The Elderhood Institute is an educational corporation that provides a network for people interested in elderhood, the next stage of life after adulthood. The Institute sponsors programs based on principles found in books published by the Institute. Networking is accomplished through this web page by going to the Networking section and finding a list of organizations whose work involves elderhood.
Elderhood principles embraced by the Institute include:
The present generation of people entering the second half of life will live longer than any before…there may be a great reason for this elongated life.
A new model of late life development called elderhood emerges where one draws on growth techniques from the world's spiritual traditions to synthesize wisdom from long life experience and move from adulthood into elderhood.
Eldering, the active form of elderhood, requires a balanced attention to spirit, emotions, body and the intellect.
Eldering requires that one take hold of a willingness to deal with life completion, face our mortality and keep an eye on our inclination to deny our aging and dislike the old.
One must give a real hearing to the inner voices especially the archetypal elder within that is the balanced, generative future elder self.
Eldering requires personal work including:
Reaching into the past and reframing tough memories, and finding pearls in anxious memories
Doing forgiveness work with a release from vindictiveness
Defining our legacy
Harvesting long life experience
Telling our story
To serve in an elder-like way one must serve as a mentor (not a teacher), an earthkeeper (a partner with Earth), a wisdomkeeper (teller of story) and a celebrant (source of blessing).
