One Breath at a Time

Hello Everyone,

This week we started Step 6 and read up to pg 141: Exercise: How do I Change? We talked about the power of sharing in a group and the fear of public speaking then into how intention comes before action and recognizing our own actions in the process of recovery.

We spole about being present to the moment and the different ways we slow down and find that "meditation" in different things.

This week's discussion question concerns the story on p 138 about a person asking the meditation teacher for help and then rejecting each suggestion made until the teacher said "Well, I guess you're just not ready to change."

Can you relate to this in your life? Either before recovery, in early recovery or even now? Or perhaps to someone else in your life?

For me, right now, I am struggling with a sponsee who complains about…

Hello everyone. This week we read up to pg134 Self Revealing, Compassion and Forgiveness. We talked about Right Speech and how difficult it can be "to speak the truth, in a timely manner, only if useful and kind" P133

We addressed the idea of restraint of pen and tongue, and Kevin sayd " Saying nothing can be one of the most skillful uses of speech in many situations"p 132

While I certainly agree with this, just for the sake of discussion, let's bring up the flip side...when not speaking up isn't telling the truth. It's usually referred to as "lies of omission"".

Can you relate to this? How might this have changed in your recovery journey?

I know for me, as big as a liar as I was in my addiction, I struggled more with what I didn't say in early recovery. I often withheld information from my boyfriend, m…

Hello Everyone,

This week we read up to pg 131 Exercise: Speaking the Truth.

We talked about Right Speech and speaking only what is true, in a timely manner and only if useful and kind. And how difficult it can be.

Share an experience where you struggled with this and perhaps how mindfulness or recovery has shifted that for you.

For me, I was often guilty of exaggerating and catastrophizing everything, I wanted to make an impact or justify myself and so took great liberties with the actual truth of the story. I also found that a lot of what I said was just complaining and didn't need to be said at all. I still struggle to keep quiet when it's not useful or untrue, but I'm much better at it. I try to pause before I speak and consider my response in the space of the breath. I…

Hello Everyone,

This week we read up to pg 125 Tranquility. We talked about our positive qualities and actions and the power of our intentions in determining whether our behaviors are skillful. We also began reading the 7 factors of enlightenment and ended on joy.

So this week's discussion question is simple. How does mindfulness increase your ability to have joy in your life?

For me, I think it's pretty foundational to my living a joyful life, as I was never present before to even experience joy. Now thru the practice of staying awake to the present moment and not living in ruminating about the past or worrying about the future, it is so much easier to recognize, experience, and be grateful for the simple things in life that I never even noticed before as my life was just a morass of addiction and chaos. Now, the shape of t…