"A glittering gem of a book!"—Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus

Following dragonflies into the territory between nature and the human psyche

Two decades ago, naturalist and environmental writer Brooke Williams had a powerful dream about a dragonfly, a dream that cracked open his world by giving rise to a steady stream of dragonfly encounters in his waking life.

In the years since, he has delved deeply into the fascinating biology and natural history of dragonflies and made pilgrimages to see them (he now has 38 species on his life list) while also exploring their symbolic meaning and cross-cultural significance.

Encountering Dragonfly is his account—related in a series of odonate encounters—of being drawn into a different kind of relationship with the natural world.  By opening himself to the personal and mytho-poetic meanings of dragonfly, and patiently courting an understanding of these creatures that is built upon, but also transcends, a naturalist’s observation, Brooke has come to believe in the importance of ‘re-enchantment.’

Throughout much of human history, we lived in an enchanted world in which myth and magic, ritual, stories, and spirits informed every aspect of our lives, defining the relationships between psyche, Earth and cosmos. The enchantment ended with the Enlightenment and modernity, when reason and scientific discovery explained away the magic, commencing a commodification of nature that has only intensified ever since.

Brooke’s personal re-enchantment has required of him a faith that material, biological reality isn’t the only reality; it recognizes symbols and archetypes as remnants of a different understanding, which may—as perhaps they always have—play a role in our long-term survival.

In many cultures, the dragonfly carries messages between the inner and outer world. For Brooke Williams the message of the dragonfly is to ask questions about synchronicity, awe and the collective unconscious, and how to engage with a world increasingly out of balance. What are the implications of following a path toward greater enchantment? In a time where the stakes have never been higher, nor the political and biological imperatives of climate change and environmental degradation more urgent, can we afford to choose such a path? Perhaps more to the point, can we afford not to?

"The most insightful guide to getting moving I've ever read.” —Kelly McGonigal, author of The Joy of Movement

"If you've ever felt stuck on the sidelines of your own wellness journey, this might be the most validating, actionable, and life-giving book you pick up this year."—Kelly and Juliet Starrett, authors of Built to Move

Break down the common everyday mental blocks to moving your body, and turn your mind from an adversary into an ally in the quest to feel better in your body.

"I know I should move my body more, but...

• I’m on my feet all day for work and I’m exhausted!"
• I’m addicted to my phone."
• I’m great at starting movement programs, just lousy at sticking with them."
• My body jiggles and embarrasses me in public."
• Movement is sooooo boring!"

Sound familiar? If not, it probably means you have another perfectly good excuse of your own. We all have our reasons for not getting the physical activity we know is good for us—reasons which stubbornly defy the same old tired prescriptive advice about hours of weekly cardio or numbers of steps. Adding insult to injury, these same excuses contribute to you feeling bad or guilty when you fail to move as much as you know you “should.”

That’s why Diana Hill and Katy Bowman have put together this simple guide to changing the way you think to change how much you move.

Diana is a modern psychologist, expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and host of the Wise Effort podcast. Her mission is to help her clients and readers grow the psychological flexibility needed to get moving in directions that matter to them. Katy is a biomechanist, author, and trailblazing movement teacher who has spent a career helping people integrate more movement into their lives. In I Know I Should Exercise, But…, the two join forces to help you challenge your barriers to movement in a new way. Katy translates her understanding of the obstacles that keep people sedentary—including dozens of real-world examples from readers and clients—into 44 essential impediments to movement. Diana responds to those common barriers, while introducing you to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), behavioral psychology, and self-compassion: evidence-based-approaches for cultivating flexibility and aligning actions with values.

Whether your internal barrier is born of fear, malaise, inertia, embarrassment, or difficulty managing competing priorities, you will learn how to disempower it by applying effective science-based tools for changing the way you think.

You’ll learn to identify your resistance—whether it’s an unhelpful thought, a misplaced motivation, or a contextual barrier—and respond wisely and effectively, using tools and techniques that can be applied to other areas of your life as well, including:

• urge surfing
• motivational interviewing
• behavioral stretching
• strengthening your acceptance muscle

This is a must-have book for anyone struggling with the mental barriers to moving more and an essential resource for personal trainers, fitness instructors, and mental health professionals wanting to better connect with their clients.

Stretch your mind, connect with what is truly important to you, and stop talking yourself out of the movement you need!

Through the Pacific Northwest forests and along the rugged coastal shores of California, a young environmentalist’s coming-of-age story about learning, discovery, and survival

Wolf Girl takes readers on Doniga’s journey: from the wilderness immersion school where she was taught by Indigenous elders and wildlife trackers, to hitchhiking across the Pacific Northwest, to Alaska, where she fell in love with tracking wolves.

These experiences shaped and inspired Doniga to become the leader in the regenerative agricultural movement that she is today. Today’s youth are at the forefront of climate change activism, and will see themselves in Doniga’s story, in the message that you can find yourself by finding—and fighting for—your place within the world at large.

Youth aren’t just the activists of tomorrow—they’re the activists of today. Wolf Girl is an inspiring memoir of a young girl’s quest to save the planet. —-Michelle Roehm McCann, author of Enough is Enough: How Students Can Join the Fight for Gun Safety and the Girls Who Rocked the World series

Wolf Girl makes a great gift for any young person wanting to make a difference.

Publisher’s note: This is a young adult adaptation of Doniga Markegard’s Dawn Again.

Your kids are looking at their screens All. The. Time.--and you're concerned. Maybe you've read Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation or Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods and you want to stop screen addiction and nature deficit disorder before it's too late. This book can help.

Don’t just focus on taking away screens; focus on creating a fun childhood!

2021 INDIE Awards Gold Winner (Family & Relationships category)

Katy Bowman is my go-to expert on the importance of movement for the body. Grow Wild is no exception to that. Filled with delightful, rich nuggets of information on everything from the best shoes to put on your child's feet (if necessary!) to the importance of climbing trees, this book is a real gem for any family wanting to make the most of their movement opportunities on a daily basis.--Angela Hanscom, author of Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children

Our kids are moving less than any other generation in human history; indoor time and screen time have skyrocketed. As adults and kids turn more to convenient, tech-based solutions, tasks that once required head-to-toe use of our muscles and bones can be done with a click and a swipe. Without meaning to, we’ve created an "anxious generation" by opting for wired convenience over the movement-rich environment that our physical, mental, and environmental health depends on.

Grow Wild helps parents start to address this massive problem, serving as a field guide to all the movement opportunities we’re currently missing.

Learn to stack your life for richer experiences that don’t take more time:

• Set up your home to promote more movement, naturally
• Dress for (movement) success
• Add snacktivities to your meals
• Plan dynamic celebrations
• Create a dynamic homework space
• Bring nature into your home and play

Bowman, a leader in the Movement movement, has written Grow Wild to show where movement used to fit into the activities of daily life and more importantly, how it can again.

The perfect companion to Bowman’s bestseller Move Your DNA, Grow Wild provides practical, everyday, nature-rich ideas on how to let kids move their DNA while doing things they’ll love. The book features:

• 100+ full-color photographs of kids and families moving
• Success stories from parents, grandparents, teachers
• Study sessions that make movement research more accessible to laypersons
• Written to all that work with children―parents, teachers, relatives, health professionals, and more
• A book to be referenced again and again as kids grow up!

Grow Wild is essential reading for a wide range of readers―anyone who spends time with children. Humans live in many places and there are countless movement opportunities wherever you live, you just need to know how to spot them.

Children and their families can thrive by learning to move more inside, adventure more outside, and grow wild in any environment.

Many work hard on good posture and better walking and running alignment, but it’s critical to understand how what you put on your feet each day can play a bigger role in the function of your feet, ankles, knees, hips, and spine than you might realize.

By applying the principles in this book, you will be able to restore your foundation and prevent dysfunction. ―Ray McClanahan, DPM, inventor of Correct Toes

Biomechanist and author of Simple Steps to Foot Pain Relief, Katy Bowman offers walkers, runners, and health professionals alike clear, accessible lessons on how the shape of shoes can play a role in painful feet, knees, and hips―and what to do about it.

When we have painful feet and weak ankles it seems like stiff, supportive shoes are the answer, but this solution can be temporary, especially if our issues stem from foot and leg weakness. In short, humans come with great foot technology, we just need to learn how to use it.

Minimal footwear―shoes that protect your feet while still letting them move freely―is gaining traction (get it?). Being barefoot is a natural human movement, but research shows simply kicking off our shoe-shackles and releasing our feet into the wild can result in injury. Whole Body Barefoot will help you safely and effectively transition to minimal footwear, reaping the enormous benefits of freeing your feet without injuring yourself along the way.

Whole Body Barefoot presents:

• 25 exercises to create strong, supple, feel-better feet
• The mechanics of bunions and pronation
• How to strengthen weak ankles and arches
• How to figure out your true shoe-size
• The importance of walking on natural surfaces―Vitamin Texture!

With clear, science-based explanations, Bowman lays out the ways in which conventional shoes and artificial environments leave us with sedentary feet as well as the steps necessary to restore lost foot function, and improve health…naturally!