Publisher's Synopsis
Lucia Amsden has lived with arthritis for 30 years, and Breaking Eggs: Finding New Meaning with Chronic Illness is a distillation of the struggles and treasures of that time. The book chronicles her personal journey toward spiritual and emotional unity and the lessons she learned along the way, as clarified by her experiences as a therapist focusing on clients with chronic illness. It also serves as a helpful guide for others facing similar challenges. Breaking Eggs addresses the psychological, mental, spiritual, and physical issues that come from chronic illness, and includes occasional small exercises to bring the lessons home. As readers retrain their minds to meet challenges with resiliency and hope, their lives become more graced with gratitude. They learn how to develop relationships with their bodies that are based on appreciation more than fear. Most fundamentally, they move toward lives filled with energy and meaning. Stories of her own experiences and the struggles of others form the scaffolding for helpful principles, tools, and guidance. This is why her teachings come so gently, through the heart more than the head. Here you will encounter a man paralyzed by polio who passionately works to preserve a piece of prairie and a woman with liver disease who finds joy singing the blues. The power of a basket of healing stones, a medicine man healing ceremony, and a beloved dog demonstrate ways to improve and heal our lives. A man is motivated by his age and illness to alter his life in ways that nurture his spirit, and the parents of a young man killed in a traffic accident teach friends about forgiveness. There is an artist with MS who discovers a freer way to paint and a couple's honest and loving communication in the face of fear during two bouts of breast cancer. Among the many areas discussed are: building a relationship with our body, the power of words, dealing with guilt, shedding obligations, defining ourselves outside our roles, intuition, our critical voice, molecules of emotion, meditative moments, the importance of natural connections, overcoming isolation, creative energy, living beyond our illness, the body's innate intelligence, anger and hopelessness, building expansive beliefs, how illness affects relationships, and amending our stories. Whether you are a person with chronic illness or a treatment provider, Breaking Eggs should find a special place on your bookshelf. If you are a family member or friend of someone with chronic illness, it will provide you with understanding and ways to give useful support. Lucia Amsden has a Masters of Social Work, completed postgraduate studies in work and family systems, and served as an adjunct professor at Webster University in Kansas City. She practiced individual and family therapy for 20 years with a particular focus on clients with chronic illness, and has written extensively about chronic illness and spiritual psychology. Her first book, Heartlines: Daily Wisdom for Your Spiritual Journey, is in its second printing. She lives in rural New Mexico with her husband, Tim. You may contact her through her website at www.newmeaning.info.
