What Is Sage-ing
Sage-ing® International is a community of elders and elders-to-be who are ready to explore new ways of aging. Beginning as a networking organization for professionals, we have expanded our focus, reaching out to everyone approaching or in the second half of life. Our vision includes teaching/learning, service and community as three vitally important aspects of the sage-ing® journey.
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, author of From Age-ing to Sage-ing®, has inspired thousands of people around the world. Sage-ing® leaders, trained to apply the ideas of this seminal book and to share these ideas with others, are working to change the way elders are perceived by others and the way older adults approach the second half of their lives.
We have grown from a seed planted by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi in 2004 for a professional association to facilitate exchange of ideas between Sage-ing® Leaders and a structure for the training of Sage-ing® Leaders.
Sage-ing® International, known until 2012 as the Sage-ing® Guild and preceded organizationally by the Spiritual Eldering Institute (SEI) which served as the public face of sage-ing® work for nearly two decades, has picked up where they left off, training and certifying Sage-ing® Leaders and supporting Sage-ing® Leaders and Facilitators.
SI has hosted six International Sage-ing® Conferences since 2008, attracting growing numbers of participants and providing educational enrichment to Elders around the world.
In 2011, SI adopted a strategic plan expanding its focus, reaching out to those approaching or in the second half of life worldwide. The vision includes life long learning, serving and connecting as three vitally important aspects of the sage-ing® journey.
Sage-ing® Founder Reb Zalman
Core issues Reb Zalman proposed that elders address as they seek a spiritual path include:
- doing inner work to combat fears about aging,
- resisting ageism (and other isms) in our culture,
- harvesting wisdom from life review, leading to life repair & forgiveness,
- navigating life’s transitions gracefully
- facing our mortality,
- embracing mystery, and
- finding our unique paths to grateful and joyful living with purpose. He urged us to connect to our passions and to turn that passion into service for the well being of our planet and future generations.
Qualities Of Sages In Service
Deep Listening
Deep listening is our ability to be present to another’s story without fixing the problem or judging. Deep listening is at the core of our service, building relationships and forming community.
Compassion
With a deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it, we serve from a deep passion that includes caring and understanding, reciprocity and forgiveness .
Joyfulness
Through deep acceptance of our lives we remember to laugh, play and see humor in life. Our spirit is regularly filled with feelings of joy as we celebrate how extraordinary it is to be alive.
Peacefulness
Practicing inner calm that can come from a sense of gratitude, we speak and act in non-violent ways. Pursuing peaceful solutions to conflict, we respect and promote justice in relationships.
Open Communication
We practice effective communication by honoring mutuality in speech with language that reflects accurate, clear information and nurtures trust in relationships.
Lifelong Learning
With enduring curiosity and innovative creativity, we have a personal mission to continue to grow spiritually, cognitively, and emotionally.
Inclusiveness
By welcoming and celebrating the rich diversity of ethnicities, lifestyles, backgrounds, ages, and spiritual/wisdom traditions in every community, we cooperate in helping others and making a difference for good in the world.
Integrity
We practice integrity by being genuine and true to ourselves, being honest and trustworthy in relations with others, and being truthful in word and action in all circumstances.
Reverence for Life
We bring an attitude of respect and care for all living things and become stewards of our precious planet Earth. We engage in programs and projects with partnerships to nurture and sustain the wellbeing of the human family and planet Earth.
Respect
Affirming the worth of self and others, we strive to treat others as they want to be treated. Respect is a non-judgmental attitude and a feeling of value and care for people, places, and things. This attitude is linked to behavior in how we “treat” ourselves and others, in how we speak and what we do.
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