My Grandmother’s Hands

Book by Resmaa Menakem, MSW (2017)

A Black somatic therapist explores racialized trauma stored in the bodies of Black, white, and police Americans, and provides step-by-step practices for healing and resilience. Menakem illustrates how generations of oppression and violence leave literal imprints in people’s nervous systems (“trauma lives in the body”), often leading to hypervigilance, pain, or even violence if unhealed. He then guides readers through mindfulness, breathwork, movement, and community dialogues to begin releasing these tensions and create a culture of safety and inclusion. This book’s tone is compassionate and culturally attuned. For a Black reader or any reader from a marginalized group, it says: your stress might not be just about day-to-day tasks, but also ancestral and systemic burdens, and healing must be holistic. It’s evidence-informed (drawing on trauma research) yet deeply soulful, invoking elders (“grandmother’s hands”), the wisdom of the body, and collective healing. It perfectly embodies a “warm, embodied, spacious” approach by inviting readers to slow down and literally feel their bodies. Even the exercises (such as hand-on-heart breathing or humming) are gentle and can help anyone who feels numb or tense due to chronic stress. You can find more about the book and Dr. Resmaa’s work here.