Aging for Beginners

We all grow old. This book teaches us how to take advantage of a new phase of life: a phase of renewal and inner exploration.

We’re all beginners when it comes to aging. And although the fact that we are in new territory can certainly contribute to the difficulties in dealing with getting older, it can also have a very positive side. Aging can be seen as a new phase of our life: a phase of renewal. Nowhere is this more evident than in our opportunity to devote more time to reflection and inner exploration. The result, regardless of whatever physical limitations we may be experiencing, is the possibility of cultivating and living increasingly from kindness and gratitude—two of the essential qualities of a life of satisfaction and equanimity.

With techniques that are both simple and richly unfolded, this book will help readers:
• learn the subtle art of being with pain
• uncover the fears that amplify suffering
• tap into the true sources of meaningfulness and joy

Winner of the Spirituality & Practice Best Book Award in 2019.

• Aging as a Spiritual Practice: A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser
• The Authentic Life: Zen Wisdom for Living Free from Complacency and Fear
• A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind
• Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying
• The World Could Be Otherwise: Imagination and the Bodhisattva Path
• This Is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity
• The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life
• Saying Yes to Life: (Even the Hard Parts)
• Getting Real about Getting Older: Conversations about Aging Better
• Women Rowing North: Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing As We Age