Author: Host
-
Appreciating the Now: How to Train Our Minds to Feel Better
It's well understood in the recovery community that an attitude of gratitude is a potent antidote to much of what ails us addicts in recovery. We all know how to make our gratitude lists. But how do Buddhists in Recovery use the Dharma (teachings) to further explore the medicine of true appreciation? Tune in, we'll get into it with a meditation so simple, you'll be amazed before we are halfway through. Word.
-
Genghis Khan or Thich Nhat Hanh – How Do We Respond in Recovery?
We're often told that what happens may be out of our control, but how we respond is up to us. That's easy for regulated people to say. For those who suffer with CPTSD and other problems due to ACEs have more work to do to get to the level where we can "pause when agitated," and not send that text or make that post!
-
Psychedelic Sobriety: Is the Use of Psychedelics a Relapse in Recovery?
What is the nature of our relationship to psychedelics? As people in recovery, we've probably abused them at one time or another. Some people have taken mass overdoses and lost total control. So why would anyone in recovery consider the use, medicinal or otherwise, of something that seems pretty risky?
-
Surrender to the Now: Get Grounded in Recovery
The famous now is where we want to be. But wanting gets us nowhere. The root of suffering, said Buddha, is attachment. To free ourselves, we must cut it out at the root. The root lies in our very desire to be somewhere, anywhere, other than right here, right now. As addicts we've tried to be somone else, somewhere else for our own survival. In recovery we need to learn heart opening, mindful skills to be our own best healers. In service to this vital necessity of practice, let's not gloss over the now, objectify the now, reify or even deify the now. Rather, let's follow the advice of the AA Big Book, which says that we had to let go absolutely, or the result was nil. Therein lies the conundrum, and the very core opportunity for practice.
-
How to Be a Flimsy Reed
We sought escape with all the desperation of drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, a 'design for living' that really works."
-
Mindfully Manic; How to Keep Your Head as a Buddhist in Recovery
Update on my journey. Ideas from listeners. The condition of 24/7 fire alarm, ...you're going to have to be on the job 24/7. Cold hard truth.
-
What is a Buddhist Higher Power and/or How Do Buddhists in Recovery Pray?
Let's talk about the obstacles to prayer and hence, spiritual development. That's right, you heard me. We must learn how to pray, with intention, not just because the house is on fire. From a Buddhist perspective however, the house is indeed burning up. The Dharma is the knowledge passed on from the Buddha. It is the knowledge that the house is burning. Dharma is the set of instructions on how to stop our addiction to suffering and really, truly let go of our ego. Join me for this lively discussion with myself, and y'all. See you on the show!
-
Stabilizing Our Recovery with Dharma Practice
Our ability to turn confusion into peace without fighting anything comes with time and consistent effort. Never stop trying. Don't give up on the dharma, because the dharma will never give up on you. This work is for everyone, as it conflicts with nothing. For those taking refuge in recovery, practicing dharma recovery and participating in all manner of yoga recovery
-
Addiction and Trauma: A Basis for the Practice of Recovery
Addiction and Trauma: A Basis for the Practice of RecoveryThe Dysregulated Addict: Finding Spiritual Regulation Series Pt. 6The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 101Review of this series so far. **Understanding ACEs:**- **Definition and Types:** Physical abuse, emotional scars, a home where chaos reigns. These are ACEs, wounds that shape us, echoes of the storms we explored in the nervous system. They are the unseen baggage we carry, the ghosts that haunt our minds.- **Prevalence:** You're not alone. Millions bear these scars, these memories that refuse to fade. by hope.
-
ACEs High – Heart Open
Part 5: Mindfulness for Addicts with ACEs The Impact of ACEs on the Brain and the Path to Addiction** **Introduction:** Remember our journey through the nervous system, the dance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic, the weight of allostatic load, the boundaries of the window of tolerance? Now, let's delve into ACEs, the unseen wounds that shape us, the scars that linger in our brains, our hearts, our very souls. **Understanding ACEs:** - **Definition and Types:** Physical abuse, emotional scars, a home where chaos reigns. These are ACEs, wounds that shape us, echoes of the storms we explored in the nervous system. They are the unseen baggage we carry, the ghosts that haunt our minds. - **Prevalence:** You're not alone. Millions bear these scars, these memories that refuse to fade. They linger, affecting our health, our relationships, our very essence, adding to the allostatic load we discussed earlier. **The Neurobiology of ACEs:** - **Brain Structure and Function:** Imagine your brain, a delicate machine, wired for love, trust, joy. Now imagine it altered, scarred by trauma. The prefrontal cortex, the seat of reason, impaired. The hippocampus, the keeper of memories, wounded. It's not just science; it's a tragedy played out in the very fabric of our being. - **Stress Response System:** A child in constant fear, a body always ready to fight or flee. The stress hormones flood, the balance is lost, and the dance becomes a battle. It's the window of tolerance, shattered and fragmented. It's not just biology; it's a daily struggle for peace, for normality.
