Written by Annie Klein
Expanding Your Vision of Self as a Wise Elder
Deepening the Sage Within (DSW) is a conscious aging journey designed to transform our perspective on the later chapters of life. Rather than viewing these years as a season of decline, the path of the Sage invites us to reflect deeply—harvesting our lived experiences and embracing our wisdom as a profound form of spiritual evolution. You may already be stepping into your “Sagedom” without realizing it; this process is about intentionally claiming that growth. This generosity of spirit is the very heartbeat of Sage-ing.
What are the qualities of a sage and how can you embark on the path to discovering who you are as a wise elder?
Sage-ing International describes these attributes, all of which you can begin to work on right away:
Deep Listening: Becoming a really good listener means that you can be present in someone else’s story without feeling the need to fix their problem or judge what they are sharing with you. With DSW at Hollyhock, you will have the opportunity to share your own stories and listen deeply to the stories of others that relate to the rich course content.
Compassion: Sages cultivate a deep awareness of the challenges and suffering of others. Caring, understanding, reciprocity and forgiveness are key.
Joyfulness: Through deep acceptance of our lives we remember to laugh, play and see humour in life. Over the years, there have been so many belly laughs not only while exploring the course work, but over the fabulous garden to table dinners that Hollyhock is famous for. We celebrate how extraordinary it is to be alive.
Peacefulness: Sages speak and act in non-violent ways. We respect and promote justice in relationships and peaceful solutions to the conflicts in our lives.
Lifelong Learning: Sages stay curious and are an innovative and creative bunch! DSW is another avenue to lifelong learning in our personal missions to grow spiritually, cognitively and emotionally.
Inclusiveness: Sages accept and celebrate the rich diversity of ethnicities, lifestyles, backgrounds, ages and wisdom traditions of every community. This makes Hollyhock such a perfect backdrop for this important work.
Respect: Sages bring a non-judgemental attitude and a feeling of value and care for people, places and things. This is reflected in how we treat ourselves and others, and how we speak and what we do.
Reverence for Life: Sages bring an attitude of respect and care for all living things and become stewards and trustees of our precious planet Earth. So many sages become elder activists and engage in programs and projects to nurture and sustain the well being of the human family, and planet Earth. There is no better backdrop for these conversations than the incredible Hollyhock campus.
We are so fortunate to reach a later stage of life. It is rewarding to step into our individual and collective wisdom and decide how we want to show up in our world and become SAGE.
Becoming a sage means attaining profound wisdom, insight and character through a lifetime of contemplation, experience and self-discipline. It involves moving beyond daily concerns to embody virtue, calm, and sound judgment, often serving as a guide who understands the deeper, universal truths of human nature. If you feel called to nurture these qualities within yourself, I invite you to join Kas Frost and I at Hollyhock on May 31. Together, we will fully explore your unique vision of becoming a sage elder.
From Age-ing to Sage-ing®: Deepening the Sage Within with Annie Klein
Dates: May 31 – June 4, 2026
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