Toni Bernhard has been studying and practicing Buddhism for 32 years. She has written four books, three on chronic pain and illness, and one that is an introduction to Buddhism. She practices in the Theravadin tradition but draws on Zen and Tibetan Buddhism in her writing. The books are How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers (2nd Ed. 2018, also available in a pocket-sized edition, written in 2020); How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness (2015); and How to Wake Up: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide to Navigating Joy and Sorrow. Her blog “Turning Straw Into Gold” is hosted by Psychology Today online. Before becoming ill in 2001, she was a law professor at UC Davis, serving six years as the dean of students. Today, she is an accomplished fabric artist. Her website is tonibernhard.com.
