9 Ways Mindfulness Helped Me Heal With Chronic Illness

Mindfulness was not a term I was familiar with when I was diagnosed with chronic illness 17 years ago.  Looking back, I wish I had known more about how to practice it in my life.  It would have saved me a lot of worry, distress, and hopelessness.  I've since learned that mindfulness is a set of skills for healing, intuition, insight, calmness, focus, resilience, and hope that you can use to counter the inevitable adversity of chronic illness.

Book Giveaway: Healing Walks for Hard Times

I've had trouble writing a coherent blog post lately.  Probably because I've been sick a lot this Winter.  So to help me get the ball rolling again I'm giving away 2 copies of this awesome book - Healing Walks for Hard Times:  Quiet Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body & Get Your Life Back.  Anyone with chronic illness will find this book both motivating and easy to follow.  Enter the giveaway (U.S./Canadian residents only) a number of different ways below by Friday, February 17th!

3 Sacrifices I Refuse to Make with Chronic Illness

If you have a chronic illness, you know a little something about sacrifice.  Because of my chronic illness, I've learned to make a lot of sacrifices.  I used to love mountain biking.  But I had to give it up.  I just don't have the energy and the pain that follows can be excruciating.  That was a sacrifice that I had to accept.   But there are 3 sacrifices I refuse to make because of my chronic illness.

8 Reasons to be Grateful for Chronic Illness

Who knew I would be grateful for having a chronic illness?  Actually I wish I never got sick in the first place, but given that I am, I'm glad it has changed my life in some good ways.  I've been reading responses in the forums to my recent post on gratitude.

Guest Post: Sophie's Story with IBS

I’ve suffered from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for 20 years. One night when I was 12 I experienced a bout of food poisoning that was so severe I never really recovered. Whatever happened to my bowel that day transformed a perfectly normal digestive system into an instrument of torture.