Ron Pevny is the founder and director of the Colorado-based Center for Conscious Eldering and conducts workshops and retreats across North America at venues such as the EarthRise at IONS Retreat Center and Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. He received his masters in integral counseling and psychotherapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is a certified Sage-ing Leader with Sage-ing International. He is the creator and administrator of the 13-organization Conscious Aging Alliance, of which S&P's own Elder Spiritual Project is a part.

We are very impressed with Ron Pevny's book which is right in sync with our positive view of conscious aging and "the challenge of creating an elderhood with meaning, passion, growth, and service." Recognizing the immense value this visionary work will have for older people who are yearning for inner growth and spiritual renewal, we highly recommend Conscious Living, Conscious Aging to you and hope that it finds a huge audience. It is a substantive resource that both covers the whys and wherefores of this movement and gives practical guidance of how you can incorporate this way of being into your daily life.

Pevny begins with a description of his own personal journey to serve as a teacher and enabler for those who are willing to commit themselves to becoming wise conscious elders. He has created rituals and practices to empower older adults "to live with more fulfillment, intention, and joy as they age." Or, to put it another way, conscious eldering is the definitive journey to wholeness.

As we navigate the move from middle-age to elderhood, we will experience three stages. The first is severance as we let go of all that will not deepen us in the coming years. The second is a neutral zone where we search for the skills, talents, and virtues which will help us become all we were meant to be. And in the third stage of reincorporation, we find and explore new gifts and possibilities as we move forward into uncharted territory.

With substance and flair, Pevny examines the stepping stones to the inner work of conscious aging: life review which is the key to healing the past: forgiveness and grief work; the rewriting of disempowering stories; coming to terms with death and the end of our lives; confronting the Great Mysteries in solitude and silence (especially in nature); courting synchronicity; coming alive through creative expression; and strengthening your spiritual connection.

Community is crucial for the full flowering and flourishing of conscious aging and Pevny covers discussion groups/wisdom circles; working with others on conscious aging practices; finding a life coach or counselor; co-housing; communities of shared passions; and exploring the sharing solution.

In a special chapter on exercises, the author presents the art of writing a legacy letter; working with a Death Lodge; understanding and using the wisdom of dreams; and the practice of Ten Intentions for Ten Years. Pevny ends on a high and holy note:

"There is no greater legacy that we can leave for the generations that will follow us, and no greater gift that we can give to ourselves, than to aim high as we age, ever reaching for our best. The world needs the wholeness, wisdom, and gifts of conscious elders."

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