Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Foundations for Collective Well-Being

By Yuria Celidwen Ph.D

A first-of-its-kind book that updates the Western paradigm of mental wellness with Indigenous wisdom for collective, sustainable happiness

How do we cultivate happiness? When facing the monumental challenges of our world, it can feel natural to tune out the bad news and focus on our mental health. Yet Dr. Yuria Celidwen teaches that attending only to our own state of mind is precisely why so many of us struggle to be happy. “What’s been overlooked is the Indigenous perspective,” she says. “It is the understanding that individual happiness is not enough―we must expand our view to include our kinship with others, from our neighbors to the living Earth.” While recognizing the gains made by Western positive psychology, mindfulness, and neuroscience, Dr. Celidwen’s research shows the tremendous benefit of integrating Indigenous approaches into our approach to well-being. In Flourishing Kin, she identifies seven key principles found in Indigenous cultures worldwide that embrace virtue, ethical living, and spirituality. Each principle reveals how we can overcome isolation and despair, nourish healthy relationships with our communities and environment, and build strong foundations of well-being that elevate our life choices.
Sustainable happiness goes beyond optimism or resilience. Dr. Celidwen invites us to experience a path to fulfillment that allows us to meet the world in all its complexity and imperfection with love, hope, and joyous participation in the flourishing of all living beings.