Thank you for your loving desire to care for your emotional, mental, and physical health. Working to create a more kind, compassionate, and loving world can be challenging. This page provides resources to help you be healthy, and your animal activism be sustainable, effective, rewarding, and even rejuvenating!
The Boundless Love Project is nonsectarian, but we happily share info from various secular and religious wisdom traditions that we find beneficial for everyone. Some of these resources focus on animal issues, and some do not. In all of these resources, please focus on what helps you and ignore what doesn't.
For Mental, Emotional, and Bodily Health
Groups and Events
• Guided meditations to help your daily mindfulness practice
• The Four Kinds of Love Training
• Group meditations (Based in Dakota County, Minnesota)
• OWL Monthly Meditations (Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• OWL Retreat for animal activists (Based in Janesville, Minnesota)
Mindful Direct Action Trainings (Twin Cities, Minnesota)
Free day-long or shorter trainings offered periodically in the Twin Cities area. For upcoming trainings contact, Alina at alina@mnipl.org.
Common Ground Meditation Center (Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Offers meditation trainings, meditation retreats, and free group meditations.
• Free meditation retreats all over the world
Books
Aftershock: Confronting Trauma in a Violent World: A Guide for Activists and Their Allies by Patrice Jones
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie
Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master by Amy Schmidt
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David Burns, M.D.
How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers by Toni Bernard
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff, Ph.D.
Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living by Pema Chodron
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer
For Mindful, Sustainable, and Effective Activism
Groups
• Take the Beloved Community Pledge
• Creating the Beloved Community Training
In Defense of Animals Sustainable Activism Campaign
Books
Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words edited by Friends of Peace Pilgrim (Obtain a free audio, digital, or book version here )
Strategic Nonviolent Conflict: The Dynamics of People Power in the Twentieth Century by Peter Ackerman and Christopher Kruegler
Strength to Love by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential by Gene Sharp
We Are All Part of One Another: A Barbara Deming Reader edited by Jane Meyerding
Why We Can't Wait by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
You Can't Kill the Spirit: Stories of Women and Nonviolent Action by Pam McAllister
Creating an Equitable & Inclusive Movement
Groups
• Fosters greater racial diversity and equity in animal protection.
Books
The Little Book of Restorative Justice Revised and Updated by Howard Zehr
Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health, and Society edited by A. Breeze Harper and Pattrice Jones
If you know of other helpful resources to add to this list, please put them in the comment section below. Thank you!