Toni Bernhard

This book will help and inspire those who must live with the challenges posed by any chronic illnesses, and their caregivers: the relentlessness of symptoms; coming to terms with a life of comparative isolation; weathering fear about the future; facing the judgment of others; dealing with the health care system; and, for a spouse, partner, or other caregiver, adapting to so many unexpected and sometimes sudden life changes. The book begins with the tale of how Toni Berhard got sick and, to her and her partner's bewilderment, stayed sick—detailing all the changes and losses that Toni had to experience as a result of her illness. Toni then goes on to describe how the teachings of the Buddha have taught her the spiritual practice of "how to be sick", meaning how to live a life of equanimity and joy despite her physical and energetic limitations. The chapters in Part Two offer simple practices, ranging from those that are traditionally Buddhist, to others Toni devised after she fell ill, as well as a chapter on the work of Byron Katie, whom Toni has found particularly helpful. The reader need not be a Buddhist to benefit from these practices, or from Toni's inspiring story.

A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers

How to Be Sick

Beloved author Toni Bernhard addresses the challenges of chronic pain and illness, using practical examples to illustrate how mindfulness, equanimity, and compassion can help readers make peace with a life turned upside down. Several chapters are also directed toward family and friends of the chronically ill, helping them to understand what their loved one is going through and how they can help.

A Mindful Guide

How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness

a Buddhist-inspired guide to navigating joy and sorrow

How to wake up

The must-have guide to the practices of the bestselling classic to help you cope with the pain and uncertainty of illness and navigate your relationships with family, friends, and medical professionals. You won’t be alone when you have this pocket-sized treasure of transformative practices, written by beloved bestselling author Toni Bernhard. In 2001, Toni got sick and never recovered. As she faced the confusion, frustration, and despair of a life that was suddenly severely limited, Toni had to learn how to be sick. In this easy-to-use, easy-to-carry book, Toni shares practices from her bestselling classic How to Be Sick and also offers new suggestions and strategies for coping with a life impacted by chronic pain and illness. Because the book is organized by specific challenges, you can immediately find practices that can help when they’re needed most. With this book in hand, you will discover the experiential wisdom that has helped Toni live a life of equanimity, compassion, and joy, despite her physical and energetic restrictions—and, sometimes, because of them. In the pages of this loyal companion, you’ll find help, solace, and inspiration, no matter what life challenge you’re facing.

Your Pocket Companion

Comfort, understanding, and advice for those who are suffering--and those who care for them. Chronic illness creates many challenges, from career crises and relationship issues to struggles with self-blame, personal identity, and isolation. Beloved author Toni Bernhard addresses these challenges and many more, using practical examples to illustrate how mindfulness, equanimity, and compassion can help readers make peace with a life turned upside down. In her characteristic conversational style, Bernhard shows how to cope and make the most of life despite the challenges of chronic illness. Benefit from: • Mindfulness exercises to mitigate physical and emotional pain • Concrete advice for negotiating the everyday hurdles of medical appointments, household chores, and social obligations • Tools for navigating the strains illness can place on relationships Several chapters are directed toward family and friends of the chronically ill, helping them to understand what their loved one is going through and how they can help. Humorous and empathetic, Bernhard shares her own struggles and setbacks with unflinching honesty, offering invaluable support in the search to find peace and well-being.

This life-affirming, instructive, and thoroughly inspiring book is a must-read for anyone who is - or who might one day be - sick. It can also be the perfect gift of guidance, encouragement, and uplifting inspiration to family, friends, and loved ones struggling with the many terrifying or disheartening life changes that come so close on the heels of a diagnosis of a chronic condition or life-threatening illness. Authentic and graceful, How to be Sick reminds us of our endless inner freedom, even under high degrees of suffering and pain. The author - who became ill while a university law professor in the prime of her career - tells the reader how she got sick and, to her and her partner's bewilderment, stayed that way. Toni had been a longtime meditator, going on long meditation retreats and spending many hours rigorously practicing, but soon discovered that she simply could no longer engage in those difficult and taxing forms. She had to learn ways to make "being sick" the heart of her spiritual practice - and through truly learning how to be sick, she learned how, even with many physical and energetic limitations, to live a life of equanimity, compassion, and joy. And whether we ourselves are ill or not, we can learn these vital arts from Bernhard's generous wisdom in How to Be Sick.

Intimately and without jargon, How to Wake Up: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide to Navigating Joy and Sorrow describes the path to peace amid all of life's ups and downs. Using step by step instructions, the author illustrates how to be fully present in the moment without clinging to joy or resisting sorrow. This opens the door to a kind of wellness that goes beyond circumstances. Actively engaging life as it is in this fashion holds the potential for awakening to a peace and well-being that are not dependent on whether a particular experience is joyful or sorrowful. This is a practical book, containing dozens of exercises and practices, all of which are illustrated with easy-to-relate to personal stories from the author's experience.

Toni Bernhard

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