock of his life, giving him the sense of purpose that allows him to each day choose "Living" even as he faces his mortality. And he writes of the importance of having an "Intention Partner" to help him stay true to his vision for what it means to truly Live.
We also present poetry to touch your heart and stir your intuition. You will find information about our conscious eldering retreats and workshops. We present information about two books and one new magazine article we highly recommend as resources for your conscious eldering, as well as two organizations and one newsletter we are proud to have as partners in the work of supporting the development of true Elders.
We include a lot in this newsletter. We suggest you not race through it but rather, savor it, perhaps one article or section at a time. May it support your growth into the conscious elderhood that is your birthright, but which requires your willingness to accept it as both gift and responsibility.
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On Elder Activism
by John Sorenson
“Houston, we have a problem!” This was the message from three astronauts 52 years ago, as their spacecraft had a life-threatening design failure on its way to the Moon. I was a member of the Apollo engineering team that responded to that call for help. Today, within Elders Action Network (EAN), other concerned elders and I are urgently confronting national issues that include (a) life-threatening climate chaos; (b) growing economic disparity between the richest few and the lower 99%; and (c) democracy-threatening voter suppression and intimidation. These are truly Texas-size problems with cries for help from our younger generations. The following is a brief description of my improbable journey and transition from rocket scientist to one of elder activism, again answering calls for help.
I was fortunate to have had a fulfilling career as an aerospace engineer, project manager, and business entrepreneur spanning 40+ years. In 2005 it was my time to move on. I was not ready to “retire”, but to do something different, not knowing what that would be. I began my search, realizing vaguely that I wanted to give back for the bountiful life that I had been given.
To gain clarity and direction as well as to heal old psychic wounds, I went on a series of personal growth retreats. It was the right preliminary action for me to take, for in so doing I developed levels of forgiveness and compassion I previously didn’t have, and I regained my youthful spirit.
One retreat was a long weekend led by Ron Pevny who introduced our group to “conscious elderhood.” During the event, Ron mentioned Theodore Roszak’s book “The Making of an Elder Culture.” Its message was that young, idealistic men and women of the sixties and seventies had the right ideals about American society being more just and equitable. However, they did not succeed in pursuing those ideals because they had no elders to guide them. Those young have become us old seekers, we have not lost our idealism, and we benefit by having gained some elder wisdom in the intervening years. We could now claim some semblance of elderhood and harness that idealism to transition to a new American reality. But only if we have the heart and will to take it on.
That message struck a chord. I had done a lot of complaining over the years about the dysfunction of our government and society, why so little meaningful legislation got enacted, and what did get done was often counter to achieving “a more perfect union.” I needed to quit complaining and to do something about it. This would require re-inventing myself, transitioning from being a left-brained engineer, to using more right-brain imagination and heartfelt response to what would come.
Another retreat was an Animas Valley Institute vision quest in summer 2011. During my solo time, I received the message, “teach leadership.” I interpreted it to mean that I was to demonstrate leadership by guiding a group to take on America’s societal issues. I had understood that whatever we decided to do would not be small and it would be working with elders. But I was stymied by the enormity of what I was imagining – how could I, with little background in organizational development or this kind of leadership, proceed? I decided to go on another vision quest the following summer to gain more clarity.
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By pure synchronicity, in December 2012, Charles Lawrence, the very wise co-leader of that second quest was on a project near where I lived. Charles called me asking if I would like to have lunch with him. I jumped at the chance for I needed to relate my still present indecision dilemma and ask for his advice. Charles listened, said I needed to ask a small group of like-minded elders to join and help me see the way forward. He proposed that with them, we would form a circle with me in the middle, and Charles would facilitate the process.
I was, throughout this, operating on intuition. I called Ron Pevny, asking if he had colleagues who could help, which he did. I asked others, and the following March, 2013, six men and six women met to form that circle at a monastery on the Hudson River. Those included my wife Sue, Ron, Charles facilitating, and me asking for help. It was for all of us an emotional gathering, and from it I got the clear direction I was looking for: Yes, we should begin a movement of elders to boldly take on our society’s serious problems, it would have a spiritual base, I should take the lead in forming it, and those in the circle would back me in the process.
The following year I sought other elders who would resonate with this vision and would consider being included in forming the response. Many were not interested, but I was not dissuaded. The result was that in April, 2014, 47 of us, including nine from the Hudson River circle, met at Mercy Center, a convent in Burlingame, CA. We were there, as fellow co-founders, to begin a movement of elders to transition our society to one that is more just, caring, equitable, and in service to life prospering for all future generations. We had a common vision, it would have a spiritual base, but we had few details to what and how it would unfold.
During our gathering, one of the participants, Paul Severance, came to me suggesting that we should take on climate change, as that was now seen as a growing threat to humans and all life. He suggested that we go to Washington DC, meet with Members of Congress, express our concerns about the changing climate, and urge them to act. I agreed, and Paul, who was a veteran community organizer, quickly formed what has grown to be known as our “Elders Climate Action” (ECA) group. In September 2015, 85 of us went on our first of several subsequent trips to DC and met with Congress.
Over the seven years since then, we have strived to be “sacred activists” committed to our growth as conscious elders while taking on one or more forms of outer activism. In our evolution, we adopted the name “Elders Action Network” and the mission “To build a movement of elders to confront the social, environmental and governance issues of our time.” To the ECA action group we have added three others – social justice, regenerative living, and sound democracy. EAN has flourished as a virtual organization reaching well over 20,000 elders nationwide. Each year our activism projects expand, while understanding we still have a long way to go.
I currently serve as co-leader of EAN’s Elders for Sound Democracy action group, which includes forming the Texas Elders’ Voting Rights Team. It’s our response to misguided politicians who are intent on replacing our still evolving democracy with a white-supremacist-led autocracy.
Yes, Houston, we again have big problems, but we counter with an intrepid group of elders willing to face critical societal issues. We strive for the good of our grandchildren and all future generations, the vital role of elders throughout history. In so doing, we realize our destiny as being activated elders and good ancestors. For more information on how you can add your elder gifts to our efforts, please check our website www.eldersaction.org
John Sorensen is EAN’s founder. As a youth he heard the aerospace call and followed it for 45 years of engineering design and entrepreneurial experiences. In 2005 John heard another, deeper calling – time to re-invent and dedicate himself to humanitarian service. He uses earlier experiences to fulfill that calling as an elder strategist for social / environmental justice and sound governance. He can be reached at jasoren10@gmail.com
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Serendipity in Conscious Eldering
by Barbara Roth
Serendipity: The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
Synchronicity: The simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have not discernible causal connection.
It has now been almost four years since my retirement. The Choosing Conscious Elderhood and subsequent Next Step Retreats have been instrumental in how these first years of my official elderhood have evolved. The practices, ideas and openness derived from the retreats and readings, mini personal retreats, friends and COVID era zoom calls with other Next Steppers have helped to heighten my openness to the growth and learning that is meant for this time of life. My spiritual journey has also been completely renewed and changed during this time, including new understandings of spirit and universe.
Since retiring I have dedicated more and more time to walking and hiking. I am fortunate enough to live in a state (Michigan) with abundant woods and forests. During COVID I had three main partners in this physical journey: A friend who I walk with in my neighborhood regularly (we help each other get out even in the worst snowy weather), a friend who I hike with in the woods (she is also on a spiritual journey), and my husband who retired a year after I did and has really grown to enjoy hiking.
On one of my hikes in the woods with my friend, we talked about our eldering journeys and she briefly shared a native American legend she had heard many years ago about two elderly women who are left to die (due to their ages and the lack of food in the winter for the group of people) during harsh conditions. The two old women encourage each other, slowly transcend their incapacities, and not only survive, but when the group comes back around in the late winter, depleted of food and near starvation, the two old women have developed stores of food that save the whole group.
Several months later this legend again came to me through a web site I was searching (that sells other items but very few books) for a birthday present for my husband. Now the legend was available in paperback, written in it’s entirety by a native Alaskan woman. I ordered it and as I read it, I realized it reflected in many ways my journey. When I retired, I was depleted, physically and emotionally. The practices that I started at my first Conscious Eldering retreat (being in nature, hiking, praying/meditating, time for solitude and sharing new learning and growth with others), I have continued. As a result, I am less anxious, sleeping well (and remembering dreams that are not about work), and over all calmer. I am also becoming stronger physically than I have been in years. Even with some of the limitations of my age, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, I am getting stronger.
It is amazing to me. As the right people, stories, motivations and practices have come to me and I have been open to them, it has been more and more natural to incorporate them into my life. Being open has been an important key. This has led to a positive progression of growth, spiritual development, and deep dive into what it means for me to be a conscious elder.
The serendipity that brought me the book Two Old Women, An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival (by Velma Wallis) is one example of many moments and events in my life as an elder. My openness to these has been fostered by my accepting the need for quiet, non-goal oriented time, and time for solitude.
I have also joined a local women’s literary club (first established in 1874). One of the commitments in this club is that each member must research, write and present a paper each three years. The papers are to be on literature, the sciences or fine arts. I spent a year researching eldering for women, specifically becoming a crone, and presented my paper recently. Having joined the club just before COVID started, and while we continued on zoom, I had not met a lot of the women in person. Presenting this paper brought several like-minded women to me. One local woman has been trained in the Sage-ing work of Sage-ing International, another has led “Crone-ing” ceremonies for women, and a third is good friends with another good friend of mine, a connection I hadn’t known about. This synchronicity was a surprise and a welcome, happy set of connections.
A third example of this type of inter-connectedness and the need for openness came in my memoir writing class this spring. I’ve been working on writing a memoir, one of the tasks of this stage of life – a life review, since the beginning of the year. The first memoir writing class taught all about writing a memoir, and the second held in late winter was experiential, with each writer sharing out loud some writing, and receiving feedback from the others. When the new spring course began, I discovered that a friend from my first Conscious Eldering retreat was joining us, someone I’ve learned a lot from. This very small class has allowed for rich and deep connections, amazingly helpful feedback, and a continuation of what for me has been a difficult task. I would not be writing as deeply as I am, as honestly as I am, were it not for the trust of the small group of women in the class. The addition of a friend enhanced that trust even more. And so the unexpected interconnections continue.
I encourage all readers of this article to meditate on openness, to practice being aware of and open to people, experiences and thoughts that you do not expect. Be curious, listen carefully and notice what is around you. The most amazing things will come your way, and your journey in eldering will be continually enhanced.
Barbara Anne Roth has switched her focus, after a 45-year career in child and youth development, to the growth and development that can happen in the elder, generatively stage of life. She will be one of the co-leaders for our September Choosing Conscious Elderhood retreat at Ghost Ranch.
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artwork by Kathleen Frank
The Intentions That Guide My Elderhood
by Chuck Lee
Death comes to all of us. It can take the death of someone dear to us to help us fully grasp this reality. This realization can teach us much about living. And, when we are confronted with the fact that our own death is given a timeline, as I have been, we are then faced with an emotional reaction that requires thought and an inner strength that comes and goes until we reach a point of acceptance and understanding that Life is about Living –fully “Living.”
For the past nine years I have participated in eight retreats on Conscious Eldering, focused on "Aging with Intention and Passion" under the leadership of Ron Pevny. What has come from that is a list of ten Intentions that reflect my vision for my elder years.
For me it has been critically important to my well being that I live my elderhood with these intentions as my guideposts. And I have been fortunate to have the support of another person who shares this desire to be on a journey of growth throughout her elder years.
For nearly five years I have met monthly with one of the other participants in a weekend conscious eldering retreat held at Mission San Luis Rey near San Diego. We have lunch and discuss how our lives, with our joys and struggles, has been unfolding. During the COVID pandemic we talked on the phone. Our primary focus is how we are doing with our intentions in our day-to-day living and how our intentions have given us purposeful lives. My concentration on this goal, supported by my “Intention Partner”, has given me the basis for being able to face this point in my life, with my health challenges, with a plan for Living.
For me my list of intentions has been reviewed and revised many times. The following is what I call my blueprint for life.
ON THIS JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE I INTEND TO:
· Be positive in my thoughts and actions
· Be generous in giving to those in need
· Listen to those who need to be heard
· Practice kindness on a daily basis (doing a good deed each day)
· Focus on protection of the environment
· Continue on my spiritual path with meditation
· Improve my connection with family and friends
· Enjoy the humor of life by laughing a lot
· Find joy in the life I lead
· Talk with strangers
These are daily efforts in my thoughts and actions. When I focus on these I have found satisfaction and pleasure. I look for the joy in events and interactions. I find humor in much of life. I choose for my attitude to be positive. When I hit a bad patch, I recognize it is time to meditate and move myself back to calmness and positive energy.
I acknowledge that I am not always successful in following this blueprint, but it is my chosen path and it is working for me. I do not focus on my impending death but on how I am Living today!
Chuck Lee spend a long career running organizations and group homes that support the well being of at-risk young people. Now well into his 80s, he has become a model for many of how to live a committed, conscious elderhood. He can be reached at chuckl123@cox.net
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I Begin by Simply Noticing
by Marilyn Daniels, April 2022
I begin by simply noticing
how difficult it has been
over these past two years,
With allowing myself
to register what it feels like
to be constantly inundated
with new versions and variants
of collective trauma –
COVID, climate change,
polarized social discourse,
political extremism,
and now war.
Gradually, imperceptibly
my body has become used to being
isolated, shielded, constricted,
and dampened by fear.
At times, constriction almost seems
to have become the new normal
of my being.
And yet, in witness state,
I can detect different murmurings.
These arise in response…
to the coming of spring,
the promise of a new puppy,
the kindness of a friend,
and to the deeper stirring of my soul.
I experiment with defining
what a meaningful contribution
might look like
in these tumultuous times –
A project, a role, something holding
the stamp of my identity.
But I am brought back
to what is perhaps
the most expansive sense
of my knowing,
(which is not mine at all) -
the willingness
to give temporary voice or form
to a beauty, kindness, or wisdom
that does not originate in me.
But sometimes,
given my willingness
and the right circumstances,
it can flow through me.
A New Beginning
by Cynthia M. Cahill (March 1, 2022)
A new beginning.
Although not seen, perhaps on the crest of the next ocean wave.
Do I dare trust that fierce wave
to wash over me,
thrusting me into sand
hat scrapes the skin from my old life?
Oh, for my eyes to be young again!
And for my body to awaken
with the promise of unfolding possibilities and new dreams.
The ocean provides no path,
only direction.
May I claim the courage
to greet that next wave,
letting go of the seduction of safety.
May I allow its wild energy
to carry me home to a new way
of belonging in, and to, the world.
The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean –
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Healing
by Bob Calhoun
Trees heal
On the long path
Of growing and dying
We see the scars
And wonder how they are made that way
To heal, repair
After loss, a brush with death
And journey on
Trees heal
As we do
Our bodies are built that way
To make new
Sort out good from bad
Remake what is lost
Cleanse the system and go on
Healing is
An active present
Balancing what was, is and is to be
An expectation of a future
Yet with full surrender
To the many futures that may be
Scarred trees remind us
How precarious is the journey
However long or short the path may be
Toward an end which fallen trees
Rotting logs and graves remind us
Surviving
Is the gift of daily healing
And often comes with days
When much is asked
Taking all the healing energy
Just to move and live and be
Trees teach us
Quietly about healing
Encouraging us to trust
The process of our living
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The Valuable Time of Maturity
by Mário de Andrade
I counted my years
and realized that
I have less time to live by,
than I have lived so far.
I have more past than future.
I feel like that boy who got a bowl of cherries.
At first, he gobbled them,
but when he realized there were only few left,
he began to taste them intensely.
I no longer have time to deal with mediocrity.
I do not want to be in meetings where flamed egos parade.
I am bothered by the envious,
who seek to discredit the most able,
to usurp their places, coveting their seats,
talent, achievements and luck.
I do not have time for endless conversations,
useless to discuss about the lives of others
who are not part of mine.
I no longer have the time to manage
sensitivities of people who despite their chronological age, are immature.
I hate to confront those that struggle for power, those that ‘do not debate content, just the labels’.
My time has become scarce to debate labels,
I want the essence.
My soul is in a hurry …
Not many cherries in my bowl,
I want to live close to human people,
very human,
who laugh of their own stumbles,
and away from those turned smug
and overconfident with their triumphs,
away from those filled with self-importance.
The essential is what makes life worthwhile.
And for me, the essentials are enough!
Yes, I’m in a hurry.
I’m in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.
I do not intend to waste any of the remaining cherries.
I am sure they will be exquisite, much more than those eaten so far.
My goal is to reach the end satisfied
and at peace with my loved ones and my conscience.
And per Confucius “We have two lives, and the second begins when you realize you only have one.”
In Praise of the Earth
~ John O'Donohue ~
(To Bless the Space Between Us)
Let us bless
The imagination of the Earth.
That knew early the patience
To harness the mind of time,
Waited for the seas to warm,
Ready to welcome the emergence
Of things dreaming of voyaging
Among the stillness of land.
And how light knew to nurse
The growth until the face of the Earth
Brightened beneath a vision of color.
When the ages of ice came
And sealed the Earth inside
An endless coma of cold,
The heart of the Earth held hope,
Storing fragments of memory,
Ready for the return of the sun.
Let us thank the Earth
That offers ground for home
And holds our feet firm
To walk in space open
To infinite galaxies.
Let us salute the silence
And certainty of mountains:
Their sublime stillness,
Their dream-filled hearts.
The wonder of a garden
Trusting the first warmth of spring
Until its black infinity of cells
Becomes charged with dream;
Then the silent, slow nurture
Of the seed's self, coaxing it
To trust the act of death.
The humility of the Earth
That transfigures all
That has fallen
Of outlived growth.
The kindness of the Earth,
Opening to receive
Our worn forms
Into the final stillness.
Let us ask forgiveness of the Earth
For all our sins against her:
For our violence and poisonings
Of her beauty.
Let us remember within us
The ancient clay,
Holding the memory of seasons,
The passion of the wind,
The fluency of water,
The warmth of fire,
The quiver-touch of the sun
And shadowed sureness of the moon.
That we may awaken,
To live to the full
The dream of the Earth
Who chose us to emerge
And incarnate its hidden night
In mind, spirit, and light.
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Upcoming Conscious Eldering Programs
Our two Spring Conscious Eldering retreats unfolded beautifully, with participants and guides alike so very happy to be able to again sit in circle with others deeply committed to their growth.
This Autumn, we have two programs scheduled: Ron Pevny and Katia Petersen's new Aiming High retreat in the beautiful Southern Appalachians, focused on purpose and intentionality in life's elder chapters; and Choosing Conscious Elderhood at Ghost Ranch, our 19th retreat in that magnificent desert setting.. And we are always eager to present our shorter weekend conscious eldering workshops for organizations that invite us and will handle the logistics.
Please consider joining us if you seek an empowering vision for your elder chapters, tools for helping make that vision reality, and the warmth of a supportive community of kindred spirits. Our programs provide a powerful opportunity to have your idealism acknowledged, your hope rekindled and your dreams for a vital, passionate elderhood supported? They offer you the wisdom of skilled guides and the heart-and-mind-opening energy of the natural world, to open you to the rich possibiities of your later-life chapters--for growth, purpose, spiritual deepening, and giving your elder gifts to support a healthy society and planet.
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Choosing Conscious Elderhood
September 25 - October 1, 2022
Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
A couple spaces are still available
Aiming High
Cultivating Purpose and Intentionality in Life's Later Chapters
September 11-15, 2022
Hope Springs Institute Retreat Center, Southern Ohio
For Organizations, Faith Communities, etc:
We are available to present our weekend workshops or custom designed programs for groups who would like to sponsor one in their area. Contact us to explore possibilities.
for details on our programs and registration information, please visit
www.centerforconsciouseldering.com
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No one has done more than Becca Levy to demonstrate the power of our beliefs about aging in determining how well we actually age. Her groundbreaking research over many years at Yale School of Public Health has convincingly proven that many declines formerly considered to be entirely due to the aging process, such as memory loss, hearing decline, cardiovascular events and loss of creativity are strongly influenced by the negative beliefs about aging that are so pervasive in today's world. She has found that one's beliefs about aging in their midlife years have more power to shape the length and health quality of their later life than genetics, cholesterol, blood pressure, and even whether they smoke or not. This book is full of stories that illustrate the results of her research; it is highly informative but not boring. And perhaps most importantly she provides methods to counter the disempowering beliefs about aging that so many of us internalize, and to bolster positive beliefs about our potential for good health, creativity, service and growth in that precious stage of our lives called elderhood. In our conscious eldering work we have been citing pieces of Levy's research for several years as a valuable scientific confirmation of what the worlds' spiritual traditions have long taught - that our belief's shape our reality. This book provides the whole story of her important, continuing life's work.
Ron Pevny
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"A beautifully written and important book about aging and elderhood. Pevny reminds us that consciously moving into our greater years is a major rite of passage, and he offers skilled guidance through the many questions and challenges, endings and new beginnings, that arise."
Meredith Little, Co-founder of the School of Lost Borders
Since Ron's book was released in 2014, many elder wisdom circles and discussion groups have found it to be an excellent resource around which to center their discussions and group practices. A facilitator of several of these groups has created a study guide for this book. Contact Ron for information on how to obtain this guide.
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A few months ao, Jeanette Leardi, a gerontologist, writer and community educator dedicated to older adult empowerment, asked me for an interview that would focus on the importance of ritual in marking the passage from mid-life adulthood into elderhood and empowering people as they enter a distinct life stage of growth. She said her article was being written for 3rd Act Magazine, which focuses on "Artful Aging, Wellness and Lifestyle" in life's later chapters. I found our interview a satisfying experience, with Jeanette asking good, incisive questions. I very much recommend her article, which appears in the latest edition of 3rd Act Magazine and, in my opinion, can be meaningful to a wide, diverse audience. Here is the link to Jeanette's article, "Welcome to Elderhood."
Ron Pevny
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Fall Memoir Writing Class on Zoom
Choosing Conscious Elderhood guide emeritus Anne Wennhold will begin her 3rd year teaching a ten week, 2 hour a week, Memoir Writing class on Zoom this fall.
Each class session will feature actual writing practice and includes information about improving writing skills, developing depth of content and ending with organization of material.
Wednesdays beginning September 22 – November 16th at
2 – 4 pm EST Fee: $190.
NOTE: Class is limited to 11 participants.
For more information or to register, Contact Anne annewennhold@gmail.com.
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The Human Values in Aging Newsletter
The newsletter you are reading is not intended to provide a comprehensive listing of workshops and other resources available these days to help support people in aging consciously. That job is well done by Rick Moody in his monthly Human Values in Aging newsletter. To receive it on the first day of each month, send an email to hrmoody@yahoo.com
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One of our partner organizations, the Elders Action Network is an educational non-profit organization fostering a budding movement of vital elders dedicated to growing in consciousness while actively addressing the demanding social and environmental challenges facing our country and planet. They work inter-generationally for social and economic justice,environmental stewardship, and sound governance. They offer their multiple talents and resources in service to the goal of preserving and protecting life for all generations to come. Anyone committed to living and serving as a conscious elder in invited to join them in this critically important endeavor. EAN offerings include, among others,
* Bi-weekly Elder Activists for Social Justice Community Conversations
*The growing and influential "Elders Climate Action" initiative
* The Empowered Elder--EAN's foundational program
*The new Sunrise Movement - an intergenerational collaborative effort between EAN and Sage-ing International
*The Elders for Regenerative Living initiative
To learn about EAN and its initiatives and programs, visit www.eldersaction.org
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Another of our partner organizations is Sage-ing International, the pioneering organization in promoting the principles of conscious aging, or "Sage-ing". Their greatly expanded offerings of online workshops and seminars, Elder Wisdom Circles, and training program for Certified Sage-ing Leaders is grounded in the work of Rabbi Zalman Shachter-Shalomi, who introduced conscious aging to the world with his workshops at Omega Institute with Ram Dass and others and via his seminal book, From Age-ing to Sage-ing.
Two upcoming Sage-ing International programs which we especially recommend are:
Seven Keys to Conscious Living - a multi-session course with David Chernikoff
The Art of Aging: Celebrating the Authentic Aging Self through Art- a webinar with Alice and Richard Matzkin
To learn about Sage-ing International visit www.sage-ing.org
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Ron Pevny, Founder and Director
970-223-0857
3707 Coronado Ave, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
ron@centerforconsciouseldering.com
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Passion burns through every exhaustion.
Rumi
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