Although secular psychology addressed a great deal about how we come to be the way we are and how we might live more efficiently, it can offer nothing in terms of why we exist or how we should use our lives," writes Gerald May in this classic discussion of the nature of contemporary spiritual guidance and its relationship to counseling and psychiatry. For millions turning for answers to the world of the spirit, May shows how psychiatry and spiritual direction are alike, how they complement one another, and how they ultimately diverge.

Activists can ask uncomfortable questions when they step back and examine their lives such as: “Will burnout destroy me as an effective advocate?" and, "How can I change the world when I’m too tired to change my socks?” We face messy, contradictory intersections where we must regain our balance and somehow take care of ourselves in the midst of struggling for a better world. Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice, Second Edition is a necessary companion during challenging times. "It's a must read..." - Adela Nieves, Traditional Health Practitioner, Taino (Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean) We must speak out, take action, make a difference—yet can we remain passionate about a cause without being consumed by it? What habits can we cultivate to feel compassion for ourselves as well as others? Why does a willingness to self-nurture evoke such discomfort? Now the distinctive voice of social change activist Naomi Ortiz offers powerful, thoughtful, transformative insight into self-care. They weave personal experiences in class, race, and disability advocacy, into informative advice on dealing with the risks of burnout. Ortiz brings wisdom drawn from a deep connection to the Sonoran Desert to guide us to live more wholehearted lives. The power of belonging is a catalyst that resonates throughout these stories. Ortiz offers self-care techniques, tips, and tactics for those who would affect the world. Caring about the world should not burn us out. From interviews with social justice organizers involved in a variety of movements, as well as from their own activist efforts, Ortiz shows how to break the cycle of burnout. Sustaining Spirit shows us how to balance activism with self-care. A gorgeously moving and practical guide, each chapter ends with questions intended to lead the reader to self-awareness and the development of personalized tactics. This book is recommended for therapists, counselors, social workers, chaplains, educators, and people in related fields, in addition to the activists that it addresses itself to directly. Part guide and part workbook, readers will find support in these pages for their self-care journey. "Activists from every movement can gain strength from Sustaining Spirit." - Alice Wong, Founder, Disability Visibility Project(TM) Sustaining Spirit includes wisdom from over 30 leader interviewees, representing different organizing efforts, such as (at the time writing): adrienne maree brown (author of Emergent Strategy) Cristy Chung (Move to End Violence) Debra Erenberg (Amnesty International) Adam Maltby (social worker) Adi Afek (reproductive justice activist) Emma Fialka-Feldman (inclusion educator) Hillary Jorgensen (Colorado Progressive Coalition) Janice Felka, (author, What Matters: Reflections on Disability, Community and Love) Jennifer Thomas (Institute for Educational Leadership) Kellie Haigh (MSW, Disability activist) Kim Borowicz (Independent Living Research Utilization) Lisa Hoffman (international human rights activist) Melinda Haus (Justice Moves) Micah Fialka-Feldman (Through the Same Door) Rachel Scoggins (artist, educator) Rahnee Patrick (ADAPT and Access Living, Chicago) Rich Feldman (James and Grace Lee Boggs Center) Sarah Triano (Disability rights activist) "A guide book for activists and leaders in social justice movements." - Erin Blanding, WE.org

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, this brilliantly reported and beautifully crafted book explores the clash between a medical center in California and a Laotian refugee family over their care of a child.

“From Wiccan author Arin Murphy-Hiscock comes this fantastic guide to spiritual self-care with a witchy bent. The Witch’s Guide to Self-Care contains recipes for products and spells for self-restoration.” —Bustle Self-care and magic work together in this guide to help you become the best version of yourself. You’ll learn how to nourish your body and spirit with herbal remedies, spells, and rituals inspired by witchcraft in this unique, enchanted guide to self-care. Self-care is a necessity for any modern woman. The goals of self-care are simple: healthy mind, healthy body, healthy spirit. This book helps you prioritize yourself with a little help from the magic of witchcraft. The Witch’s Book of Self-Care has advice for pampering your mind, body, and spirit with spells, meditations, mantras, and powerful activities to help you to keep healthy, soothe stress, relinquish sadness, channel joy, and embrace your strength. This book features such magical self-care remedies: -A Ritual to Release Guilt: Learn to burn whatever causes you pain and process painful memories or work through heavy emotions in this therapeutic ritual. -Green Space Meditation: Learn how to reconnect with the healing energies of nature, even in the middle of a bustling city, as part of a series of meditations based on the elements and your senses. -DIY Body Butter: Create your own custom soothing and smoothing body butter, powered by crystal and essential oils suited to your intention, and sanctified by a ritual. And much more! The Witch’s Book of Self-Care shows you how easy it is to connect to the earth, harness your personal power, and add a little magic to your everyday life for a better you!

Discover the restorative wonders of daily rituals A ritual is an act of self-care that’s carried out mindfully, and with reverence: a gratitude ritual to relive the high points of your day; a ritual for self-expression to free unexpressed emotions; a candle ritual to focus your mind on peace. With over 80 guided practices to choose from, there is something in this book for every intention. Whether you want to reflect, to recharge your batteries, or rekindle your motivation, you will find the perfect ritual to refresh your mind, body and spirit.

With this beautiful little book as your guide, use the seasons to connect with yourself and the world around you. Ideal for all spiritual explorers, this friendly guide is full of simple, thought-provoking, bite-sized snippets of information. Each month, discover fables, crystals, essential oils, flowers, affirmations, meditations, recipes, yoga poses, and rituals and activities for kindness, eco action, creativity and connection, with each entry perfectly attuned to the season. Uncover fresh perspectives and soul-nourishing activities that will help you enjoy a mindful year. Slow down, breathe, and discover the true fulfilment of a more connected life.

Am I Meant to Become a Parent? Why Can’t I Conceive? What Is My Unborn Child Trying to Tell Me? In this reassuring, supportive, and accessible book, leading clairvoyant and medium Walter Makichen offers guidance to prospective parents eager to create a warm, nurturing environment for their soon-to-be-conceived-or-born children. Applying the wisdom and insights he has gained through twenty years of communicating with these spirit babies, Makichen helps you resolve issues about starting a family…actively participate in the psychic process of creating a child…and move past your worries and fears about becoming parents. From the seven essential chakras that link our body, mind, and spirit to why pregnant women are superpsychic, you’ll discover: * How to create the energy that nurtures spirit babies * How to understand how past lives and chakras relate to your unborn child * The conception contract–what it is and what it means for you and your child * How karmic pairings affect conception and pregnancy * Why miscarriages occur and what they can signify Plus spirit babies and guardian angels…spirit babies and adoption…spirit babies and dreams…and much more Featuring inspirational examples of couples who are now happy parents, as well as breath exercises and healing meditations at the end of each chapter, Spirit Babies tells you everything you need to know to become the parent you were meant to be.

A 14-module training manual for teaching long-term staff and family caregivers how to create and work in a true culture of caring - of spirit as well as the body and mind - and bring quality to their own lives as well as the lives of those in their care.

In Spirit Song: Afro-Brazilian Religious Music and Boundaries, Marc Gidal investigates how and why a multi-faith community in southern Brazil utilizes music to combine and segregate three Afro-Brazilian religions: Umbanda, Quimbanda, and Batuque. Combining ethnomusicology and symbolic boundary studies, Gidal advances a theory of musical boundary-work: the ways music reinforces, bridges, or blurs boundaries, whether for personal, social, spiritual, or political purposes. Gidal focuses on spirit-mediumship rituals and their musical accompaniment, exploring how the Afro-gaucho religious community employs music and rituals to variously promote innovation and egalitarianism in Umbanda and Quimbanda, while it reinforces musical preservation and hierarchies in Batuque. Religious and musical leaders carefully restrict the cosmologies, ceremonial sequences, and sung prayers of one religion from affecting the others so as to safeguard Batuque's African heritage. Members of disenfranchised populations view the religions as vehicles for empowerment, whether based on race-ethnicity, gender, or religious belief; and innovations in ritual music reflect this activism. These rituals come to life through illustrative video and audio examples on the book's companion website. The first book in English to focus on music in Afro-Brazilian religions, Spirit Song is a landmark study that will be of interest to ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, and religious studies scholars.

Michael Fullan and Mark Edwards capture a powerful way forward Today’s challenges have led to a loss of hope at all levels of education leadership. Spirit Work and the Science of Collaboration advocates for the development of two qualities that will bring back hope: "spirit work" and the “science of collaboration”. Built on eight school district cases of success spirit work inspires leaders and community members to join to create a positive powerful culture. The authors delve into new developments in neuroscience to show how spirit and collaboration represent revolutionary potential for education. Readers will find: A lifeline amid overwhelming and exhausting conditions Hope for themselves and the future of education Ideas for building cohesion throughout school communities