I really love a lot about the bit of the book we read today. It’s a great summary of some of the core principles of Recovery Dharma.
Something I shared was in relation to the idea that “Recovery transforms how we show up for those around us.” (p. 71). It made me think about something that came up when I did a bit of Tara Brach’s Radical Compassion challenge in April -
The other thing that I didn’t share in the meeting, but have thought about after, is that reminder that the process of recovery (or awakening, maybe) is a lifelong thing. It’s about being mindful and making adjustments to the situations we find ourselves in. Because things do change. It’s something I’ve been trying to work out with my mental health… What does better look like? I suppose it will look like different things at different times. There’s no one right way, and what feels like the right thing at the moment might not in another week, month, year etc. So just got to go with the flow and come back to finding some peace in the idea that the future is never certain. It’s something I can find some comfort in but at the same time, it feels deeply unnerving.
I had a rare window of opportunity so I thought ‘seize the day!’ and logged in. Glad I did. It certainly helped knowing that a friendly and familiar face would be on the call. That’s the first time I’ve shared aswell which I’m happy about (even though I did feel like I was about to melt when I started talking ).
I struggled a bit with the meditation but that was no surprise to me. I haven’t been engaged in my practice this past month or so. It was always going to be a challenge. But simply taking the time to pause and acknowledge is always benificial regardless.
I’m going to see if there is anyway of attending these more regularly. Unfortunately it clashes with a work meeting which happened to be cancelled today. I’ll chat with my boss and see if there is any room for change. Even if I skip the odd meeting so I can attend. Fingers crossed
Thank you Sian, I really enjoyed it and am hopeful that I can see you in another meeting again soon
I had similar thoughts aswell. That recovery is an ongoing approach to life, not a process with a clearly defined end. And is something that stretches far beyond the act of getting sober. I think this has a lot to do with why I experienced such a decline after my first year. Whether consciously or unconsciously, I had an expectation that there would be this final point to the process. A year seems like the most obvious time frame to put on it. Once I realised that wasn’t the case things began to unravel. Tbh it took me the best part of my second sober year to come to terms with that and not resent it.
Ditching the daughter and going to the allotment was a terrible idea, my phone overheated and crashed during the meditation . I’m away next week but will join Tuesday 10th August. This time at my laptop with mic and camera on! Nice to see a few faces at the start. See you all very soon! Lizzie
But just making time to sit, to try and come back from distractions, that’s what it’s all about!
So glad you were able to make it and it would of course be amazing if you could get to more in future but of course understand work can make that difficult. And fwiw your share was great, I really related to it.
Hi @siand , nope it wasn’t me, sorry. Unfortunately, 11pm on a work night is too late for me. I’m really busy with work at the moment and I’m not finding a lot of time for much else. Probably why I’m feeling so tired and stressed lately.
Will hopefully find some balance soon.
It would be wonderful if you could make it at some point!
If you get a chance to read the bit of the book or do the meditation and want to share any reflections that come up for you that would also be wonderful
Something that often comes up in meetings, especially with people who are new to the program, is their difficulty in jiving with 12 step programs. Something I really like about Recovery Dharma is that it explicitly states that it is compatible with other paths to and programs of recovery. Some of the shares made me think about the 12 step/ not debates that happen here sometimes and the underlying similarities that run through all our recovery journeys, whether we follow a program or not. Awareness, acceptance, honesty, community…
Something else I’ve been reflecting on is the idea of trusting in my potential for awakening. It’s something I can get on a theoretical level but I’m not sure I’m there on a day to day basis yet. I’ve been approached about a two day a week job offer from a contact which on paper is what I’ve been looking for. But there’s some hesitancy there. I’m not sure what is behind it, something to meditate on! Maybe I can put my trust in my potential for awakening eventually, while still being unsure about what the next right thing to do is. I appreciate the reminder in the book that we are asked to recognise and accept that there will be some disappointment and pain in life. Not everything will work out perfectly and that’s OK.
Oh and for anyone who is looking at developing a daily meditation practice, here is a free course from Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield which I have signed up to:
Meeting today in about 5 mins - 1pm UK time - 6am Pacific time, 9am Eastern time, 11pm Australian Eastern time. Will try and post the reminder earlier next week! The meeting will go on for an hour, all welcome to join at any time
I’ve been thinking a lot about my lack of a regular meditation practice recently. I’m not sure what it is that makes it difficult. I know that when I meditate regularly I feel better but I seem to have this resistance to actually doing it. Sometimes that resistance is more conscious than others! That is true of a lot of things for me to be honest.
Regardless of that I do feel over the past few years I have gained a deeper understanding of my mind, reactivity and behaviour, so that’s good.
I’m in a bit of a muddle about my mental health, medication etc at the moment. I feel like I don’t really know where I am without it all except for being a bit dissatisfied. I had a better emotional state on the lower dose of meds I’m currently on, but I was sleeping a lot and the new dose seems to have helped a bit with that. Maybe the emotional side of things will catch up. A meditation practice might even help…! I have an appointment with my doctor this week to talk about it, although I’m not really sure what I want out of it. In some ways I just want to go back to my happy sleepy blissed out world but I’m not sure how sustainable that is. And whether that even matters?
I can see that all this is rumination and a product of my anxious mind but am struggling to get off the train when the thoughts start running. Again, I know a regular meditation practice would help. I suppose that is the thing to prioritise over the next few weeks!
Reminder of the meeting today at 1pm UK time - 6am Pacific time, 9am Eastern time, 11pm Australian Eastern time. The meeting will go on for an hour, all welcome to join at any time
).
. I’m away next week but will join Tuesday 10th August. This time at my laptop with mic and camera on! Nice to see a few faces at the start. See you all very soon! 
Lizzie
will post links and info after