nursing professor and Zen teacher demonstrates how the practice of awareness and meditation can help restore energy, build endurance, and suffuse our lives with compassion and joy. Drawing on her twenty years' experience as a nurse, Ellen Birx takes us on a deeply human journey through the nonlinear process of healing. Profound and inspiring stories are set alongside teachings from the Zen tradition to illustrate how wholeness is found in the midst of illness and disease. Wise and down to earth, Healing Zen shows how daily activities like eating, touching, and bathing are vital aspects of the art of healing, how pain and death are part of life, and how those who are healthy can learn from those who suffer. The author demonstrates how listening keeps us present in the moment; perseverance ensures progress and helps us cope with grief, recurrence, and other challenges; accepting our ordinariness and reconnecting with the flow of daily life give us the power to let go of the drive to excel. This beautifully packaged book, complete with an introduction to meditation and a resource list, makes a heartfelt gift for health professionals, caregivers, patients, or anyone struggling with the demands of life.

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