An experiential guide to re-orienting our understanding of old age as one of life’s most meaningful and transformative stages.

As we become healthier as a society, so too are we living longer. But with aging can come new fears, challenges and concerns. Loss of career, loved ones, or our physical and cognitive abilities can leave us feeling isolated and scared. But in Aging with Agency, Sandi Peters shows us that old age need not mean the end of personal growth. In fact, late adulthood can prove to be the most meaningful and transformative periods of one’s life. The key, says Peters, is the development of one’s inner life, and with it a shift in one’s relation to the aging process. Minimally theoretical and maximally practical, this book draws on history, philosophy, psychology, gerontology, and spirituality to deepen and expand our understanding of what it means grow old in the twenty-first century. Peters shares time-tested contemplative practices such as meditation, active imagination, dream work, and creative writing designed to enhance one’s inner worlds and enable us to face life’s inevitable changes with equanimity and insight. She offers practical advice on issues such as assisted living and home care, and a refreshingly new perspective on matters of memory and cognitive change.