How to be sick : a Buddhist-inspired guide for the chronically ill and their caregivers

Summary: 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.

Record details

ISBN: 9781614294788
Physical Description: print
xxvii, 219 pages ; 23 cm
Edition: Revised and updated edition.
Publisher: Somerville, MA : Wisdom Publications, [2018]
Copyright: ©2018

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-206) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

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.