Living Well with Pain and Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself from Suffering [Unabridged] [Paperback]

Vidyamala Burch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2010

After two serious spinal injuries, Vidyamala Burch found herself facing the loneliness of disability and chronic pain with few skills or resources to turn to. But instead of giving up, she set out on a mission to embrace her physical challenges with compassion, acceptance, and peace. Living Well with Pain and Illness shares the fruits of her courageous life's work, teaching us how the practice of mindfulness can help us thrive in the face of health challenges of any kind. Drawing on the wisdom of a dozen years teaching meditation and a lifetime of study of the benefi ts of mindful living, Vidyamala encourages readers with insights and instruction in: The five-step model of mindfulness and how to use it to foster healing. The Breathworks approach to meditation, and how to apply it to health concerns such as migraines, arthritis, and chronic fatigue. Step-by-step techniques, illustrations, and case studies demonstrating how to effectively bring mindfulness into daily life. Chronic pain has been called the modern world¿s silent epidemic. Billions are spent every year in an attempt to cope, yet the best solution available may be absolutely cost-free: mindful living. In Living Well with Pain and Illness, Vidyamala Burch presents a work that is at once an inspirational memoir and practical guidebook for using mindfulness to reframe your relationship with physical and emotional suffering.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Vidyamala Burch has suffered from chronic back pain for more than 30 years due to congenital weakness, a car accident, and multiple surgeries. She is a cofounder of the well-respected Breathworks organization, which assists people experiencing chronic pain, illness, and stress in managing their condition through meditation, body awareness, and creative life approaches. Vidyamala resides in the U.K.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated; Unabridged edition (January 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591797470
• ISBN-13: 978-1591797470
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get Your Pain Free Life BAck, January 30, 2010

By 

WILLIAM MCLEAN "In My Opinion . . ." (Medford, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Living Well with Pain and Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself from Suffering (Paperback)

(What's this?)

The reader of this book should understand that the author is afflicted with painful chronic illness - and she does seek out and accepts treatment from the mainstream medical community. This has been necessary. But this book is not about mainstream medicine. It is about what mainstream medicine (except for some psychiatrists and Psychologists) have no comment nor any interest in offering as therapy. "Where is the money?"

The author, by using Mindfulness techniques, has achieved more than temporary pain release, but also a state of character formed emotional release that allows her to continue the fullest enjoyment of life - probably better than most so called healthy people. The purpose of her book is to help others triumph over painful illness just as she has.

The 230 page book is clearly and simply written. Their are even some simple drawings to illustrate the postures described in the text. The reader can go as far into the book as they wish, and then stop when they feel they have devoted enough time to their problems. But I think most readers who get past the first few chapters will become convinced of the efficacy of Mindfulness and fascinated enough to not only complete the book, but also will want to pursue more knowledge of the subject. I have. In fact, I have acquired several books and CD's on Mindfulness. As I progress by reading and practice meditating, I continue to benefit - even in unexpected ways. For example, people I don't even know stop to talk with me these days. (Hmmmm. What does that say about the old me?)

As I see it, the study of Mindfulness is to develop a realistic, close, and loving bond between your mind, your body, and the whole wide world of creatures and things. It can help the depressed to stop over-thinking for example - that is to say repeating in one's mind past bothersome events that no longer exist and so cannot be changed. It helps to break away from many harmful and/or nonproductive thinking. Sounds kind of corny but it works to reveal the human experience refreshed, as through the eyes of a toddler. Whatever one may see every day can become transformed into beautiful and miraculous treasures. I am not talking about hallucinations. I am not talking about being in a trance. I am talking about being fully awake; fully alive; and fully in the sane and real world - in all of its fullness. (Hopefully a sane and real world does exist.)

If you are presently experiencing physical pain and/or physical illness, "Living Well with Pain & Illness" would be a good book to start with. And a CD set "Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief," by Jon Kabat-Zinn, would not be a waste of money. If you are experiencing psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, fear or panic, you might start with the book, "Calming Your Anxious Mind," by Jeffrey Brantley MD and Jon Kabat-Zinn PH.D. A good start for many people might be the CD set - also by Jon Kabat-Zinn, "Mindfulness Meditation - Cultivating the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful book, February 2, 2010

By 

Shopaholic (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Well with Pain and Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself from Suffering (Paperback)

(What's this?)

The book was helpful to me. As someone who suffers frequently from migraines and chronic fatigue, the Breathworks approach to meditation, and how to apply it to health concerns such as migraines, arthritis, and chronic fatigue. Step-by-step techniques, illustrations, and case studies demonstrating how to effectively bring mindfulness into daily life. When you have pain, anything is worth a try. Although I take medications daily, these techniques are helpful when the pain just won't go away.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book really works, March 16, 2010

By 

A. S. Gautam (Manchester) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living Well with Pain and Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself from Suffering (Paperback)

I am a young woman who has been living with cancer and ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for many years. There is no book out there that I believe in more than this one. For me, Vidyamala Burch's mindfulness-based approach, has healed years of feeling trapped, isolated and at times without hope so that now I can happily get on with making the most of life at last. It's based on the kind of wisdom that can only emerge from the heart of an author's deep personal experience. It's not easy to find something that inspires you to change your life but this book really does. And there is a whole wealth of clearly explained practical techniques, methodologies and tips to support you through the process. Through building awareness the reader can learn to work with unhelpful patterns in thoughts, habits and emotions. The book also explains meditation techniques so well. Meditation and being with the breath ,body and heart can be an invaluable source of inner strength, relaxation and emotional positivity. And finally somebody de-mystifies "pacing"! The approach is not specific to a particular condition so it can definitely be applied to pain, physical or mental illness, fatigue, stress, addiction or just to anybody wishing to get the most out of life. Alternatively, if you're just interested in meditation, it's the best manual out there too. Ultimately, this is a very uplifting book!!