Useful books
My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem (good introduction to trauma/boundaries with specific focus on intergenerational trauma as it pertains to racism + white-body supremacy)
When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté (boundaries/trauma specifically as it relates to chronic pain/illness)
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts also by Gabor Maté (trauma/addiction and a book that I think could change the world if everyone were to read it and truly absorb and allow themselves to be changed by it)
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk (great breakdown of trauma in general)
Energy Codes by Dr. Sue Morter (great exploration of energy+embodiment including many embodiment exercises)
Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing by Daniel Foor (this book outlines the lineage healing approach I’m trained in).
Relevant podcast episodes
- Episode 33 of Bespoken Bones: Embodied evolutionary history, ancestral movement and deep feeling and healing
- also check out Simon Thakur’s site Ancestral Movement.
- Embodiment Matters: Animism, Embodiment, and Ancestral Healing with Daniel Foor
- Episode 55 of Medicine Stories: Highly Sensitive People are the Psychedelic Plants of the Human Realm – Lola Pickett (through 50 minutes is particularly relevant to our work)
Boundary specific posts:
By Meg Lightheart: Why you need a ‘F**ks I Give’ list – Life is huge. You are finite. Boundaries are needed.
A post by Maris Bergrune, another Ancestral Lineage Healing Practitioner: Safe & Sovereign: Interfacing with the Spirit World
From Asia Suler: Setting Boundaries to Change Your Reality
If on instagram, follow McKensie Mack for regular boundary reminders.
From my site/blog:
if you are using the Sacred Self-Care resources, here is a weekly tracking sheet. And, here is a daily tracking sheet (print 4 to a page and then cut into four sections to make a mini book to carry with you).
- When Feeling Your Feelings Doesn’t Work
- a post speaking to trusting what we sense: How to Trust Yourself and Strengthen Your Intuition
- a post that summarizes 5 of the skills we are using in this course including asking a most important question: Is this Mine?
- Walking the Knife’s Edge – A Message of Celebration
- a post speaking to the healing power of grief: Grief That Heals
- Your Body Is A House – Are You Home?
Other relevant books, articles, and posts (if you want more more more!)
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (this book is deep medicine with Kimmerer sharing from the depth of oneness with nature and all the beauty and loss of our times)
Radical Wholeness by Philip Shepherd (a fairly dense exploration of embodiment that also has some truly beautiful and revelatory passages)
Own Your Self by Kelly Brogan, MD (if you struggle with depression, chronic fatigue, or other similar things and Western medicine hasn’t helped, her approach might be a fit)
A good overview of trauma and what we are practicing as we orient to our bodies/environments and restore our boundaries: Why self-regulation is the most important thing in the world
An article on fawning – another response to (perceived or actual) threat alongside fight/flight/freeze: People-pleasing can be a result of trauma. It’s called ‘fawning’ — here’s how to recognize it.
A major difference between a social justice and a white/colonial lens on trauma is described in this article. Yes to all the author describes and also, when living in a world where actual threats are a daily occurrence in the life of many, this is where our well ancestors come in as I see it… leaning into their wellness as a source of safety in the midst of a desperately unwell and unsafe world.
Also by Maris: Am I Doing This Right – Unpacking Intuitive Perception
An in-depth article from Daniel Foor that talks about five ways to honor your ancestors (including working with altars and offerings): Five Ways to Honor Your Ancestors
Articles touching on trauma and epigenetics:
- A hopeful article from Science Daily – Not only trauma but reversal of trauma is inherited
- Good overview including examples of intergenerational trauma – It didn’t start with you – how inherited family trauma shapes who we are
- From the Huffington Post – Healing the wounds of your ancestors
- One of my favorite articles from 2015 – Grandma’s experiences leave a mark on your genes