Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World

by Shelly Tygielski, Chelsea Handler (Foreword by), Sharon Salzberg (Afterword)

Overview

An empowering book on propelling profound social change by going inward, from a mindfulness teacher and activist who has turned personal practice into movements

The practice of self-care is most often touted for its profound mind, body, and spirit benefits. Shelly Tygielski shows that self-care can also be a powerful tool for spurring transformative collective action. In a winning combination of memoir, manifesto, and how-to, Shelly shares her evolution from a Jerusalem-born child of traditional Sephardic Jewish parents to a middle-class American suburban youth who questioned her faith to a young executive in corporate America. As she used radical self-care practices to manage a serious chronic health issue, she had an epiphany: finding true health and peace is not a solo endeavor but one that lives in connection with others. Tygielski considers herself an unlikely meditator, activist, and teacher. But as such, she is uniquely qualified to speak to all today who wonder, “What can I do?” or, “Will my actions even make a difference?” Tygielski’s work began as “me” work and transformed into “we” work. In Sit Down to Rise Up, she shows that this is possible for all of us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608687442
Publisher:	New World Library
Publication date:	11/16/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,090,893
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Shelly Tygielski is a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher, self-care activist, and the founder of the global grassroots mutual aid organization Pandemic of Love. Her work has been featured by over one hundred media outlets, including CNN Heroes, the Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS This Morning, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. A Garrison Institute Fellow, she has been called one of the “12 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement” by Mindful.org and teaches self-care and resilience at organizations and to audiences around the world.

Beloved comedian, bestselling author, TV personality, and activist Chelsea Handler lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Foreword Chelsea Handler xiii

Introduction 1

Part 1 Sit Down [The Inner Journey to Me]

Chapter 1 Agency 11

Chapter 2 Good Is Good Enough 29

Chapter 3 Not Broken 49

Chapter 4 Familiarization 65

Chapter 5 Sustainable Self-Care 85

Chapter 6 Kindsight 95

Part 2 Show Up [The Outer Journey to We]

Chapter 7 Where Is Our Village? 109

Chapter 8 Showing Up 121

Chapter 9 Circles of Influence and the Ripple Effect 143

Chapter 10 Mutual Aid: Solidarity, Not Charity 161

Part 3 Rise Up [The Movement to Us]

Chapter 11 Enough Is a Feast 185

Chapter 12 If Only for Today 203

Chapter 13 Creating Sustainable Movements 215

Afterword Sharon Salzberg 225

Sources 229

Acknowledgments 231

About the Author 239

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“[Shelly Tygielski] is saving people’s lives . . . and giving them hope.”
— President Joe Biden

“[Shelly Tygielski] is like a superhero whose special superpower is her heart.”
— Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Thrive

“Sit Down to Rise Up is the book you didn’t realize you desperately needed. Shelly shares the lessons she learned from mining the depths of darkness. . . . This book is a gift. And Shelly is a powerhouse.”
— Debra Messing, award-winning actress and activist

“Shelly Tygielski is the real deal, a force of nature.”
— Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, bestselling author of Wherever You Go, There You Are

“The writing is friendly and warm, brimming with energy, imagery, and positivity — and there’s nothing fluffy about it. Indeed, this advice stands to be life-changing.”
— Foreword (starred review)

“Shelly is one of the great mindfulness teachers of our time, a captivating storyteller, and the epitome of what it means to authentically live a heart-based life.”
— davidji, bestselling author of Sacred Powers

“Shelly has proved that one person can bring awe into the life of another, that we all can make a difference, and that asking for help is incredibly brave.”
— Maria Shriver, award-winning journalist and bestselling author

“This work of heart will change your life as it provides us all with a practical guide to transforming our selves from the inside out to create more collaboration and well-being in our shared world.”
— Daniel J. Siegel, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Mind, Aware, and IntraConnected

“Through Shelly, we’re reminded that our weary hearts are more than strong enough to love the world as we love ourselves.”
— Susanna Schrobsdorff, TIME magazine editor at large

“This is a do-not-miss book for anyone skeptical of the idea of self-care. It will inspire you to show up in ways big and small.”
— Busy Philipps, award-winning actress and bestselling author

“Shelly’s story and her ability to take action will show people how much power they really have. Sit Down to Rise Up is for anyone who is ready to heal themselves and help heal the world.”
— Yung Pueblo (Diego Perez), New York Times bestselling author, activist, and influencer

“Shelly is making mindfulness and self-care more accessible to everyone but specifically for individuals who have experienced trauma. In Sit Down to Rise Up, she makes the important argument that the inner journey for each person must be connected to our actions and words in the outer world for true well-being to emerge.”
— David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation

“Few people in the world are actually making the measurable, tangible impact that Shelly is. That’s beautiful all by itself, but what she’s taught me in life, and in this brilliant book, is that radical self-care is what makes her productive life of action possible. She’s my peer hero and I hope this book will make her yours.”
— Shaun King, activist and New York Times bestselling author of Make Change

“Kindness can be contagious and [Shelly] proved that.”
— Kelly Clarkson, Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, and television host of The Kelly Clarkson Show

“In this remarkable new book, Shelly illuminates the ways in which love has become her primary motivation, her guiding principle, and a unifying theme for her revolutionary work as a teacher, writer, and activist . . . Her book is a gift to its readers and to those they will touch.”
— Bryan Welch, CEO of Mindful Communications and Mindful Magazine

“From the very first page, Shelly’s stories blow you away. . . . If the entire world read this book, we would solve all of our problems, fast. Of all the many mindful voices in the world, Shelly’s is one we should be listening to.”
— Justin Michael Williams, author of Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us

“A must-read for anyone interested in living a life of meaning, purpose, and service.”
— Rich Fernandez, PhD, CEO of Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute

“Shelly has the extraordinary ability to turn confusing, frustrating, even demoralizing moments into opportunities for connection and love. Here she teaches us how to do the same. This book draws on her rare combination of wisdom, warmth, and an extraordinarily practical mind.”
— Jessica Yellin, award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and founder of News Not Noise

“This book, and Shelly’s story, deeply inspired me in the way few self-help books do. Yes, self-care is at its heart, but Sit Down to Rise Up transcends our culture’s common focus on individual wellness, demonstrating the greater power and purpose in applying these principles to communal care. In doing so, it helps to answer life’s central question of ‘what are we here for, anyway?’ ”
— Emily McDowell, writer, illustrator, and founder of Em & Friends

“After the Parkland shooting, Shelly Tygielski was there for my family and our community to offer support, love, and healing. Her embrace of my family and our community continues to this day. This is how she lives her life.”
— Fred Guttenberg, activist and author of Find the Helpers

“Sit Down to Rise Up helps us rediscover what we already know to be true: that long-lasting fulfillment in life is inextricably tied to community and purpose. In this book, Shelly Tygielski provides us with the grounding and agency to bring our best selves forward into a world that needs us.”
— Jeff Krasno, founder of Commune and Wanderlust

“Shelly Tygielski’s writing synthesizes deep wisdom, practical science, and direct experience. She clearly illuminates the power of caring for ourselves. The radical self-care she invites us to engage in goes beyond self-centered wellness. It is anchored in a resolve to contribute to our collective well-being.”
— Dr. Angel Acosta, director of fellowship at the Garrison Institute

“I love this woman! She’s transformed my life in so many ways, and once you read this book, she will transform yours, too.”
— Jhoni Marchinko, Emmy Award–winning screenwriter on Will & Grace, 2 Broke Girls, and Murphy Brown

Editorial Reviews

09/20/2021

Mindfulness teacher Tygielski debuts with an uplifting guide on building a platform of social activism through meditation and channeling one’s energy into collective activism. The founder of the aid organization Pandemic of Love and a 2020 CNN Hero, Tygielski explains how to build personal courage, connections, and momentum to enact change in one’s community by “showing up”: “Show up for yourself and for others.... Show up consistently. Show up even when others don’t show up.” Three sections describe the communal journey: in “Sit Down,” Tygielski lays out “the inner journey to me” through meditation, arguing that “we are all broken” and have the responsibility to help others; in “Show Up,” she considers “the outer journey to we” through forming strong community bond and mutual support networks; and, finally, in “Rise Up,” she explains “the movement to us,” where one practices what one preaches by making sure everyone in one’s neighborhood has basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter met. Readers involved in community outreach will value Tygielski’s integration of self-reflection and humanitarian objectives for healing a broken world. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly