Nina Montenegro

You already have what you need. Artwork from our recent book Worry Medicine, words inspired by all that we offer in the book. Find it at your local bookstore, library or signed copies on our shop. #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #mentalhealthawareness #worrymedicinebook #thefarwoods

Bloomington buddies! In a world filled with screens, come make a handmade treasure!  Join me and Sonya (@thefarwoods ) for a hands-on workshop where we’ll be storytelling in miniature; transforming basic household matchboxes into charming folk-art moving pictures (called crankies!) that tell a story by hand-cranking a long, illustrated scroll through a viewing window.   When: April 19th, 12:30-3:30 Where: Bloomington, IN, at our wood’s edge studio, (location will be sent when you register) Who: Ages 10+, no experience needed! Register: /workshops Not in Bloomington?  We’ll be announcing dates for Louisville and Chicago soon.  Want to host us for a class?  Email [email protected] **Presented in conjunction with “We’re Crankie,” Bloomington’s first Crankie festival- at the downtown library auditorium on 4/18, 1-3pm!**

We are hardwired for song. Yet so many of us rarely sing. When I’m anxious, I hum softly to myself. It signals to the body that everything is okay. (Consider the word “humdrum” which means “ordinary” or “uneventful.”) Humming stimulates the vagus nerve, helping calm the stress response. The next time you’re worried or agitated, try humming softly (or loudly if that feels cathartic!) Your body may relax. Your mood may lift. 👆From our new book, Worry Medicine: Remedies and Rituals for Anxious Times. Is there a practice or ritual that involves sound that settles you?

Words to bring with you into 2026! All artwork is from my new book, Worry Medicine. 1. LET EVERYTHING BE A TEACHER. Leaving behind the year of the wood snake means carrying with us all the hard-earned, tough-to-swallow lessons we learned as we had to shed old skins and identities and tired ways of being in 2025. Can you go back to events that happened last year and see them through the lens of teachings— metabolizing them into fertile growth for 2026? 2. LOOK FOR THE LIGHT. Like a sunflower or poppy that cocks her head to the sun all day, relentlessly seek the light and joy in everything and everyone. Realize that you too can be the sun for someone else to turn toward and delight in.

3. WAY WILL OPEN. When you’re stuck, somewhere there is a little light on and a door cracked, waiting just for you. Trust that it will show itself.

4. WHAT’S CALLING TO YOU? What you’re seeking is also seeking you. Learn to listen for the wild call that will take you down the path thats meant for you. Follow scents on the wind, nudges from the universe, serendipities, coincidences, things that bring you into states of curiosity and awe.

5. WE ARE WOVEN TOGETHER. 2026 is about getting with your community. In person. Cook for someone. Host a mending circle or a clothing swap. Share the burden of your troubles with another. We are not meant for isolation. 

I had so much trouble deciding which of these to share today because there is so much more in my book, Worry Medicine! Comment WORRY and we’ll send you a direct link to purchase the book ⭐️

Here at Amber Lotus, we feel grateful for our minds and the transformation that happens within ourselves every day. Books like Worry Medicine help us nurture our emotions and gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our loved ones. We hope you are having a lovely holiday season. 💛🌿

At this time of year, as plants in the garden wither and the forest begins its return to slumber, we become acutely aware of impermanence and the transience of all things. This can surface the grief that has been dormant all spring and summer, bringing into sharp focus the losses we’ve experienced, or the heaviness of the world. Although our culture ramps up with work and holiday prep in this season, it is naturally a time to slow down and honor these emotions, letting them flow through us. Crying is a beautiful form of release - IT IS ACTUAL MEDICINE! Not only does crying release stress-relieving oxytocin and endorphins, but tears contain leucine enkephalin, a natural painkiller. Two practices to call in the medicine of tears: 🌀Strike one stringed instrument near another, and the second instrument will sound the same note. This is called acoustic resonance. Similarly, we experience emotional resonance with one another; often, when we see someone else cry, tears well up in our own eyes. This shared expression offers us a chance to release our own emotions as well. Watch for opportunities to support a friend navigating difficult emotions. Offer the great gift of your undivided attention. It may move something within you too. 🌀Sometimes we feel numb or blocked, and we need help finding sweet release. Listening to a moving song can bring us to tears and help us let go of tension. A poem, novel, film, or other artwork may stir us in the same way. Make time to experience your emotions fully and hold yourself very gently as they move through you. Ask yourself: What will be watered by my tears? -You can find this & more in my new book, Worry Medicine: Remedies and Rituals for Anxious Times

How do we navigate these anxiety-ridden, confusing times with a sound mind and heart? How do we stay afloat in a sea of fear? How do we stay well in an ill culture, on a planet that is bearing the weight of so much harm? How do we build resilience in our communities and relationships and continue to love one another and our more-than-human community despite everything meant to keep us apart? When we awaken to the abundance of medicine around us (and within), we start to see the remedies everywhere, hope springing up through cracks in the pavement. We weave these remedies into our lives— they are something to sink our teeth into, a lifeline to grab ahold of. We begin to live by them and trust them like a dependable friend. 🌀 Worry Medicine is a book that offers many of these remedies and rituals that help us learn to live with and transform the anxiety that comes with being a human - particularly right now in history. Because we’re not taught in school what to do with our anxiety - yet it is a lifeskill that could transform our lives…. Available now where books are sold.

Today is the day! Worry Medicine is finally out and making its way into readers’ hands. The process of writing and illustrating this book was epic; from sketching and scrawling in early journals, to finessing the artwork, to combing over the writing a hundred times with my brilliant editor. What a humbling experience to now get to share it with you! My hope is that Worry Medicine will be a companion for you at a difficult moment. If you are anxious, or if someone dear to you is, the book offers a respite—a place to interrupt nighttime spiraling, soothe sensory overwhelm, and remember the peace and abundance that is possible. Open to any page and discover grounding practices, empowering perspective shifts that loosen old knots, and spiritual nourishment in the form of lush artwork. Available at most book retailers. Follow link in profile to order! With the release of Worry Medicine I’d like to extend enormous gratitude to all those who made it possible. To the fine folks at my publisher @andrewsmcmeel @amberlotuspublishing — especially my editor Melissa Rhodes Zahorsky, to my literary agent Kate Woodrow at @presentperfectlit to all those who contributed medicine stories for this book and inspired me along the way! I am deeply grateful.

Join us to celebrate the release of “Worry Medicine” by Nina Montenegro, an illustrated book of practices to quiet worry and awaken to the powerful web of support all around us. At the event the author/illustrator will sign books and a limited edition newsprint poster of her art will be gifted with the purchase of a signed book. (Swipe to see!). In Portland, OR on Sunday, September 14th from 2-4pm at Two Rivers Bookstore @tworiversbooks . In Bloomington, IN on Thursday, September 25, from 5:00-6:30pm at Redbud Books @redbudbooks . Drop by, kids welcome! Local people to Portland and Bloomington please share this with anyone you think would be interested in joining 💌

ONE MONTH until Worry Medicine is officially in hands!! When you preorder from any of the cute indie bookstores tagged below, you’ll receive a free gift: a pocket-sized blank notebook I designed as a place to write down worries, mantras, and wisdom…a place to daydream and doodle instead of doomscroll! Indie bookstores should be cherished- let’s keep them alive! @abookplace_boutique @citylightsbooks @theundergroundbookshop @shelflifebooksrva 
@riverbendbookshop 
@sandmeyers_books 
@theeloquentpagebookstore 
@hillsandhamletsbookshop 
@thebookshopnashville

A gentle, inclusive, and beautifully illustrated book to help soothe anxiety in our daily lives… 💛 Available now for pre-order. #selfhelp #selfcare #relaxation #anxietyrelief #anxietysupport #anxietyawareness #worrymedicine #bookstagram #calmyourmind #relaxyourmind

Giveaway closed! Thank you to all who entered! I’m giving away a copy of my new book, Worry Medicine! Because…. It’s a wild and wonderful thing to finally hold it in my hands! Just before I headed up to the dunes for a camping trip, the advance copy of my book arrived in the mail. I couldn’t stand to photograph the moment, it felt too big and sacred. My daughters teared open the package, and there it was— the culmination of years gathering stories and practices and wisdom for worrying and weaving in illustrations to offer something beautiful from my heart to the world. To celebrate this moment, I’m running a giveaway! To enter: 𖦹 Follow @thefarwoods 
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𖦹 Tag friends in the comments (each comment = 1 entry!) Bonus: Share to your Story for 5 extra entries! 𖦹 Giveaway ends this Fri, August 1, when I’ll announce the recipient! The book will ship when it releases on September 23rd. Even though we’re just about two months out from publication date, Worry Medicine is already available for preorder on all major booksellers and many many favorite indie booksellers too! Thank you THANK YOU to everyone who has been preordering, telling a friend, and sharing about the book! It means the world.