Mindful Recovery
Holly Cook, LPC-MHSP
Integrative Life Center
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@ILCnashville
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Breathing in,
I calm my body,
Breathing out,
I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is a wonderful
moment.
-- Thich Nhat Hanh
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AA and Meditation
• Step 11: “Sought through prayer and
meditation to improve our conscious contact
with God as we understood Him, praying
only for knowledge of His will for us and the
power to carry that out.”
– Big Book: p 86 – 87
– Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions: p 100,
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What is Mindfulness?
“Awareness that
emerges through
paying attention in a
particular way: on
purpose, in the
present moment, and
nonjudgmentally”
(Kabat-Zinn, 1994).
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What is Recovery?
• June 10, 1935 - AA was founded
• Suffering (hitting bottom)
Surrender
(ego deflation or admitting powerlessness)
Spiritual Experience
Daily Practice of
Spiritual Principles
Helping Others
• A return to a normal state of health, mind, or
strength. (Webster’s Dictionary)
• A process of change through which individuals
improve their health and wellness, live a selfdirected life, and strive to reach their full potential.
(SAMHSA)
Mindfulness and Recovery
Paying attention…
Greater awareness of
triggers and responses,
interrupting previously
automatic behavior
(Bresslin, et al., 2002)
In the present
moment…
Accepting present
experience rather than using
substances to avoid it.
Nonjudgmentally…
Detach from attributions and
“automatic” thoughts that often
lead to relapse.
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Your Brain on Meditation
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Photo of brain comparison from: AndyNewberg.com
Your Brain on Meditation
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Brain Wave States
BETA – the state when we are fully
awake, conscious, interacting with
our environment, and going about
our normal day to day activities.
ALPHA – the state we are in when
we close our eyes, turn inwards
and relax.
THETA – the state for optimal
meditation. We are in our
subconscious mind, a dreamy
state. The body is asleep but the
mind is lucid and awake.
DELTA – the state of deep
restorative sleep.
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All you really need to do
is accept this moment fully.
You are then at ease in the
here and now
and at ease with yourself.
-- Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now
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Formal Practices
Walking Meditation
Sitting Meditation
Body Scan
Mindful Movement
“Lovingkindness” or
“Metta”
Mountain Meditation
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Body Scan Meditation
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“Informal” Practices
Riding this
wave, rather
than
succumbing to
the urge and
being wiped
out by it.
Trusting that
without any
action on your
part, all the
waves of
desire, like
waves on the
ocean, arise
and eventually
fade.
Urge Surfing
Staying with the
urge as it grows in
intensity, riding it
to it’s peak, using
the breath to stay
steady as it rises
and crests,
knowing it will
subside.
Mindfulness of daily activities
Create
“SOBER”
breathing space
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“SOBER” Breathing Space
Stop
Observe
Breathe
Expand
Respond
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Inquiry
Mind’s Process
Inquiry
What was the initial direct
experience?
Direct
Experience
(pain)
Reaction
(judgment, story)
suffering
Reaction
Reaction
How did the mind and body
react to that?
Is this process familiar? Is it
related to craving, relapses,
recovery, daily life
experiences?
Not Personal:
This is what minds do. No
need for judgment.
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Adapted from Segal et al., 2002
Putting it all Together
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Mindful Recovery
Thomas and Beverly Bien
• The Ten Doorways to Mindful Recovery
– Doorway One: Return to the present moment
– Doorway Two: Consider your life as a story you
are still writing
– Doorway Three: Use journaling to deepen
awareness of your life story and open the door to
spiritual awakening
– Doorway Four: Practice meditation to become
more accepting of yourself and your life
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Mindful Recovery (cont)
– Doorway Five: Find ways to connect with the
natural world
– Doorway Six: Cultivate healthy relationships
to discourage addiction
– Doorway Seven: Explore dreams to expand
your view of who you are beyond the limited
point of view of your conscious, rational self
– Doorway Eight: Practice mindfulness at work
– Doorway Nine: Learn to hold and embrace
difficult emotions to ensure successful recovery
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– Doorway Ten: Practice, practice, practice
Some basic observations which
underlie most of the mindfulness
approaches:
1. There is a difference between actual pain
(emotional and physical) and the suffering
that we create in our minds.
2. The suffering is not only optional, but
there are many ways to remove it, as it is
unnecessary, and a tremendous waste of
time, energy and enjoyment of life.
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3. The way out of this self-created cell of suffering
is accepting absolutely everything about
ourselves and our lives, by embracing with
wakefulness and care our moment-to-moment
experience. This does not mean putting up with a
truly harmful circumstance with ourselves or
others.
4. “It is remarkable how liberating it feels to be able
to see that your thoughts are just thoughts and
that they are not ‘you’ or ‘reality.’ . . . . the simple
act of recognizing your thoughts as thoughts can
free you from the distorted reality they often
create and allow for more clear-sightedness and a
greater sense of manageability in your life”
--Kabat-Zinn.
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