Sustaining Spirit - by Naomi Ortiz (Paperback)

About the Book

Sustaining Spirit details how to break the cycle of burnout and bring balance to one's life. This is a must-read, not just for activists working toward social justice, but for everyone who supports community and social change.

Book Synopsis

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

Review Quotes

"It's a must-read for those of us doing this work, and a critical reminder that we must care for ourselves too so we can be there for the long term." - Adela Nieves, Traditional Health Practitioner, Taino (Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean)

"Ortiz provides a guide on...how to survive in a world of pain, conflict, and uncertainty...Activists from every movement can gain strength from Sustaining Spirit." - Alice Wong, Founder, Disability Visibility Project(TM)

"Every page of this spiritual book is a gift, full of poignant stories, poetic metaphors, insightful questions, and practical suggestions to sustain ourselves as activists over the long-term." - Lisa Hoffman, Social Justice Activist