Practicing Liberation Workbook: Radical Tools for Grassroots Activists, Community Leaders, Teachers, and Caretakers Working Toward Social Justice

by Tessa Hicks Peterson (editor), Hala Khouri (editor), Keely Nguyen (editor)

The accompanying workbook to Practicing Liberation: essential skills, exercises, and journal prompts for social-change workers to protect boundaries, prevent burnout, and nourish organizational cultures of resilience and care

What do you imagine a better world to look, feel, and sound like?

Practicing Liberation Workbook shows that nourishing our movements and communities depends on nourishing ourselves—and that centering rest, prioritizing joy, and celebrating creativity and radical imagination is necessary for long-term change. To be sustainable and realize the transformation we’re working toward, we need to care for our body, mind, and spirit, even (and especially) when the needs of our communities are urgent.

In this accompanying workbook to Practicing Liberation , editors Hala Khouri and Tessa Hicks Peterson respond to the real needs of activists and changemakers—like healing from stress and burnout, processing grief and rage, and addressing overwhelm and disconnection. Examples of practices

Guided journal prompts for self-care critical reflections: Reflect on the ideas and practices you’ve inherited around survival and self-care. What did you learn about survival in your family of origin? What did you learn about self-care?Embrace and release, an embodied exercise to support you in times of overwhelmShared reflections for building What experiences or circumstances have shaped you in your life? What gifts has this given you? What can’t you see about the world as a result? What support would give you more tools or uplift your gifts in this work?Meditations for self-forgiveness, equanimity, and connection with nature Holding space and being present for others through embodied listening
Readers are invited to try out the practices alone, with friends, in ceremony, at work, and in nature—to pick those that resonate most and use this toolkit in service of the care and transformation we each need to show up, sustain our work, and thrive for ourselves and our communities.

118 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2024

Reviews

[Kira K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I loved the dedication, it was a heart touching start to the book which gives a great balance between information with questions and practical applications. I like the way in which the book places more control back in our hands with what we can control such as different meditation practices, body scans, critical reflection, transformative movements, and practising generative conflict as the things that we often need to work towards liberation for typically feel completely out of our control. I thought it was interesting to see who wrote each bit, seeing the way in which the collaboration worked, as it's not something I’m used to seeing with other collaborations I’ve read. I appreciated the helpful resources at the end such as yoga, and somatics websites and how the notes have been split up into introduction and the 3 parts instead of just one big list.

[Greg Havton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What stood out about this workbook was how inclusive and community-driven it was. With activities, workshop ideas, and prompts that tackle issues around social justice today, this workbook excels in the field. Each section was filled with background research to clarify each topic presented, examples, workshop activities, and space to write reflections, all contributing to an experience that is unlike anything else. I was mainly fond of the "Breathing and Moving as a Collective" section, as this reminded me of Feldenkrais Methodology and how breathwork can be monitored and applied to community building and self-identity.

Overall, I learned a great deal from this workbook, and I give full props to the authors who put everything into making this book a success. I hope this work will add another installment, continuing the passionate and eye-opening work the world would benefit from.

[Elizabeth Deters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author leads readers through a series of ways to practice liberation individually and as a group. I could see these practices being valuable in a multitude of spaces. In my context, I could see these practices being valuable to chaplains in a variety of settings.