Practice practice practice! In spite of my demented desire to be perfect – I have little desire to practice. At least that used to be the case. Not the wanting to be “perfect” part – but my energy for practice. That, I am coming to enjoy. The word “practice” is pervasive in recovery literature, in any

  If Wounded Peacock (a very impressive yoga move for those who aren’t familiar) is your jam, then hooray for you. But, I’m talking about flexible thinking. I once worked with a man who had a precise 4-step routine to leave his house. If anything interrupted his routine, like someone asking him a question, he would

What’s Something You Love About Yourself? Or Like? Okay, maybe, Don’t Hate? “Everyone’s a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” (unknown author mistakenly attributed to Einstein) You’re a winner. Your very existence means you’ve won the lottery of life. The

My mind became a forest, full of darkness, cold and fear Where I wandered in the half life, alone with dread and tears I searched amongst the shadows, I stumbled left and right But the path to home eluded me, became further out of sight So I settled in the half life, grew bitter, older,

As is often the case when I newly meet others in recovery, a recent conversation with a new friend I got to know through professional circles turned to topics like the Recovery 2.0 Conference, Tommy Rosen, Nikki Myers and Yoga of 12 Step Recovery. Eventually InTheRooms (ITR) came up because Tommy and Nikki’s work is

  “In short, the greatest gift of relationship proves to be that as the result of encountering each other, we are obliged to grow larger than we had planned.”……James Hollis I thought of a drink today. Thankfully that thought made me sick. I also toyed with the idea of a sparkly white line of speed,

“I want someone to tell me the truth,” my patient said as he sat at his kitchen table. He’d had a stroke in the right hemisphere of his brain. Right brain strokes cause disorientation in place and time. “What’s the truth you want,” I asked? “Everyone tells me I am home, and I must admit this place

“How old are you? The eight-year-old boy in the swimming pool asked my nephew, Kevin. “Five.” said Kevin, “but I’m closer to eight.” “Duh, if you’re five, you’re not closer to eight.” the older boy scoffed. “Well, I’m closer to eight than I am to one.” said Kevin, adding, “And I don’t mean to hurt

You’re in a recovery program, perhaps working the steps. You’ve checked your list and crossed off the names of people you’ve made amends to. Things are going well and then your eyes fix on your fingers. They’re bitten to the quick nubby and sore. Your cuticles look destroyed and torn and you even spot a scab of dried blood. Crap

What is the difference between striving and thriving? The general understanding of the words is the difference between making strenuous effort and flourishing. To me it is the difference between getting clean and recovering. Both efforts are important. One got me to the gift of desperation; the other keeps me on my road to restoring my