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FAQ
- What is Sage-ing®?
- Sage-ing® is a process of approaching aging as a positive journey filled with wisdom, learning and spirituality. It affirms the importance of the elder years and teaches how to harvest life.s wisdom and transform it into a legacy for future generations.
As an alternative to inevitable senescence, sage-ing is a new model of late-life development that enables older people to become spiritually radiant, physically vital and socially responsible .elders of the tribe.
Sages draw on growth techniques from modern psychology and contemplative practices from the world.s spiritual traditions to expand their consciousness and develop wisdom. By expressing this wisdom as consecrated service to the community, they endow their lives with meaning and avoid becoming economic and psychological burdens on their loved ones and on society. This ongoing process, called sage-ing, helps us consciously transform the downward arc of aging into the upward arc of expanded consciousness that crowns an elder.s life with meaning and purpose. —From Age-ing to Sage-ing (©1995, Warner Books) by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
- What is the Sage-ing® Guild?
- The Sage-ing® Guild is the professional organization of trained Sage-ing® Leaders. This network of trained leaders turn to one another for support through various media of communication, gather for spiritual growth in the second half of life, facilitate sage-ing® programs, advocate for elder issues, and provide educational opportunities to members and interested communities across the United States and Canada. Click on Vision/Mission/Objectives and/or Philosophy for further information.
- Who is Zalman Schacter-Shalomi?
- Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi is an internationally recognized loving teacher who draws from many disciplines and cultures. He is an ordained rabbi who studied with Jewish mystics, transpersonal psychologists, Sufi-masters, Buddhist teachers, Native American elders, Catholic monks, and advocates for justice and peace. A unique synthesis of these teachings is found in his seminal book From Age-ing to Sage-ing (©1995, Warner Books; Ronald Miller, co-author). He founded the Spiritual Eldering Institute that has trained many Sage-ing® Leaders using the Curriculum Resource Guide published by the Spiritual Eldering Institute.
- What is From Age-ing to Sage-ing?
- Schachter-Shalomi's book From Age-ing to Sage-ing (©1995, Warner Books) proposes a new model of late-life development—called sage-ing—a process that associates old age with self-development and spiritual growth. Sages, he claims, draw from the growth techniques of modern psychology and contemplative spiritual practices of the world's wisdom traditions. Schachter-Shalomi's model of spiritual eldering draws on three sources: models of the traditional tribal elder whose wisdom guided the social order for thousands of years; state-of-the-art breakthroughs in brain-mind and consciousness research; and the ecology movement, which urges us to live in harmony with the natural world.
We must pass through a gate of transformation to move From Age-ing to Sage-ing®. This enables us to use our life experience to enrich our elder years, face mortality, repair relationships, develop a regenerative spirit and transmit our wisdom to future generations. This process not only seeds the future, but crowns an Elder's life with worth and nobility. —Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
- Who are Sage-ing® Leaders?
- There are currently three categories of trained Sage-ing® Leaders:
- Certified Sage-ing® Leaders [CSL] have completed advanced training, shown evidence of their knowledge of the essence of the Sage-ing® Programs, and demonstrated skills to design/present programs to groups/organizations.
- Sage-ing® Circle Facilitators [SCF] have completed a weekend of training using the SCF Workbook and are qualified to lead Sage-ing® Circle classes/workshops.
- Sage-ing® Leaders [SL] have attended a seminar using the workbook Basic Skills Handbook, and completed the six week Sage-ing® Curriculum course. These SL's may give local workshops up to four hours in length.
- Where can I find out about Sage-ing® Programs?
- If you and your organization are interested in sponsoring a Sage-ing® Program, please contact the coordinator in your region. You can find out about Sage-ing® programs in your neighborhood by clicking on Regional Organization. The Calendar of Events is organized by region. For further information contact your regional coordinator located on this page.
- Who would benefit from a Sage-ing® program?
- Sage-ing® programs have been developed for older adults, retirees and those looking toward retirement; volunteers, staff social workers and other professionals who work with adult groups within community centers, senior centers, and independent living centers; clergy, hospice workers, and caregivers in faith communities; and anyone interested in aging with passion, wisdom and joy. Contact your regional coordinator or a Sage-ing® Leader near you (click on Professional Members).
- How can I find out about Sage-ing® Leader Training?
- Please click on Leadership Training and note the various types of training. Current training programs are being re-envisioned and therefore unavailable at this time. Please check this site for breaking news.
- What are the benefits of Sage-ing® Guild membership for those who qualify?
- Guild member benefits include, but are not limited to:
- A Professional Members Only (password protected) Sage-ing® Guild web site (accessible only to Guild members), with listing of members' workshops and contact information including personal websites.
- A generic Sage-ing® brochure will be online in the password-protected site to download and use with personal information added.
- The Professional Members Only site will include best practices, teaching strategies, articles, reviews, quotations, rituals and more.
- A Guild list serve to facilitate communication and support will be up and running shortly.
- The Sage-ing® Guild is in the process of confirming our right to use Reb Zalman's trademarked terms dealing with Sage-ing® and aging.
- Our seven regions will be semi-autonomous with each regional coordinator a member of the national Coordinating Circle.
- Regional members will connect through email, gatherings and conferences for continuing education and sharing resources.
- Guild membership will be renewable annually; however, your initial membership will not expire until December, 2006.
- Sage-ing® Circle Facilitator training will continue in ways to be determined.
- A timeline will be developed for future Certified Sage-ing® Leaders training, possibly to be regional training sites.
- Who should I contact for more information?
- Please contact any member of the Sage-ing® Guild Coordinating Circle:
•The Guild Coordinating Circle:
Carol Bourne
[Chair]chair@sage-ingguild.org 937-434-5463
(Kettering, OH)Michele Baldwin midwest@sage-ingguild.org 312-337-0506
(Chicago, IL)Gary Carlson
[Treasurer;
Membership;
Email communications]treasurer@sage-ingguild.org;
membership@sage-ingguild.org;
communications@sage-ingguild.org505-897-1850
(Albuquerque, NM)Lorri Danzig
[Regions]northeast@sage-ingguild.org 203-389-1176
(Woodbridge, CT)Judith Helburn
[Net communications]info@sage-ingguild.org 512-454-7229
(Austin, TX)Sandy Sabersky elders@speakeasy.net 206-325-0471
(Seattle, WA)Paul Severance pseverance1@comcast.net 317-788-7795
(Beech Grove, IN)Judy Steiert
[Secretary]secretary@sage-ingguild.org 403-286-8338
(Calgary, AB CANADA)
•Guild Regional Coordinators:See the Regional Organization page for a list of Regional Coordinators
•Office:
•Email Webmaster