Dear Friends committed to living and aging consciously:

 Welcome to the Autumn, 2024, edition of Conscious Eldering Inspiration and Resources; The Journal of the Center for Conscious Eldering. We wish you a season in which you experience yourself harvesting fruits of your commitment to your growth. May you thrive in body, mind and Spirit. It is our hope that the featured articles, written for this journal, and the  poetry and other resources you will find here, will serve to remind you of the gift you are to your community and to the larger human and earth community-- a gift that seeks to ripen and to nourish others through your commitment to living intentionally each day, with resilience, gratitude, trust, growth, service and joy.  May this journal support your growth into the conscious elderhood that is your birth rite, but requires your willingness to accept it as both gift and responsibility.

The Way of the CreativeSage

Consciously Journeying from Wonder to Wisdom

by Elsie Wood

My work, The Way of The CreativeSage, evolved from my personal creative and spiritual journey and the desire to share the benefits of walking that path. The Way of the CreativeSage meshes the disciplines of gerontology, creativity and spiritual wisdom. It is a path of growth for a positive, compassionate, conscious, meaningful and purposeful life. It is an integration of the fundamental principles of creativity, ageing, and sageing to guide and inform us. It is founded on tenets and core values from diverse spiritual traditions. Awe, beauty, truth, and love are compass points on a CreativeSage’s journey.  It is grounded in individual personal strengths and skills and celebrates the magnificence within.

Regardless of where you are on life’s journey, you are a CreativeSage!  Yes, you are creative.  Yes, you are ageing. And yes, you become wiser with each day’s experiences and practices.   

Ageing is a given like death and taxes. It is a process not only for those in the later years, but it is the process begun with the first drawn breath.  

In “The Tale of Two Cities”, Charles Dickens posits the theme of duality: the best of times/the worst of times; hope/despair; wisdom/foolishness; light/dark.  Those contrasting concepts are aptly applied to reflections on ageing. Continuing that litany are chaos/clarity; fast/slow; fear/courage; uncertainty/peace; loss/abundance; sorrow/joy; longevity/quality of life.  These oppositions and many others provide the substructure of our choices on how we live our life as we age.  

Regardless of age, there is a basic desire, hope and dream to have needs met, to live well, and be content.  Yet often we are our own worst enemy.  We stand in our own way. Feelings of discomfort arise when self-reflection and introspection take us down rabbit holes we would rather not visit. Unpleasant memories may surface and self-doubt inches in under our skin. How comforting to read Brené Brown’s words,   ” … to feel this vulnerable means I'm alive.” That aliveness is invigorated through our resiliency and our personal attitude. 

Where do we find the courage when the woes and challenges of ageing diminish the resolve to live fully?  That’s where the CreatieSage steps in.

Creativity is the process providing the wind beneath our wings.  It gives the wherewithal to take flights of fancy, sparks the imagination and gives voice to life’s endeavors. The Way of the CreativeSage is based on the solid belief that we are all creative.  It is an innate gift from Spirit (or whatever name you give to the divine).  It is like the gift of language.  It’s there.  To dispel disbelief and counter claims of not being creative because you are not an artist, can’t draw, etc. 

.

It is not solely in an artist’s wheelhouse but also in cooks’, scientists’, gardeners’, carpenters’, everyone’s skillset. Through the lens of the creative imagination, a window into the inner psyche reveals secrets, fears, barriers and long held limiting beliefs paving a way for release and transformation.  A path from wonder to wisdom forges a connection with the Creative Spirit to become a CreativeSage.

A deep and profound connection to spirit is fundamental.  Wisdom comes from diverse spiritual traditions. And wisdom rests within each of us.  It is our task to discover and explore ways of being so that every day we become a better version of ourselves 

The gems from a life well lived provide the brilliance in the ripples circling out at the close of one’s life, a legacy left to be honored and celebrated, a wisdom to be cherished.  It becomes a precious gift to family, friends, and the community at large. 

It is very sobering to read about the passing of one’s contemporaries.  Whether in the 20’s, 50’s or 90’s, it becomes a wake-up call. A time to stop, reflect and ask once again the now often quoted queries by Mary Oliver, 

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? 

You are in the driver’s seat.  It’s never too late for new starts, new beginnings.  I find value in working with six Portals of Passion and Purpose which serve as way stations of intention and practice to facilitate the journey of self-discovery, illumination and joy. These six practices, 

Pause, Pray, Ponder, Prepare, Play and Praise.

 capitalize on one’s inner spirit, and strength to live fully, creatively, and gracefully, finding balance between being and doing. 

PAUSE PORTAL – Into the Quiet – Presence with Breath

Let go. Here Now.

A most precious gift to give oneself.  Time to decompress and get centered and grounded, capitalizing on the beneficial practice of deep breathing. It is a clearing of thoughts, allows calm and the refreshing feeling of nothingness.

PRAY PORTAL – Blessings & Spiritual Practices

Prayer is an acknowledgement and appeal for guidance and assistance.  It effectively 

puts us in tune with our divine essence.  Stopping throughout the day with short, 

quick, impromptu, spontaneous, improvised utterances that come from the heart, 

like “Thank you for this day,’ or “Please show me the way.” to faith-based 

formal, structured words to facilitate mind-shifts. Other forms include: 

conscious, mindful meditation; creative visualization; lectio divina. music/sound 

meditation.

PONDER PORTAL: The Empty Dark, Living in the Question

Answers don’t arrive if you’re afraid 

of sitting in the empty dark room of not knowing, by yourself, 

long enough for them to arrive on their own schedule. 

—Michael Thelen

This practice uses the power of an open question. Asking “What if?”, “Why not?”.  and “I wonder if I …” is a delightful kickstart to the appreciative inquiry process.  It's about laying out options for what is to come: illuminations from a place of wonder and awe, wool-gathering and ruminating on what could happen, what you bring to the table and trusting the process.  Your story is front and center.

PREPARE PORTAL: Finding Strengths, Skills, and Resources

We bring to CreativeSaging: Years of life experience; Skill Set; Education; and Multiple Intelligences: intellectual, emotional, personal, social, conversational, creative, visual, and spiritual. You are ready. Gathering resources for your creative expression is fun-filled and magical.  

PLAY PORTAL: Give Yourself Permission, Action with Awe-titude

Engaging in creative endeavors is the firing up of energy. It stimulates and activates the imagination. It gives form to creative impulses and increases one's confidence and courage. Quirky, serious, humorous, and/or experimental play produces life-affirming smiles. The CreativeSage sees play as a basic need: nurturing the mind, body, and spirit. It is your story in a novel, uplifting form of your essence in a unique and awesome way.

PRAISE PORTAL: A Celebration of YOU!

You are a CreativeSage!  You have the courage to face life head-on, being and doing whatever it takes to fully embrace living. Celebrate yourself. Now it is your turn for self-praise.  It is not done often enough. It does not come from an egotistical or arrogant attitude but rather from a deep sense of accomplishment from engaging in the magic and mystery of being and doing and living fully.

The CreativeSage is one who strives to balance the demands of life with the imaginative spirit of the creative, a positive conscious attitude to age well, and the wisdom to embrace the essential. Live your essence magnificently.

Elsie Wood is a Mentor, Muse, Maven, Maverick, Mystic, and Seeker, Life-long Learner, Creative, and Visionary.  She is passionate about  sharing strategies, techniques, and practices to gain mastery in the Art of Living consciously and creatively, boldly embracing a well-lived life. She has a Master of Education in Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University and Creative Ageing Facilitator and Creative Depth Coach training. For more information about CreativeSage Circles or CreativeSage Coaching, Elsie can be reached at elsiewood@msn.com                                                      

Aging Well Is An Asymptote 

By Dr. W. Jeffrey Armstrong

I often write about what I call “well-centered fitness.” This includes the dimensions of wellness: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social (or SPIES, as my friend, Jay, has so cleverly noted). These dimensions are critical to our well-being and, hence, to… aging well.

The Spiritual dimension, while often associated with religion and one’s faith beliefs, is the understanding that there is more than self. I often think of this as the “other-centered” dimension—the understanding that we are not the center of our Universe. Rather, we are an integral part the Universe. It is the dimension that drives Purpose and connects us to one another and binds the other dimensions. It is the understanding that every action and inaction has compounding effects on others that are often beyond our perception and comprehension.

The Physical dimension is most easy to recognize because we are all more in-tune with how we perform—whether we are sick or healthy, fit or unfit, frail or capable. It is also the dimension that we most associate with aging.

The Intellectual dimension is also associated with aging. After all, cognitive decline is the most feared and often expected characteristic of aging. Too often, we are deceived to believe that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”—that learning is for the school aged (and “school-aged” refers to the young).

The Emotional dimension can be complex, considering mental health, depression, contentment, self-efficacy, self-worth, self-confidence, etc. It is a dimension shaped by others, our history, our experiences, and the degree to which we take responsibility for our present and future. It is determined by our locus of control (i.e., internal v. external). It is shaped by whether we see our current situation as a victim or as an opportunist.

The Social dimension is, in my opinion, the capstone—being shaped by and shaping the other dimensions. As I have taken my dive into well-centered fitness and understanding the dynamics of aging well, I am learning how critical relationships and Purposeful social connections are to our overall well-being, health, and longevity.

Conscious aging—Purposive aging—Aging well is a pursuit. It is an asymptote. An asymptote is, as you may or may not recall from Math class, is a line that a curve continually approaches but does not meet. In the case of “aging well,” it is perfection. Understand that we can strive for perfection in the dimensions of SPIES, but there is no perfection. In addition, efforts to perfect one dimension can potentially drive one or more other dimensions further from the asymptote (e.g., excessive time at the gym may take away from relationships).

The goal isn’t perfection per se. The goal is constant growth. Yes, even with aging we can continue to grow. Albeit sometimes growth may be less obvious or appear as the slowing of decline for the aging adult. The goal is to be conscious and Purposeful about the choices we make regarding our Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social well-being.

What are some ways that we can pursue the asymptote of aging well? I consider six behaviors critical to aging well. These are: regular exercise (including some form of resistance training) and physical activity, maintaining a healthy body composition, eat a healthy diet, practice good sleep hygiene, don’t smoke, and maintain Purposeful social connections. Some ways that we can do this include:

·      journal and take Purposeful pause daily

·      meditate and self-reflect

·      walk more

·      lift weights

·      consume fewer calories

·      drink less alcohol

·      eat more protein

·      eat more vegetables and fruit

·      hydrate

·      make overall better dietary choices (i.e., moderation)

·      read more, watch television less

·      use social media judiciously

·      pick a topic and learn more

·      play games that challenge the mind

·      go to bed and wake up are roughly the same time each day

·      have a bedtime routine that fosters restorative sleep

·      choose your friends wisely

·      foster relationships that support mutual growth and well-being

·      reach out to others (they are likely to be lonely too)

·      don’t look for the easy path—there are no hacks for aging well

·      talk to your pharmacist about the medications that you are taking to make sure that there are no unforeseen interactions or ill-effects on your long-term health

·      seek counselling when appropriate

·      choose to be well and happy

This is, of course, not a complete list by any means. It is intended to get the reader thinking about how they can affect their current state and… age well. Pursuing the asymptote requires small and persistent changes. Set goals and act. Don’t expect perfection but seek to get better each day. Choose at least one action relating to each of the dimensions of and move it closer to the asymptote. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t be too soft on yourself. Find mutual support. Be intentional. Age well.

Dr. W. Jeffrey Armstrong is an exercise physiologist who is host of the "Aging Well Podcast", which is for people of all ages who are interested in aging successfully. His topics include the Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social dimensions of wellness as they relate to living as well and as long as possible, as well as the financial, legal, and housing questions that everyone has about aging well.   Here is the link to his recent interview with Ron Pevny:   https://youtu.be/Ecsx8pTCi8U

The Elder as Non-Heroine

 by Felice Rhiannon

Our world is full of heroes, super-heroes too, all fighting for our attention. Pow! Bang! Crash! James Bond, etc. The pages of novels, news outlets and social media channels are full of them, urging us all on to greater and greater heights of achievement, success and fame. The pressure is on, full-throttle and constant.

The Elder, on the other hand, is a non-heroic image. It conjures visions of wisdom, sage-like calm, and intimate knowledge of the world, with all its joys and foibles. The Elder isn’t the classic anti-hero who is flawed, probably conflicted, and possibly has a dubious moral compass. Instead, she is the non-heroine. She is the one who re-imagines the world, over and over and yet again, so the world continues to spin. 

Her decades of experience, in addition to an enlivened sense of who she is, have made her an Elder. She knows where her heart lies and where her soul dwells. In her daily life, she responds to their earnest calls, giving credence to her inner self and allowing it to manifest in the world. How has that sense of self awakened?

In all likelihood she has experienced a rite of passage, consciously or not. She may have literally crossed a threshold, by ceremony or circumstance, into the world of Elderhood. Or she may have simply recognised her growing intimacy with wisdom as the years have passed. Either way, she experienced, as some point, a separation. This may have been a change of residence, or the death of someone she loved, or simply a shedding of an identity, the person she thought she was. A career change, a life change, a role change might qualify as a threshold. This separation from what she previously knew is essential in order to discover what lies ahead. There is a severing, a cutting loose, a deep letting go in order to uncover the invisible, that which is knowable though as yet, unknown.

Then comes a collapse, a darkness, a period of life in the not-knowing. All the while she is stepping away from the super heroine, the one who does —career professional, homemaker, worker, carer, artist, mother. Here, in the ambiguous time, the uncertain space, she must simply be. The ordeal of the collapse is all-consuming, all-encompassing. Now the pain of releasing her previous identities has become real, inhabiting her moment-to-moment experience of living. Now she finds her awe-full suffering. The monsters of the darkness find her, and might devour her. In the fear and pain, the light of her richness becomes visible. 

Only from the Dark can the Light emerge in order for the non-heroine to re-configure the world.  She can breathe again. Her former, now collapsed life has found a different shape, a singular form, an altered architecture. In re-building she becomes the be-er. The do-er, though not ignored, has transformed. 

Having crossed into a new space, she lives an awakened sense of Self. She manifests possibility. Her cauldron bubbles with energy. The fire inside her glows, not with the dancing flames of her youth. Instead, it is the throbbing ember, lit first by her willingness to step into the unknown, then illumined by the path she walked, followed by bright emergence into her present self.

As she steps into Elderhood, she is renewed, awakened to a profound self. This is not the driven, biological imperative of youth. Rather she lives the eternal vigor from within. She repairs the world as she has affected the repair of her soul. She has found the elixir. With intimate knowledge of the worlds of the old and the young, it is possible for her to celebrate both. She honors her limits while exploring unfamiliar paths with curiosity and integrity and joy. The Elder is a good ancestor, loved and revered for her wisdom.

The Elder holds the guiding, inner intelligences of the world in her hands and heart. She braids them into language all can hear and understand. She might be feared as the hag or glorified as the Goddess. Either way, she is her true self—the one she always knew dwelt within that now dwells without, as a gift to the world.

Felice Rhiannon is a Certified Sage-ing Leader with a career as an acupucturist, yoga teacher and yoga therapist, workshop facilitator, and writer. She is a dual national American living in England who enjoys gazing at the clouds while eating 70% dark chocolate. She doesn't have a cat--yet.

www.elderspirit.co.uk

www.felicerhiannon.substack.com

Help Me to Believe in Beginnings

by Ted Loeder

God of history and of my heart,

So much as happened to me during these whirlwind days:

I’ve known death and birth:

I’ve been brave and scared;

I’ve hurt, I’ve helped;

I’ve been honest, I’ve lied;

I’ve destroyed, I’ve created;

I’ve been with people, I’ve been lonely; 

I’ve been loyal, I’ve betrayed;

I’ve decided, I’ve waffled;

I’ve laughed and I’ve cried.

You know my frail heart and my frayed history – and now another day begins.

O God, help me to believe in beginnings

And in my beginning again,

No matter how often I’ve failed before.

Help me to make beginnings:

To begin going out of my weary mind into fresh dreams,

Daring to make my own bold tracks in the land of now;

To begin forgiving that I may experience mercy;

To begin questioning the unquestionable that I may know truth;

To begin disciplining

That I may create beauty;

To begin sacrificing that I may accomplish justice;

To begin risking that I may make peace;

To begin loving that I may realize joy.

Help me to be a beginning for others,

To be a singer to the songless,

A storyteller to the aimless,

A befriender of the friendless;

To become a beginning of hope for the despairing, 

of assurance for the doubting,

of reconciliation for the divided;

To become a beginning of freedom for the oppressed,

of comfort for the sorrowing,

of friendship for the forgotten;

To become a beginning of beauty for the forlorn,

of sweetness for the soured,

of gentleness for the angry,

of wholeness for the broken,

of  peace for the frightened and violent of the earth.

Help me to believe in beginnings,

To make a beginning,

To be a beginning,

So that I may not just grow old,

But grow new

Each day of this wild, amazing life

You call me to live

with the passion of what is most sacred

And of what is most holy…..

Santiago

by David Whyte

The road seen, then not seen, the hillside

hiding then revealing the way you should take,

the road dropping away from you as if leaving you

to walk on thin air, then catching you, holding you up,

when you thought you would fall,

and the way forward always in the end

the way that you followed, the way that carried you

into your future, that brought you to this place,

no matter that it sometimes took your promise from you,

no matter that it had to break your heart along the way:

the sense of having walked from far inside yourself

out into the revelation, to have risked yourself

for something that seemed to stand both inside you

and far beyond you, that called you back

to the only road in the end you could follow… 

Reaching Back From Here

by Nancy Wood

in "Many Winters"

Reaching back from here

All that I remember of my life

Are the great round rocks and not

The unimportant stones.

I know that I experienced pain and yet

The scars have healed so that

I am like the tree covering itself 

With new growth every year.

I know that I walked in sadness and yet

All that I remember now

Is the soothing autumn light.

I know that there was much to make my life unhappy

If I had stopped to notice how

The world sings a broken song.

But I preferred to dwell within

A universe of fields and streams

Which echoed the wholeness of my song.

.

Famous

by Naomi Shehab Nye

The river is famous to the fish.

The loud voice is famous to silence,

which knew it would inherit the earth

before anybody said so.

The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds

watching him from the birdhouse.

The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.

The idea you carry close to your bosom

is famous to your bosom.

The boot is famous to the earth,

more famous than the dress shoe,

which is famous only to floors.

The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it

and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.

I want to be famous to shuffling men

who smile while crossing streets,

sticky children in grocery lines,

famous as the one who smiled back.

I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,

or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,

but because it never forgot what it could do.

A Little Too Soon to Say 

 a song by Jackson Browne 

I came for inspiration 

I came looking for grace 

And found my reflection 

In every passing face 

In everyone who gathered 

Standing on that shore 

Searching the horizon 

Not knowing what exactly for 

Searching the horizon 

For what we can’t quite see 

When all we’ve ever needed 

Has been there all along inside of you and me 

I wanna see you holding out your light 

I wanna see you light the way 

But whether everything will be alright 

Its just a little soon to say 

I didn’t find much wisdom 

When time was on my side 

Too little information 

Too much time to decide 

I took a couple of wrong turns 

It only takes you one 

To send you down a lifetime 

Of wondering what you might have done 

Searching for a lifetime 

For what you wanna see 

When all we’ve ever needed 

Has been there all along inside of you and me 

I came for inspiration 

I came looking for truth 

And joined in celebration 

The passing of my youth 

We’re here but for a moment 

And none of us can see 

Beyond the horizon 

What kind of world this world will be 

Searching the horizon 

For what we hope to see 

When all we’ve ever needed 

Has been there all along inside of you and me 

I wanna see you holding out your light 

I wanna see you light your way 

Beyond the sirens of the broken night 

Beyond the sickness of our day 

And after all we’ve come to live with 

I wanna know if you’re ok 

I wanna think it’s gonna be alright 

It’s just a little soon to say 

A Prayer from Malidoma Somé to the Ancestors 

We call upon our Ancestors, 

Spirit of the earth we walk upon, 

Spirit of the universe. 

We have come to a crossroad, 

to a time when every word matters, 

to a time when we must reevaluate ourselves and our actions.

Our heart is fragile 

our body is shivering in front of the unknown 

our back is heavy with past burdens 

burdens we do not know how to be rid of. 

We ask that you shower us again with love and compassion 

make peace rain on our heart and soul 

teach us how to see each other with a brand-new eye 

help us to appreciate and welcome each other. 

We need your blessing to move on, 

we need your strength to make it through this time of turbulence 

Ancestors, hold us in your peace and warmt

Upcoming Conscious Eldering Programs

Retreats

We are in the process of deciding upon our 2025 schedule of retreats and workshops.  As has long been the case, we have Spring and Fall dates booked at Ghost Ranch.  Our May 26-June 1 retreat will probably be “Next Step”, which is only for those who have participated in  a Choosing Conscious Elderhood retreat.  September 14-20 will be our signature retreat, Choosing Conscious Elderhood. We are considering returning to Ireland in September for a third retreat on the Emerald Isle, but no decision has been made yet. If a retreat in Ireland interests you, please email Ron to express your interest. We will also be offering one or two weekend introductions to conscious eldering, to be announced later.  We welcome invitations from organizations to present weekend workshops.

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.

If you need financial assistance to participate in a Choosing Conscious Elderhood retreat, please contact us. We have a small scholarship fund. And if you are in a position to contribute to this fund, we would love to hear from you.

Ron's Recent Interviews

The publication of the new edition of Ron’s book has resulted in many invitations to be interviewed on Wellness, Aging, and related podcasts, radio shows, and summits. Here are links to several of these interviews:

Corinna Stoeffel:  “Toward the New World”

https://www.youtube.com/live ”/tweq42CfdCU?si=CWjRRTjDTpMtG_zj

Beth Mauroni:  Conscious Living Summit presentation

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13hYaoR9jpGl1q2WmpJmnWdzBcxjKj96c/view?usp=sharing

Jeff Armstrong:  Aging Well Podcast 

https://youtu.be/Ecsx8pTCi8U

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1907855/15445065

With Richard Cohn of Beyond Words on Healthy Life Net

 https://healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveBW.htm

Rejuvenaging Podcast with Dr. Ron Kaiser

https://shows.acast.com/rejuvenaging-with-dr-ron-kaiser/episodes/embracing-elderhood-with-purpose-and-passion-a-conversation-

Emily Francis:  All About Healing Podcast

https://hrnradio.com/media/HL071024.mp3

Victor Fuhrman: Vox Novus Radio and Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8aRdYkn2AU

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/966-vox-novus-with-victor-fuhr-78128273/episode/ron-pevny-conscious-living-conscious-212903317/