Browsing: recovery meditations

SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE

Meditation for Maintenance: Strengthening Recovery with Mindfulness and Philosophy

By Lane KennedyAugust 20, 20247 Mins Read

In recovery, every day is a step forward—a journey toward healing, self-discovery, and resilience. Among the tools that can support…

SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE

Skeptical Sheila’s Journey to Mindfulness and Navigating The Mindfulness Landscape

By Lane KennedyJune 18, 20245 Mins Read

Let’s face it, being in the thick of addiction sucks, whether it be from drinking too many vodka tonics, bottles…

SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE

How To Practice Mindfulness in Early Recovery

By Lane KennedyMay 17, 20246 Mins Read

Mindfulness might seem like a buzzword, but it’s a practice that holds a special kind of magic for everyone and…

Continuing with our study of yoga philosophy, this month’s column delves into the yama, or ethical restraint, of asteya. What’s the difference between a drug addict and an alcoholic? The alcoholic will steal your wallet and run. The addict will steal your wallet and help you look for it. I’ve often pondered this old joke, which portrays the blundering drunk and the wily addict as thieves. But either way, they’re both thieves. And that’s what this month’s yoga philosophy column is about: the yogic principle of asteya, or non-stealing. Are you a thief? Back when I got sober a loooong time ago, the psychologists and counselors I talked to seemed to think many problems were unrelated. For example, my eating disorder couldn’t possibly be connected to my addiction problems, right? Wrong. Continuing research shows more and more that mental and behavioral problems often overlap and intertwine. Take stealing. Science’s current perspective seems to be that people can have shoplifting addiction or kleptomania, which sometimes correlates with substance use disorder. Researching this article, I found that in addition to teens shoplifting for thrills, it’s common for people in early recovery to steal things. Favored items include energy drinks, tooth-whitening kits, spices, and cell phone charging cables. Why? Take away substance use, and people crave a dopamine hit. The thrill of stealing petty stuff delivers. Interestingly, that buzz kill drug naltrexone takes the thrill out of drinking, drugs, and stealing. So, these things are definitely related. And if you’re sober enough to be reading this, you probably realize stealing is going to get you in trouble. So, stop it. Not only will you have better karma, but you might also stay out of jail. Okay, you’re not a thief. Or maybe this doesn’t describe you. Perhaps you were an honest drunk who never stole so much as a beer. Then asteya may sound easy. Even former juvenile delinquents might say to themselves, “Well, I’ve got that one covered. Gave up shoplifting at 15.” But there are other ways to steal, including leaning too hard on people for their time and energy. Perhaps you have a friend who’s been complaining about her relationship for years. After she spends an hour covering the same grievances you’ve heard 100 times before, she says, “I always feel so much better after talking to you.” But you don’t. You feel like you’ve been sucked dry by an energy vampire. This friend is stealing your emotional energy as well as your time. Or maybe you’re the emotional vampire! If you recognize yourself in the above description, perhaps you could be kinder to your confidantes by working through your problems in a journal, support group, or with a competent counselor. Or you could buy a pet rock to whine to so you don’t bore your cat to tears. Sometimes, we also take from each other by overusing somebody else’s skills. It’s lovely to help others out and to accept their help. But if we’re assuming that every weekend, our friend should snake our drains, clean our gutters, update our websites, hem our pants, or otherwise donate all their leisure hours to us, it’s time to learn to do these tasks ourselves or pay somebody to do them for us. Parents who work at home, self-employed people, or anybody with a flexible schedule are particular targets of time thieves. Asteya also involves not taking what is not freely offered. If we’re nagging people for favors, those favors are not being freely offered. When we steal what’s not ours, we usually operate from a place of lack or entitlement. Neither is a pretty locale. To ensure we’re not stealing, we should examine our relationships and consider whether we’re doing our fair share. Sometimes, we all face hardships and should be willing to give or take a bit more. But over time, we should strike an approximate balance. SPIRITUAL GANGSTER: Exploring Yoga Philosophy: Satya – Truth « The Sober Curator SPIRITUAL GANGSTER: Exploring Yoga Philosophy: Satya – Truth « The Sober Curator

SPIRITUAL GANGSTER

Exploring Yoga Philosophy: Understanding Ahimsa and Its Role in Sobriety and Personal Growth

By Teresa BergenMarch 17, 20246 Mins Read

Yoga is more than poses. The word yoga means “to yoke.” In this case, we’re trying to yoke our own…

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultDecember 25, 20234 Mins Read

The Daily Llama, by Staci DesRault, brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote plus a reflection for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, December 25th – 29th, 2023.

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultDecember 18, 20235 Mins Read

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultDecember 11, 20234 Mins Read

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultDecember 4, 20234 Mins Read

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultNovember 13, 20233 Mins Read

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultOctober 9, 20234 Mins Read

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultSeptember 25, 20234 Mins Read

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultSeptember 11, 20235 Mins Read

Daily reflection for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, September 11th – Friday, September 15th, 2021.

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultJuly 2, 20233 Mins Read

The Daily Llama, by Staci DesRault, brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, July 5th – Friday, July 9th, 2021.

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultJune 25, 20234 Mins Read

The Daily Llama, by Staci DesRault, brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday,…

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultJune 19, 20233 Mins Read

The Daily Llama, by Staci DesRault, brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, June 21st – Friday, June 25th, 2021.

THE DAILY LLAMA

The Daily Llama’s Weekly Word of the Day and Meditations

By Staci DesRaultJune 11, 20234 Mins Read

The Daily Llama, by Staci DesRault, brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, June 14th – Friday, June 18th, 2021.

SOBER SPOTLIGHT

SOBER SPOTLIGHT: REVA Recovery With Adrienne Van Der Valk & Erin Ranta Will Help You Unlock The Life You Want

By Alysse BrysonJune 29, 202111 Mins Read

The REVA Recovery movement and meditation-based program will teach you how to establish the conditions necessary to liberate yourself and…

THE DAILY LLAMA

April 26th – 30th The Daily Llama Brings You The Word Of The Day With Short Meditations For Your Complete Wool-Being

By Staci DesRaultApril 26, 20216 Mins Read

The Daily Llama brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday April 26th – 30th, 2021.

THE DAILY LLAMA

Start Your Week Off Right With The Daily Llama, Bringing You The Word Of The Day For March 22nd – 26th, 2021

By Staci DesRaultMarch 21, 20215 Mins Read

The Daily Llama brings you short, one-word meditations and a corresponding quote for your complete wool-being (#seewhatwedidthere?) for Monday, March 22nd through…