| From The Publisher* | From the acclaimed author of How to Be Sick comes How to Wake Up, a practical and personal guide for everyone seeking greater peace and a deeper, more resilient sense of wellness. 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. |
| Review Quote* | "This is a book for everyone."-Alida Brill, Psychology Today "All-purpose advice as good as your grandmother gave you, and just as straightforward and heartfelt."-Barry Boyce, editor-in-chief of Mindful magazine "Toni Bernhard has done it again-sharing wisdom teachings in a way that makes them mightily accessible and helpful without any sacrifice of depth. I love this book!"-Tara Brach, Ph.D., author of Radical Acceptance "This remarkable, warm, encouraging, and crystal-clear book expresses the ancient wisdom of the Buddha in universal, twenty-first-century terms. I honestly think it is one of the best Buddhist books I've read in a long time."-Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Buddha's Brain "I'm often asked what book to read as a comprehensive introduction to Buddhist practice. Now I have one: How to Wake Up."-Kevin Griffin, author of One Breath at a Time "A beautiful, wise, and practical book presenting the Buddha's teaching for our contemporary world."-Gil Fronsdal, author of The Issue At Hand "The beauty of this book is how clear, wise, and helpful it is. Both while reading it and after, you can put it to use; this is what literature is for. It's something to cherish and practice."-Kim Stanley Robinson, author of Shaman and 2312 "This book is a gift, and an invitation to all who read it to awaken!"-Joan Halifax, founding abbot, Upaya Zen Center "A fresh and articulate voice interpreting ancient wisdom for our modern times."-Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier Than You Think "Practical and insightful. In this book you'll find a path to living with greater ease and freedom, awakening to possibilities you may not have known existed before."-Elisha Goldstein, PhD, author of The Now Effect "Follow these simple directions and bring yourself back to life."-Karen Maezen Miller, author of Hand Wash Cold "Before I was even half-finished with this book, I wanted to give it to everyone I know."-Lynn Royster, founder of the Chronic Illness Initiative at DePaul University "Clear, concise and accessible to anyone wishing to cultivate a path of greater awareness and understanding."-Christina Feldman, author of Compassion "No one ever said life would be easy, but Toni Bernhard finds a path through the difficulties and points the way to freedom. This is a vital guide for every journey to finding our true home."-Ed and Deb Shapiro, authors of Be the Change "A wonderfully clear guide to engaging all the joys and sorrows of our experience with awareness, grace, and wisdom."-Joseph Goldstein, author of A Heart Full of Peace "Accessible, useful, and filled with Bernhard's personal insight and wisdom gained from her own challenging experiences with illness and sorrow. It has been a path that has led her to a place of contentment, a place to which she now leads her readers."-Joy H. Selak, author of You Don't Look Sick! "Toni Bernhard brings an elegant simplicity to a deep and nuanced exploration of this very human project of waking up right now, in this very moment. Highly recommended for those new to the path as well as those who are already deeply immersed."-Mu Soeng, author of The Heart of the Universe "Toni writes with clarity and insight that makes ancient Buddhist teachings accessible to our modern lives. I am honored to recommend this book to anyone looking to live a deeper and more engaging life."-Danea Horn, author of Chronic Resilience |
| Biographical Note | Toni Bernhard is the acclaimed author of 'How to Be Sick', a 'Spirituality & Practice' "Best Spiritual Books of 2010" winner, and winner of two Nautilus Awards. She's been interviewed on radio across the country and internationally, and is a regular contributor to 'Psychology Today' online. She maintains a personal relationship with her many thousands of fans on Facebook. Toni fell ill on a trip to Paris in 2001 with what doctors initially diagnosed as an acute viral infection. She has not recovered. In 1982, she'd received a J.D. from the School of Law at the University of California, Davis, and immediately joined the faculty where she stayed until chronic illness forced her to retire. During her twenty-two years on the faculty, she served for six years as Dean of Students. In 1992, she began to study and practice Buddhism. Before becoming ill, she attended many meditation retreats and led a meditation group in Davis with her husband. She lives in Davis with her husband, Tony, and their hound dog, Rusty. Toni can be found online at tonibernhard.com. |
