Books published by North Atlantic Books,U.S.

25 unflinching stories and essays from the front lines of the radical mental health movement Overmedication, police brutality, electroconvulsive therapy, involuntary hospitalization, traumas that lead to intense altered states and suicidal thoughts: these are the struggles of those labeled "mentally ill." While much has been written about the systemic problems of our mental-health care system, this book gives voice to those with personal experience of psychiatric miscare often excluded from the discussion, like people of color and LGBTQ+ communities. It is dedicated to finding working alternatives to the "Mental Health Industrial Complex" and shifting the conversation from mental illness to mental health.

Follow a whimsical day in the life of a Bug City family, with imaginative illustrations of real insects by American artist Dahlov IpcarThis charming bug family (Mama is a ladybug and Papa is a daddy longlegs) share a day in Bug City, where they go shopping (for calico moths and velvet ants, of course!) and visit the zoo with rhinoceros beetles and ant lions. Their quaint, busy lives, augmented by Dahlov Ipcar's flamboyant, colorful illustrations, make a charming story for readers to enjoy and learn how to identify a wide variety of bugs.

Join Tyrannosaurus rex Baby Dino as he journeys through Dragonfly Pose, Mountain Pose, Downward Dog, and more in this charming picture book featuring a simple, fifteen-pose yoga sequence for kids who love dinosaursNewly hatched T-rex Baby Dino wants to explore his world. Taking his cues from the prehistoric landscape around him-a mountain, a pool, a swaying palm, dragonflies, and pterodactyls-he moves through fourteen easy-to-do yoga poses until deciding it's time for a rest in Relaxation Pose. The spare, rhyming prose will delight young readers and make it easy for them to remember the poses. Parents can join in too, for a healthful family activity. Beautifully illustrated with line drawings and full-color digital collage inspired by the natural world, this delightful book introduces children ages three to seven to the fun, calming effects of yoga.

Harness the principles of synchronicity and flow to live better, work smarter, and find purpose in your lifeWhen we align with circumstance, circumstance aligns with us. Using a cutting-edge scientific theory of synchronicity, Sky Nelson-Isaacs presents a model for living "in the flow"--a state of optimal functioning, creative thinking, and seemingly effortless productivity.Nelson-Isaacs explains how our choices create meaning, translating current and original ideas from theoretical physics and quantum mechanics into accessible, actionable steps that we can all take to live lives in better alignment with who we are and who we want to be.By turns encouraging and empowering, Living in Flow helps us develop an informed relationship to meaning-making and purposefulness in our lives. From this we can align ourselves more effectively within our personal, professional, and community relationships to live more in flow.

A dream hacker explains how to explore liminal dreaming for creativity and spiritual inspiration At the edges of consciousness, between waking and sleeping, there’s a swirling, free associative state of mind that is the domain of liminal dreams. Working with liminal dreams can improve sleep, mitigate anxiety and depression, help to heal trauma, and aid creativity and problem-solving. Readers of Liminal Dreaming will learn step-by-step how to create a dream practice outside of REM-sleep states that they can incorporate into their lives in personally meaningful ways.

Combining a haunting view of the future caused by global warming with detailed maps that depict a massive transformation of California, Dale Pendell's unique and provocative fictitious account provides a powerful view of a not-so-improbable future in which sea levels rise and a decimated population must find new ways to live.Based in scientific reality, The Great Bay presents a powerful fictional vision of a fast-approaching future in which sea levels rise and a decimated population must find new ways to live. The story begins in 2021 with a worldwide pandemic followed by the gradual rising of the seas. Pendell's vision is all encompassing--he describes the rising seas' impact on countries and continents around the world. But his imaginative storytelling focuses on California. A "great bay" forms in California's Central Valley and expands during a 16,000-year period. As the years pass, and technology seems to regress, even memory of a "precollapse" world blends into myth. Grizzly bears and other large predators return to the California hills, and civilization reverts to a richly imagined medieval society marked by guilds and pilgrimages, followed even later by hunting and gathering societies. Pendell's focus is on the lives of people struggling with love, wars, and physical survival thousands of years in California's future. He deftly mixes poetic imagery, news-reporting-style writing, interviews with survivors, and maps documenting the geographic changes. In the end, powerful human values that have been with us for 40,000 years begin to reemerge and remind us that they are desperately needed--in the present.

A true pioneer and respected elder in ecological recovery and sustainability shares effective solutions he has designed and implemented.A stand-out from the sea of despairing messages about climate change, well-known sustainability elder John Todd, who has taught, mentored, and inspired such well-known names in the field as Janine Benyus, Bill McKibben, and Paul Hawken, chronicles the different ecological interventions he has created over the course of his career. Each chapter offers a workable engineering solution to an existing environmental problem: healing the aftermath of mountain-top removal and valley-fill coal mining in Appalachia, using windmills and injections of bacteria to restore the health of a polluted New England pond, working with community members in a South African village to protect an important river. A mix of both success stories and concrete suggestions for solutions to tackle as yet unresolved issues, Todd's narrative provides an important addition to the conversation about specific ways we can address the planetary crisis. Eighty-five color photos and images illustrate Todd's concepts. This is a refreshingly hopeful, proactive book and also a personal story that covers a known practitioner's groundbreaking career.

A Zen teacher shares his unique take on enlightenment, emotional maturity, and the integration required to take one's seat in true liberationWhile we are more and more familiar with popular ideas of enlightenment and spiritual awakening, life still comes at us full force, and hope can turn to frustration as the gulf between our spiritual belief and our everyday life seems to loom ever larger. Through spirited Q&A sessions with Zen master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi, The Heart of Zen takes a gradual, step-by-step approach to what has become a vexing problem in spiritual circles. What is missing is integration. If awakening truly transforms every part of the life of a person, where are we getting stuck? How can negative emotions like anger, shame, envy, and jealousy continue to arise? How do our relative egos relate to the Zen teaching of Emptiness, and what does this mean for our intimate relationships, our emotional bodies, our views of the world and its problems? The Heart of Zen represents the next generation of spiritual books because it addresses awakening and spiritual life within the context of creating lasting change through the integration of spiritual insight into the flow and flux of everyday life. Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi explains how well trained meditation students may learn to be nonreactive to emotions, but they seldom learn how to transform their negative emotions (and the ego that holds them) as part of a more deeply integrated, lived spirituality. Part discussion and part experimental guide, The Heart of Zen book describes precisely what this means in great detail and with exercises for the reader to follow.

Windows to the Womb is an eloquent guide through the first nine months of life from conception to birth. In the past, the invisible physical processes of fetal development were mysterious and largely unexplainable, but in the past half-century, breakthroughs in embryology, interuterine photography, ultrasound, and other sensitive instruments of measurement have enabled us to make systematic observations inside the womb. We now understand that fetuses are fully sentient and aware beings. In this new climate of appreciation for the surprising dimensions of fetal behavior, sensitivity, and intelligence, this book brings a host of new information to light about the transformative journey each one of us must undergo in the womb.With reverent awe, the author describes the amazing construction of our physical bodies, the "ultimate architecture," and draws parallels with the expansion of our minds as our brains and senses develop and grow. Dr. Chamberlain details new discoveries in embryonic and fetal research that support his own findings on the impact of the mother''s emotional and physical state during pregnancy; the importance of bonding at the earliest stages, long before birth; and the steps that expectant parents can take to ensure the most nurturing start in life for their children.

A concise yet comprehensive history of traditional Okinawan and Japanese karate, with biographies of the great karate mastersThis concise-yet-comprehensive history of traditional Okinawan and Japanese karate includes authoritative biographies of the great karate masters of the past and the philosophical issues they faced as karate changed and evolved. Bringing a fresh understanding to the study of the martial arts, Mark I. Cramer dispels many of the often-repeated martial-arts myths as he details the lineages of the modern styles of karate and describes the social, cultural, and political events that influenced them. While most books focus on a single style of karate or the biography of just one of the great teachers, this book offers a well-researched and detailed overview. By bringing all of this knowledge together in one volume, Cramer-an award-winning inductee into the USA Karate Federation's Hall of Fame-fills a crucial gap.

A practical, hands-on, experienced-based guide from a military veteran turned yoga teacherBrendon Abram combines his first-hand experience with PTSD in the field and years of teaching to offer this practical guide to bringing trauma-sensitive yoga to both clinical and studio settings. Drawing on his work with military veterans, first responders, and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, he emphasizes the importance of respecting the uniqueness of every individual and demonstrates how to use the foundational principles of yoga to create a safe experience. Abram explains that basic principles of yoga bring power to the practice and that breath, mindful movement, focused awareness, and acceptance of present-moment experience form the foundation of any yoga offering.

This practical guide helps expecting mothers discover the health benefits of aromatherapy to improve the childbirth experienceMany women experience anxiety and fear during childbirth. Essential Oils for Childbirth highlights the effectiveness of aromatherapy as an inexpensive, noninvasive practice to increase comfort in childbirth for all mothers-whatever their birth plan. Moms and partners will learn how to safely create, prepare, and apply labor blends during childbirth and more!

Strengthen relationships, build more resilient communities, and develop a stronger emotional toolbox Explaining power and privilege and the links between individual safety and community safety, Cristien Storm shows readers how to set emotional boundaries that build vibrant social movements and a better world for all. As there have been increases in violence against women, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQI-identified people, there has been a corresponding demand for individual and community self-defense, boundary setting, and bystander trainings. Boundary setting can be used not just as a means for personal safety but as form of solidarity, resistance, and inspiration. From saying no to a boss who always asks you to work late, to setting a boundary with a loved one, to navigating an uncomfortable situation at the bus stop, Cristien Storm offers a new approach to verbal boundary setting that is accessible for all bodies and identities. Practical in scope, the book includes tools, tips, and strategies from Storm''s decades of experience leading boundary-setting workshops. Grounded in resiliency and trauma-informed theory, Storm pays particular attention to the experiences of women, people of color, immigrants, and LQBTQI-identified people, making this necessary reading for anyone looking to create healthier relationships and build stronger communities.

In a world devastated by human interaction and natural disaster—from clearcutting and fracking to extreme weather and urban sprawl—creating art, ritual, and even joy in wounded places is essential to our collective healing When a beloved place is decimated by physical damage, many may hit the donate button or call their congressperson. But award-winning author Trebbe Johnson argues that we need new methods for coping with these losses and invites readers to reconsider what constitutes “worthwhile action.” She discusses real wounded places ranging from weapons-testing grounds at Eglin Air Force Base, to Appalachian mountain tops destroyed by mining. These stories, along with tools for community engagement—ceremony, vigil, apology, and the creation of art with on-site materials—show us how we can find beauty in these places and discover new sources of meaning and community.

While many people dream of abandoning civilization and heading into the wilderness, few manage to actually do it. One exception was twenty-four-year-old Elliott Merrick, who in 1929 left his advertising job in New Jersey and moved to Labrador, one of Canada’s most remote regions. First published by Scribner’s in 1933, True North tells the captivating story of one of the high points of Merrick’s years there: a hunting trip he and his wife, Kay, made with trapper John Michelin in 1930. Covering 300 miles over a harsh winter, they experienced an unexplored realm of nature at its most intense and faced numerous challenges. Merrick accidentally shot himself in the thigh and almost cut off his toe. Freezing cold and hunger were constant. Nonetheless, the group found beauty and even magic in the stark landscape. The couple and the trappers bonded with each other and their environment through such surprisingly daunting tasks as fabricating sunglasses to avoid snow blindness and learning to wash underwear without it freezing. Merrick’s intimate style, rich with narrative detail, brings readers into a dramatic story of survival and shares the lesson the Merricks learned: that the greatest satisfaction in life can come from the simplest things.

In Healing Lyme Disease Naturally, anthropologist Wolf D. Storl shares his own success in overcoming a difficult, sometimes deadly disease that is reaching epidemic proportions. When he was diagnosed, Dr. Storl refused standard treatments because of antibiotic intolerance. Instead, he researched healing systems of various cultures including Traditional Chinese Medicine, American Indian healing practices, homeopathy, and traditional Western herbal lore and discovered the teasel root. Teasel, a flowering plant that grows throughout Europe and Asia, tonifies the liver and kidneys, promotes blood circulation, and strengthens the bones and tendons. The plant has been documented to help cure chronic conditions marked by arthritis, sore, stiff muscles, and eventual incapacitation-all symptoms associated with Lyme disease. Dr. Storl's approach consists of flushing out toxins and inhibiting bacteria by using teasel root as tincture, powder, or tea (available for purchase online and in natural foods stores); stimulating the immune system and detoxifying the body by exposing it to extreme heat (sweat lodges and Japanese baths); and dietary and naturopathic measures, including fresh natural food, exercise, and sufficient sleep. Written in an encouraging, personal tone but based in science and clinical studies, Healing Lyme Disease Naturally offers hope in combating a condition that has stubbornly resisted conventional medical treatment.

A comprehensive identification guide to 189 common weeds in the urban environment, explaining their families and characteristics, with strategies for managing their presence in the garden and fieldsThis engaging field guide for the urban explorer, gardener, or armchair enthusiast traces the history of weeds as they migrated out of the Middle East with human tribes and spread across Europe and the Americas, details the folklore surrounding them, and explains their role in the evolution of agriculture and human civilizations as well as their many uses for medicine, food, animal fodder, and soil enhancement. Richard Orlando provides detailed descriptions of 189 common weeds—found across the U.S.—describing their families and characteristics, and suggesting strategies for managing their presence in the garden and field. Abundant illustrations enhance the text and facilitate plant identification. An annotated bibliography and index of botanical names, in addition to a detailed explanation of Integrated Pest Management, make this an essential reference for anyone with an interest in the world outside our doors.

The first book to offer a somatic movement education curriculum adapted to the unique needs of adolescentsSusan Bauer presents a groundbreaking curriculum for teaching teens how to integrate body and mind, enhance kinesthetic intelligence, and develop the inner resilience they need to thrive, now and into adulthood. Designed for educators, therapists, counselors, and movement practitioners, The Embodied Teen presents a pioneering introductory, student-centered program in somatic movement education. Using the student''s own body as the lab through which to learn self-care, injury prevention, body awareness, and emotional resilience, Bauer teaches basic embodiment practices that establish the foundation for further skill development in sports, dance, and leisure activities. Students learn the basics of anatomy and physiology, and unlearn self-defeating habits that impact body image and self-esteem. By examining their cultural perceptions, they discover their body prejudices, helping them to both respect diversity and gain compassion for themselves and others. Concise and accessible, the lessons presented in this book will empower teens as they navigate the volatile physical and emotional challenges they face during this vibrant, powerful stage of life.