Sustaining Spirit Book Discussion Guide

How to use this guide

“Self-care is the practice of returning. Of remembering. Of noticing.”

This guide is for social justice activists, book groups, social workers, educators, organizers, and individuals to discuss their own relationship with self-care.

Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice begins by asking the question, “¿Y dónde está tu ombligo? Where are you centered or rooted?” Becoming centered or rooted begins with ceremony. As you delve into this discussion guide, you are encouraged to explore the activities to see if there’s one that speaks of ceremony to you.

In this guide, you’ll find overall discussion questions which cover some of the themes that run through multiple chapters. There are also activities to help individuals and groups think through a few of the self-care concepts. Lastly, there are specific chapter questions to prompt discussion and self-reflection.

Sustaining Spirit can be used throughout a semester to break up other readings or as a standalone text. In addition to self-care, the text integrates racial justice and disability justice through a lens grounded in nature.

Sustaining Spirit helps people discover practical ways to practice self-care. This is accomplished, not through simplistic rules or domination over time, body, relationships, but through internal examination and crafting tools and techniques to use in our day-to-day lives.