The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

Luger and Collins, founders of the health website Well for Culture, outline an approach to wellness rooted in Native American ancestral practices. The husband-and-wife duo draw on their Indigenous heritage to detail a lifestyle model called the “Seven Circles of Wellness”—consisting of ceremony, community, food, land, movement, sacred space, and sleep—geared toward helping readers “build strength” and “honor your whole self through Indigenous wellness philosophies and practices.” The authors explain how to incorporate each principle into daily life, suggesting, for example, that readers can prioritize movement by walking around during work calls and keeping exercise equipment in one’s living area for quick workouts. Noting that spending time outdoors boosts the immune system and reduces stress, Luger and Collins recommend connecting with the land by exercising outside and reading up on local flora and fauna. The authors share how they weave the principles into their own lives, such as when Luger writes that she embraces rest by limiting her social media use to get “closer to living how my ancestors lived.” The authors’ intimate look at how they have adapted ancestral traditions for modern practice illuminates, and they offer a thoughtful discussion of how readers who are not Native American can adopt these principles without appropriating the culture. Wisdom abounds in this stimulating offering. (Oct.)