Get ready to heal from your past, get real about the present, and imagine a delicious future by rebuilding a living practice that actually works for you. So many of us are leaving conservative faith traditions behind, rightly saying goodbye to toxic theology, bigotry, and harm. But in the process, we often lose our rhythm of gathering, prayer, and worship. We may even lose our sense of connection to God. And we think it's our fault. But spiritual coach, speaker, and podcaster Kevin Miguel Garcia is here with a reminder: "We don't need saving because we were never in danger. We don't need to get found because we've never been lost. Everything we need to connect with the Divine is already inside us." What Makes You Bloom is a guide to creating your new spiritual practice after your life or faith has fallen apart. When going to church, praying, and reading your Bible just doesn't cut it or outright disturbs you, this book will show you how to cultivate new, meaningful spiritual practices--like stillness, presence, breath, and movement--that will help you overcome the pain of your past and root yourself in the present. Through stories, insights, and guided meditations, Garcia explains how the goal of every spiritual practice should be about the attainment of peace--about finding what truly makes you bloom. Along the way, you will discover that the smallest changes in your life can bring about the biggest transformations, and that a feeling of bliss is only a few breaths away.
Kevin Miguel Garcia (they/them) is a digital pastor, spiritual recovery coach, mystic theologian, sought-after speaker, and host of the podcast A Tiny Revolution. Garcia holds a master of practical theology from Columbia Theological Seminary. They coach clients from around the world through deconstruction, coming-out processes, and cultivating spiritual practices to promote resilience, solidarity, and self-compassion. Garcia is the author of Bad Theology Kills and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Jacqueline J. Lewis is Senior Minister at Middle Collegiate Church, a 1,100-member multiracial, welcoming, and inclusive congregation in New York City. She is an activist, preacher, author, and fierce advocate for racial equality, economic justice, and LGBTQIA+ equality. Middle Church and Jacqui's activism for these issues has been featured in media such as The TODAY Show, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Essence, and The Huffington Post.
Read This First: An Introduction to What Makes You Bloom Chapter 1: Feel Your Way Back: On Practice, Rhythm, and Self-Control Chapter 2: Lay Your Ass Down: On Rest, Imagination, and Gentleness Chapter 3: 1%: On Willingness, Devotion, and Faithfulness Chapter 4: Forget Finding Community: On Friendship, Solidarity, and Generosity Chapter 5: I Said What I Said: On Radical honesty, Defenseless, and Kindness Chapter 6: No Matter What: On Boundaries, Unbearable Compassion, and Patience Chapter 7: Let That Shit Go: On Surrender, Forgiveness, and Peace Chapter 8: This Shit is Fucked Up: On Acceptance, Grief, and Joy Chapter 9: The Sacred Erotic: On Pleasure, Wonder, and Love Chapter 10: A Living Practice Acknowledgments Notes
