Advancements in medicine, science and technology have had tremendous impacts on improved patient outcomes, and yet, certain conditions remain particularly challenging to treat, notes Dr. Jan Patterson in the introduction to the new book, Breath for the Soul: Self-Care Steps to Wellness.
“Many times, there’s a need for something more,” she said. “In my training with integrative medicine, I’ve learned that there are simple yet effective things that we can do with our breath, movement, nutrition, spirit and mindfulness to help ourselves.”
For the book, Dr. Patterson teamed up with award-winning author Phyllis Clark Nichols to create an evidence-based, body and soul approach to self-care.
Breath for the Soul is organized into four sections that address stress, anxiety, depression and grief — conditions everyone will encounter at some point in life. Then, the authors discuss how breath, movement, nutrition, and spirituality and mindfulness can be incorporated to ease the symptoms.
Dr. Patterson is a cancer survivor, bereaved parent, and an integrative medicine and infectious disease doctor who has practiced and taught medicine for 30 years. Nichols is also no stranger to suffering and has been the caregiver to her husband for 10 years through three battles with cancer.
“You are a soul, a complex person, a total self, needing nurture and care,” Nichols added. “Breath for the Soul is a full toolkit of evidence-based information, inspiring stories, trusted resources, healthy recipes and a simple plan to give you control over your self-care. Empower yourself with these simple tools using an innovative approach. Put yourself on the path to health, wellness and wholeness.”
Dr. Jan E. Patterson went to medical school in Texas, trained in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and in infectious diseases at Yale University School of Medicine. She completed an integrative medicine fellowship at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Arizona. She currently practices integrative medicine and infectious diseases at UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine. Dr. Patterson is medical director of Integrative Medicine at University Health. She and her husband, Thomas Patterson, MD, live in San Antonio, Texas.
Phyllis Clark Nichols, a pioneer in health programming for cable television, is an award-winning writer who weaves her faith and her Southern culture into her writing and speaking. A seminary graduate and a classically trained musician, she enjoys art, books, music, nature, cooking, travel and stories about ordinary people who live extraordinary lives. She is the author of nine character-driven novels that bring hope and light as she explores profound human questions. She and her artist/theologian husband live in the Texas Hill Country.
For more information about the authors, please visit https://www.drjanpatterson.com/ or www.phyllisclarknichols.com.
