How to be sick : a Buddhist-inspired guide for the chronically ill and their caregivers
Toni Bernhard (Author), Sylvia Boorstein (Contributor)
In 2001, Toni Bernhard got sick and, to her and her partner's bewilderment, stayed that way. As they faced the confusion, frustration, and despair of a life with sudden limitations--a life that was vastly different from the one they'd thought they'd have together--Toni had to learn how to be sick. In spite of her many physical and energetic restrictions (and sometimes, because of them), Toni learned how to live a life of equanimity, compassion, and joy. This book reminds us that our own inner freedom is limitless, regardless of our external circumstances. Updated with new insights and practices hard-won from Toni's own ongoing life experience, this is a must-read for anyone who is, or who might one day be, sick or in pain. --Publisher
Print Book, English, 2018
Revised and updated edition View all formats and editions
Wisdom Publications, Somerville, MA, 2018
Self-help publications
xxvii, 219 pages ; 23 cm
9781614294788, 161429478X
1022725325
Foreword
Getting sick : a romantic trip to Paris
Staying sick : this can't be happening to me
The Buddha tells it like it is
The universal law of impermanence
Who is sick? who is in pain?
Finding joy in the life you can no longer lead
Soothing the body, mind, and heart
Using compassion to alleviate your suffering
Facing the ups and downs of chronic illness with equanimity
Getting off the wheel of suffering
Tonglen : spinning straw into gold
With our thoughts we make the world
The present moment as a refuge
Wise action: what to do and what not to do
Zen helps
Communicating with care
Connecting with others and appreciating solitude
And in the end ..
A guide to using the practices to help with specific challenges