Resources

At Uplift, we give families the resources they need to cultivate spiritual health at home.

Here are some resources we’ve either created or gathered in addition to our lesson library.

Uplift Originals

The Uplift Blog — Get practical tips about how to integrate spirituality and emotional intelligence in the home along with expert insights about why it matters.

Spirituality Is Underrated: What Science Says About the Awakened Brain — In this article we explore the work of Columbia professor Lisa Miller, who analyzes data from surveys and brain scans to show the real-world benefits of spirituality. Her findings suggest that people who nurture personal spirituality enjoy “less depression, anxiety, and substance abuse; and more positive psychological traits such as grit, resilience, optimism, tenacity, and creativity.”

21 Examples of Spiritual Experiences — Spirituality points to moments where we transcend personality and ego and experience a sense of oneness. As this article shows, these experiences can occur regardless of belief or disbelief. Our goal at Uplift is to help families have spiritual experiences, experiences that nurture higher well-being.

7 Qualities of Wisdom: How to Read Wisdom Texts and Why They Still Matter — Religious and philosophical traditions around the world value texts that hold timeless insights. Unfortunately these traditions also contain horrible passages of misogyny, racism, and brutality. This post explores how to discern the difference and keep the gems.

Podcast Appearances and Conversations — See a collection of podcast episodes and conversations about Uplift.

Books We Recommend

The Spiritual Child by Columbia University professor Lisa Miller captures the emerging science around the benefits of spirituality in childhood. Miller writes, “Spiritual development through the early years … provides a protective health benefit, reducing the risk of depression, substance abuse, aggression, and high-risk behaviors.” The Spiritual Child is a foundational text for understanding the benefits of spirituality in kids.

The World’s Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions by Philip Novak contains many of the most moving selections of scripture from around the world. Novak writes, “These great wisdom traditions remain our most resourceful guides to the Infinite.”

Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics by Mirabai Starr, tells ancient stories from women and shows why their words are urgent today.

Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women by Jane Hirshfield presents a range of wisdom writings from women around the world.

Gods and Heroes: Mythology Around the World by Korwin Briggs, is an engaging, playful, and wide-ranging introduction to ancient stories from around the world, aimed at kids 8-12.

The World Wisdom Bible: A New Testament for Global Spirituality by Rabbi Rami Shapiro is a compilation of the best wisdom passages from a wide range of sacred texts.

The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by psychology professor Jonathan Haidt shows why wisdom still matters in a secular world.

Sites We Recommend

Greater Good Magazine — This website collects expert research on a range of topics, from spirituality to wellbeing to health. If you’re looking for practical guidance on how to raise emotionally healthy kids, it’s a must-have resource.

CindyWangBrandt.com — Author Cindy Wang Brandt offers resources, community, and books to help parents navigate a post-fundamentalist worldview. She writes, “I help parents unpack and heal from their religious trauma so they can raise children with healthy spirituality.”

No-Nonsense Spirituality — Brittney Hartley, a spiritual director with a master’s degree from a theological seminary, offers a range or resources and courses to help people navigate faith shift in an expansive way.

The Center for Action and Contemplation — Founded by Franciscan Richard Rohr in 1987, the Center for Action and Contemplation helps people explore the Christian tradition through an expansive and inclusive lens.

Plum Village — Founded in 1982 by the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village offers an accessible and expansive way to learn Buddhist practices.

Spirituality and Practice — Created in 2006, this site offers insights about a multifaith and interspiritual approach to life.

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