Growing Whole, Not Old: Embracing Spiritual Evolution in Later Life
There is an art to growing whole, not just growing old.
The journey to wholeness begins when society expects us to start winding down.
While wrinkles deepen and hair whitens, something remarkable happens beneath the surface—a spiritual awakening that transforms aging from a process of decline to one of profound expansion.
I witnessed this transformation somewhere in my sixties. Friends who once adhered to rigid spiritual routines now described rich, integrated practices—meditation alongside prayer, nature walks as sacred as sanctuary visits.
What struck me wasn’t an abandonment of faith but rather its expansion. Age seems to have granted us permission to shed what no longer serves us and embrace new spiritual experiences.
This journey toward wholeness rather than mere ‘oldness’ isn’t about rejecting tradition. Instead, it’s about recognizing that spiritual growth, like all meaningful growth, requires both nurturing roots and reaching toward new light.
The Permission of Age
Youth and middle age come with expectations—from family, community, and religious institutions. I followed several spiritual paths and found meaning in each of them. But I also found that they seemed as if they were designed more for conformity than personal revelation and inner growth.
Age changes many things, including our vision—how we see things, and our appetite—what we find palatable and nourishing.
Some of the gifts that come with aging include an incredible freedom—the need to please others or meet external expectations diminishes.
After years of earning a living, raising children, and serving on boards that made my communities, schools, or organizations better places, I (and all my wrinkled cohorts) have earned the right to ask deeper questions:
- What truly nourishes my spirit?
- Which practices resonate with my authentic self?
- What might I discover if I listen to other voices…Thich Nhat Hanh? Buddha? Rohr?
This isn’t spiritual rebelliousness but spiritual maturity.
Like a tree that grows both deeper roots and higher branches with each passing year, we can simultaneously honor our spiritual foundations and explore new dimensions of faith, meaning, and connection.
Letting Go of Outdated Practices
Many of us carry spiritual practices that once served us well but may have become hollow rituals or obligations. Perhaps it’s the prayer format memorized in childhood but never fully examined.
It may be the meditation technique adopted decades ago that now feels mechanical rather than mindful.
Or the religious community that once provided crucial support but now seems focused on issues disconnected from our deepest spiritual questions.
Releasing these practices isn’t spiritual abandonment
—it’s spiritual discernment.
There came a day when I let go of a practice of reading scripture every day.
I realized I was checking boxes rather than engaging with the text.
Now, I sit with a single passage (some from the Bible, some from other writings) for days, sometimes weeks. I find more meaning in this deeper contemplation than in covering more ground.
Similarly, a good friend of mine stepped back from church leadership positions he’d held for decades: “I needed to be a seeker again, not always the one with answers. There’s liberation in being a student of life again.”
This letting go creates essential space for what comes next.
Discovering New Spiritual Dimensions
The spiritual journey of later life often involves surprising explorations.
People who spent decades in structured religious communities may discover contemplative practices from other traditions.
Those raised with rigid belief systems might find themselves drawn to nature-based spirituality.
Some people may move from seldom going to church to seeking a continuing worship community.
Others discover artistic expression as a form of prayer or meditation.
These new dimensions needn’t replace earlier practices.
Instead, they complement them.
The key is giving ourselves permission to explore.
You may want to consider these pathways that many find particularly well-suited to spiritual growth in later years:
Body-centered spiritual practices like gentle yoga, tai chi, or walking meditation acknowledge the body’s changes while celebrating its continuing capacity for awareness and movement.
They are offered in adult ed, the YMCA, and local parks and recreation.
Creative spirituality through art, music, writing, or dance offers expression for insights that transcend words—particularly valuable as we process life’s accumulated experiences.
Check out Abbey of the Arts for an example that changed my life.
Contemplative practices, including various forms of meditation, centering prayer, or mindfulness, help quiet our mind’s chatter, allowing deeper wisdom to emerge.
Mentoring others transforms what we have learned into meaningful contributions, creating purpose while fostering connection across generations.
You might check out your local library or school department for opportunities.
Immersion in nature reminds us of life’s cycles and our place within them, offering perspective and peace that are particularly valuable in later years.
Finding community in a discussion group or book group can be another option for spiritual growth.
Integration: The Path to Wholeness
The most beautiful aspect of spiritual evolution in later life is not the exploration itself, but the integration that follows.
Unlike younger seekers who might jump from practice to practice, we, who may have been one of them just a few years ago, have gained a wisdom that guides us with more intent, curiosity, and patience.
This integration reflects life experience—we’ve learned that apparent contradictions often reveal complementary truths when viewed with patience and perspective.
I wonder how many of us once saw structure and spontaneity as opposing forces in spiritual practice. I’ll give you an example from my life:
I went through a phase of following a strict prayer routine when I was young. It didn’t last long.
I soon rejected all schedules entirely when it came to religion.
I was practicing “religious freedom.”
Now I look back and smile, for I can see how these apparent opposites nourish each other: the structure created a foundation that makes spontaneity possible, and spontaneous moments of transcendence give meaning to the rhythm of my earlier regular practice.
I have seen how the rational mind and intuitive knowing, traditional worship and innovative exploration, solitude and community can coexist within a mature spiritual life.
Today, my morning starts with prayers I learned in my first third of life, moves into meditation I discovered in my sixties, and concludes with poetry writing I began at seventy-five.
Different practices, same conversation with the divine.
Growing Whole
Growing old is inevitable; growing whole is intentional.
By embracing the spiritual freedom that comes with age, we transform later life from a time of diminishment to one of expansion.
The spiritual journey of our later years offers something precious: the chance to become fully ourselves. By shedding practices that no longer serve us and embracing new dimensions of spiritual experience, we move toward wholeness—integrating a lifetime of wisdom with fresh discovery.
Perhaps this is aging’s most meaningful gift: not just more years to our life, but more depth, authenticity, and wholeness to our living.
Would you like to join the conversation? Each Sunday morning, something new to reflect upon from TheReflectivePen!
