The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well
In this revolutionary self-help guide, two beloved Native American wellness activists offer wisdom for achieving spiritual, physical, and emotional wellbeing rooted in Indigenous ancestral knowledge.
When wellness teachers and husband-wife duo Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins founded their Indigenous wellness initiative, Well for Culture, they extended an invitation to all to honor their whole self through Native wellness philosophies and practices. In reclaiming this ancient wisdom for health and wellbeing--drawing from traditions spanning multiple tribes--they developed the Seven Circles, a holistic model for modern living rooted in timeless teachings from their ancestors. Luger and Collins have introduced this universally adaptable template for living well to Ivy league universities and corporations like Nike, Adidas, and Google, and now make it available to everyone in this wise guide.
The Seven Circles model comprises interconnected circles that keep all aspects of our lives in balance, functioning in harmony with one another. They are:
Food
Movement
Sleep
Ceremony
Sacred Space
Land
Community
In The Seven Circles, Luger and Collins share intimate stories from their life journeys growing up in tribal communities, from the Indigenous tradition of staying active and spiritually centered through running and dance, to the universal Indigenous emphasis on a light-filled, minimalist home to create sacred space. Along the way, Luger and Collins invite readers to both adapt these teachings to their lives as well as do so without appropriating and erasing the original context, representing a critical new ethos for the wellness space. Each chapter closes with practical advice on how to engage with the teachings, as well as wisdom for keeping that particular circle in harmony with the others.
With warmth and generosity--and 75 atmospheric photographs by Collins throughout--The Seven Circles teaches us how to connect with nature, with our community, and with ourselves, and to integrate ancient Indigenous philosophies of health and wellbeing into our own lives to find healing and balance.
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Chelsey Luger is a writer and wellness advocate originally from North Dakota, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and descendant of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She got her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, concentrating on comparative histories of global Indigenous cultures, and later earned an M.S. in Digital Media at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She is the co-founder of Well For Culture. Her writing has appeared in the Atlantic, Huffington Post, Yes! Magazine, and other outlets.
Thosh Collins is a photographer, board member for the Native Wellness Institute, and co-founder of Well For Culture. He is On Akimel O'odham, Seneca-Cayuga, and Osage, born and raised on the Salt River Reservation. He serves on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Land Board, and remains politically and culturally active within his community. He and Chelsey Luger live in Arizona and have two daughters.
"A life-changing holistic guide to wellness rooted in empowerment, resiliency, and 'good medicine.' This book is for any human being searching for wellness solutions in a chaotic world, a true antidote to colonization." -- Vina Brown, Indigenous Scholar, Entrepreneur, Artist, and Professor of Indigenous Studies at Northwest Indian College
"The Seven Circles is a true innovation in Indigenous thought; it brings our shared heritage and traditional teachings to life. Truly inspiring. Readers will find their journey to be a motivating guide for self-transformation." -- Taiaiake Alfred, Mohawk Philosopher
"While the term 'wellness' has been co-opted and diluted by (primarily white) social media influencers in recent years, Luger and Collins are recentering the conversation around how to use Indigenous cultural values, foods, and modalities of movement as tools for spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional healing." -- Vanity Fair
"[Two of the] faces in the health and wellness scene that are pushing for inclusivity, justice, and kindness, toppling old conventions to make their own...Luger and Collins rewrite modern narratives regarding Native health while addressing complex histories and ongoing disparities." -- Outside magazine
"Spellbinding. This may be the first book I've ever read that made me stop and decide, "I'm making this change now!" Seven Circles opened my eyes to a way of life that is tested by time, guided by nature, and urgently needed today. -- Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run, Natural Born Heroes, and Running with Sherman
"Wisdom abounds in this stimulating offering." -- Publishers Weekly
"Luger and Collins provide a range of sensible, informed, accessible guidance for both small- and large-scale lifestyle changes. An appealing manual for healing the self through Indigenous traditions." -- Kirkus Reviews
