March 23, 2021

Toni Bernhard on Living with Chronic Illness

42 minutes

This is Toni Bernhard’s second time as a guest on the show and we’re so glad to have her back. She is a former law professor at the University of California, a practicing Buddhist for 25 years, and the author of many books including the one she and Eric discuss in this episode, How to Be Sick: Your Pocket Companion.

Eric and Toni talk about her experience living with chronic illness, what she has learned and what she now has to teach others about how they might suffer less amidst their own experience with chronic pain and other long term health conditions.

But wait – there’s more! The episode is not quite over!! We continue the conversation and you can access this exclusive content right in your podcast player feed. Head over to our Patreon page and pledge to donate just $10 a month. It’s that simple and we’ll give you good stuff as a thank you!

In This Interview, Toni Bernhard and I Discuss Living with Chronic Illness and…

Her book, How to Be Sick: Your Pocket Companion

How we can feel our emotions without necessarily feeding them

That pushing feelings away in aversion just makes them stronger

Repressing emotions intensifies them

Her own experience with chronic illness

The three components of pain

Examining the meanings that we give things

The liberating Zen teaching of “Don’t know mind”

What to do when things don’t go our way

Why it can be so hard to be kind to ourselves

That being sick is part of being alive, not because you’re not doing something wrong

Toni Bernhard Links:

Toni's Website

Facebook

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If you enjoyed this conversation with Toni Bernhard on Living with Chronic Illness, you might also enjoy these other episodes:

Toni Bernhard (2016 Episode)

Living with Chronic Pain with Sarah Shockley

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