A Myriad of Vantage Points
Coloring Outside the Lines
"We are only operating a spiritual kindergarten in which people are enabled to get over drinking and find the grace to go on living to better effect. Each man's theology has to be his own quest, his own affair."
~ Bill W., 1954 Letter
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In our launch and the first blog for The Recovery Sessions Season 6: Transformational Progressive Recovery, we noted that there are so many resources now available to advance our recovery. Clearly, none of us has cornered the market on spirituality for recovery. Still, the need to be open-minded and willing to explore are quite valuable in continuing to expand our journey in sobriety.
Some of us have benefitted from sponsors, mentors and spiritual advisors who have nudged us in any number of directions beyond the rooms of recovery. Occasionally we have stumbled into new approaches that prove to be very useful. All we can conclude, as suggested in the Big Book, is that more will be revealed.
In keeping with that, and before we go further into transformational content in future blogs, we wanted to make sure and point to some of the materials you may find helpful. To be clear, take what you like and leave the rest. Some may prove to be effective, and some may simply not suit you. Regardless, try to stay curious. We can never know when breakthrough material may find us.
One Breath at a Time by Kevin Griffin
Griffin is known as a Buddhist Teacher and Meditation Leader who also is in twelve-step recovery. Because of his orientation, he sought to bring together Buddhist practices and the Twelve Steps. There are many who have found his approach very useful, as you’ll hear in this interview with Progressive Recovery.
https://www.progressiverecovery.org/progressive-content/one-breath-at-a-time
Recovery: The Sacred Art by Rabbi Rami Shapiro
Shapiro’s credentials as a Jewish Rabbi as well as a person in recovery allow him to bring a very non-traditional exploration of the Twelve Steps. Study groups are often greatly challenged and positively affected by this approach, which Rami discussed in this interview with Progressive Recovery.
https://www.progressiverecovery.org/progressive-content/a-conversation-with-rabbi-rami-shapiro
The Way of Powerlessness by Wayne Liquorman
Liquorman (yes, that is really his name) is a teacher of an ancient Asian practice known as Advaita Vedanta, and in recovery from addiction. His singular focus on powerlessness is powerful for many in recovery. Steven, one of our Progressive Recovery practitioners’ provides this first-hand account of his experience with this approach to the Twelve Steps.
https://www.progressiverecovery.org/the-recovery-sessions-5/the-way-of-powerlessness
Breathing Under Water by Father Richard Rohr
Rohr, a Franciscan priest and the Founder of The Center for Action and Contemplation, brings a mystical interpretation to the Twelve Steps. More than a few of our followers have found much growth with his approach.
https://www.amazon.com/Breathing-Under-Water-Spirituality-Twelve/dp/1616361573
Yoga and the Twelve Steps
For many of those who have added yoga to their recovery practices, this somatic approach to the Twelve Steps has been quite useful. One of our followers, Meg, learned yoga and has taught it to many in recovery. She recounts her experience in the following blog.
Strengths-based Recovery
The Big Book encourages those in recovery to consider their assets as well as their challenges. In this audio, two followers of Progressive Recovery, Chandra and Michelle, share their experience with this technique.
The Fix by Ian Morgan Cron
Taking it to whole new level, if you’ve determined you’ve become a dopamine addict, i.e. hooked on chronic activities and stimulations, you may find Cron’s look at the Twelve Steps applied to our compulsiveness to be very insightful. You would not be the first to see that addiction can run very deeply through our lives, and perhaps this approach to the Steps might allow for a breakthrough.
https://www.amazon.com/Fix-Transformation-Well-Adjusted-Down-Out/dp/0310368545
Sobriety for Dummies by Lane Kennedy and Tamar Medford
Two friends of Progressive Recovery decided what the world really needed is an excellent summary of approaches to recovery with the underlying knowledge, evidence and science taken into account. They searched far and wide for information and tools, and synthesized it into this reference guide.
https://thesobercurator.com/sobriety-for-dummies-behavioral-health-pro/
Progressive Recovery Tools
Last but not least, we have written a book, Progressive Recovery Through The Twelve Steps: Emotionally Sober for Life, and created a curriculum to guide you through that approach.
https://www.progressiverecovery.org/progressive-recovery-book
https://schooloftransformation.teachable.com/p/progressive-recovery-through-the-twelve-steps