In the U.S. ten thousand people turn 65 every day. But institutional ageism, a destructive unconscious bias, is rampant in every sector of society. And internalized ageism, which I call “the inner ageist,” and which leads to denial and self-hate, is epidemic. Tragically, most older adults have no resources to age consciously and thrive in later life. And most clinical training, other than geriatrics, provides no guidance for the inner work of age, for the possibilities of emotional, cognitive, and spiritual development that could be available to all.
How do we use the circumstances of age as openings to psychological and spiritual development? How do we do shadow-work in the context of retirement, illness, loss, and mortality? How do we find spiritual practices that lead to expanding our awareness and increasing our gratitude and fulfillment?
In this four-part series, we will learn the necessary practices to step into a new archetype and become an Elder: breaking through denial of age and moving toward deeper self-acceptance; reviewing our lives to heal our traumas and uncover our gifts, to complete both emotional and spiritual unfinished business; learning to leave behind past roles and identities and to shift from work in the outer world to inner work in the soul. Whether for yourself or your clients, this series offers practices to get people past inner obstacles, or unconscious shadow issues, in order to uncover the hidden spiritual gifts of age.