Jaiya Bio

Welcome, Dear Friend,

Food, water, and shelter are nothing if the one being fed, watered, and sheltered is immersed in the profound suffering that is poverty of the soul. I am grateful to carry out the humanitarian work of feeding souls the bread and breath of Love, compassion, and hope.

I founded Soul Water Rising in 2001 to carry forward this life calling. In an often dehumanizing world, we are a global rehumanizing mission, stirring the soul to remember itself. We support the healing journeys of historically dehumanized populations and cultures. We work with individuals, groups, and organizations to foster wellness in children, youth, families, and communities. We place a particular priority on displaced, stigmatized, and marginalized children and families; on the honoring of womanhood and fatherhood; and on the dissolving of racial and cultural supremacies wherever they exist.

Your purchases support our global BOOK ANGEL PROJECT, which donates books and scholarships for vulnerable youth, and places gift copies of my books in locations worldwide where hearts are tender: hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, mental health clinics, wellness studios, and other community spaces. You can support our Book Angel Project by posting on Instagram with your book or product, and tagging #JaiyaJohn. Gratitude!

JAIYA JOHN BIO

Dr. Jaiya John was born into foster care in New Mexico, and is an internationally recognized author, speaker, poet, spoken word artist, and youth mentor. Jaiya is the founder of Soul Water Rising, a global human mission that has donated thousands of Jaiya’s books in support of social healing, and offers scholarships to displaced and vulnerable youth. He is a former professor of social psychology at Howard University, has authored numerous books, and has addressed over half a million professionals, adults, and youth worldwide. Jaiya is a National Science Foundation fellow, and holds doctorate and master’s degrees in social psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a focus on intergroup relations and identity development. As an undergraduate, he attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and lived in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he studied Tibetan Holistic Medicine through independent research with Tibetan doctors.

Jaiya’s book titles include Your Caring Heart: Renewal for Helping Professionals and Systems, Daughter Drink This Water (inspiration), Calm: Inspiration for a Possible Life, Sincerity of Sunlight (inspiration), Fresh Peace (inspiration), Legendary: A Tribute to Those Who Honorably Serve Devalued Children, Beautiful: A Poetic Celebration of Displaced Children, Reflection Pond: Nurturing Wholeness in Displaced Children, Clear Moon Tribe (novel), The Day Jumoke Found His Name (children), Father to Son: Ode to Black Boys (spoken word), Habanero Love: A Poem of Sacred Passion, Lyric of Silence: A Poetic Telling of the Human Soul Journey, and Black Baby White Hands: A View from the Crib (memoir). See book catalog