Aging In Spirit

Offers a Buddhist perspective on aging well, with anecdotes of the author's experiences with illness, aging, and transformation, and guided meditations.

Bianchi's wide-ranging book draws together insights from the social sciences, the humanities, and religion to establish a holistic framework for a spirituality of aging. He argues that middle life and late adulthood present opportunities for turning inward for a deeper contemplative life within the context of active, worldly endeavors. This can also augur a reform of social relationships--beyond individual development alone--toward the creation of a more cooperative, just society. In this way, physical decline is countered by a spiritual ascent. He summons aging persons, fortified with universal values and concerns gained from age and experience, to return to the centers of decision making. Throughout, the author ponders such questions as personal power, identity, fear, freedom, contemplation, sexuality, the church, faith, suffering, and hope. In candid interviews, older religious leaders reflect on their early value formation, personal traumas, choice of careers, midlife transitions, experiences of old age, and the prospect of death. In dwelling mainly on human spiritual dilemmas of the aging cycle, Bianchi offers a strong, clear message of hope--one that stands against the tide of our culture which tends to shunt older people to the outer eddies of life's stream. Aging as a Spiritual Journey is immensely valuable to all laypersons and those in the helping professions who are concerned about the quality of the aging process.

A Unitarian Universalist minister and chaplain at a large senior residence community leads us on a journey through the stories and experiences of elders, offering insights into navigating this unique stage of life. Drawing on scores of personal interviews, this straightforward yet introspective volume of real-life accounts provides a felt sense of the challenges and blessings of aging. Unlike many books on the topic, In Later Years focuses particularly on older seniors--those in their late seventies, eighties, and nineties. Interviewees thoughtfully share their joys, regrets, accomplishments, and things left unfinished, while also considering the ways they cope with diminishing physical and mental abilities. Weaving these personal reflections and accounts together, Marshall explores questions of meaning and spirituality that ultimately reveal larger themes and hold up the opportunities for discovery, connection, and renewal available to us in advanced age. The book also serves as an invaluable resource for family members and caregivers, suggesting ways to understand and help with the issues that attend growing old. Detailed appendices provide tips and a simple curriculum for gathering and facilitating group discussions.

Would you like to grow in life-giving ways as you age? Do you have the courage to let go of former ways of thinking to receive God's love and life in new ways? As we age, we experience the loss of physical stamina, independence, and career fulfillment. Yet within each of these losses is a holy invitation to grow. God calls us to let go of our need for accomplishment and embrace the gift of fruitfulness so that we might be transformed in this final season of our lives. In Aging Faithfully, spiritual director Alice Fryling explores how to navigate the journey of retirement, lifestyle changes, and new limitations. In this season of life, we are invited to hold both grief and hope, to acknowledge ways of thinking that no longer represent who we are, and to receive peace in the midst of our fears. We all age differently, and God calls each of us to new spiritual birth as we mature. When we embrace the aging process, we grow closer to God and experience his grace as he renews us from within. Whether you are approaching the beginning, middle, or end of your senior years, you are invited. Come and be transformed. Aging Faithfully includes questions for group discussion and suggestions for personal meditation.

How can Aging be a Good thing? Aging all too often feels like drift, downhill to a place we don't want to go. But each year new doors open with opportunities, even while others close with loss. We have the power to prepare, to become stronger, more resilient, and navigate these challenges. Will we turn toward the opportunities, and find new joy and meaning in life? How can we make the most of this time, and develop into deeper, wiser people? With the same warmth, humor, and wisdom that draw thousands to their innovative workshops on aging, Rabbi Rachel Cowan and Dr. Linda Thai give us the tools we need, delivering practical, real-world suggestions. No subject is off-limits; Rabbi Cowan and Dr. Thai tackle a wide range of issues head-on, including: Relationships with adult children and spouses Romance and sexuality, Living with loss, Cultivating well-being, Shaping our legacy, Whether reading this alone, with a partner, or in a group, Wise Aging will inspire and inform, and show us ways to grow into wisdom with resilience and joy. Book jacket.

'And that is one thing we need to relearn, that all of life brings its gifts – not only the first two or three decades.' – Rudolf SteinerWhen are we actually old? What happens as we age? How will we cope with old age? Growing old is an art, and to grow old in the right way we need spiritual understanding. In this enlightening anthology – compiled by a director of care homes for the elderly – wide-ranging cosmological perspectives alternate with detailed observations of the phenomena of ageing. Rudolf Steiner sees ageing within the context of the earthly and spiritual evolution that encompasses all forms of existence. The book thus begins with the primary meaning that ageing has in developmental terms and ends with a consideration of the human being as co-creator in cosmic processes – and with our capacity to become increasingly conscious of the tasks this implies.These key texts by Rudolf Steiner show how spiritual knowledge can broaden the current debate on the study of old age, the process of ageing, and the particular problems faced by older people. Concerns about our 'ageing population' can be seen in a broader context that recognizes the fruits of old age. The productive relationship between childhood and old age – a running theme throughout this volume – is one example. If we grow old consciously, viewing ageing not only as a period of physical decline but as a time when we can actively participate in shaping life, then we can begin to find greater meaning in it.Chapters include: 'The Core Messages of Ageing'; 'Fundamental Principles of Gerontology'; 'Ageing as a Developmental Process'; 'Ageing: the Risks and Opportunities'; The Art of Growing Old'; 'Old Age and Death'; 'Growing Old – A Challenge for Education'; 'The Cosmological Dimensions of Ageing'.

Does God expect women who’ve lived faithfully most or all our lives to continue to grow in Christ as we age into our later decades? Absolutely! Not only does God want us to keep on maturing, but God provides the path to spiritual growth. God hardwired us to blossom into a new realm of spirituality as we age. Aging in Spirit provides a blueprint for developing the type of greater love, compassion, understanding, and acceptance that Jesus taught as we move into our elder years so we can continue to be the hands and feet of God until the end of our lives.

Discover the extraordinary power of Positive Aging to prepare you for the greatest challenge of your life—growing old. Americans now live longer than ever—a full 30 years longer than they did in the early 20th century. Our forever-young culture and personal expectations have not yet adapted to that change. These extra years can be a burden or an adventure, depending on your mental attitude. You can't fight the inevitable changes to your aging body, but author David Lereah says these changes are at worst inconveniences that won't prevent living a fulfilling life. The Power of Positive Aging offers a practical training guide to successfully cope with the physical and mental decline that accompanies aging. Based on life lessons learned during Lereah's successful battle against cancer, The Power of Positive Aging gives readers an easy-to-follow program of mental and spiritual exercises teaching mindfulness and acceptance, plus strategies for pursuing a balanced life and seeking and accepting social support. The Power of Positive Aging shows how simple lifestyle modifications will transform your everyday life, helping you to live more joyously for the rest of your years. Growing older can be the best part of living when you embrace the power of positive aging.