Resilience in Recovery: A Mindful Journey Through Addiction

On this reflective voyage, we unravel the intricate tapestry that weaves together mindfulness, therapy, and recovery within the comforting embrace of a community destined for healing.

In the heart of our latest episode, we cast a light on the symbiotic relationship between a mindful existence and the road to recovery. Zaw recounts the significance of his ninth sobriety anniversary. This milestone echoes through the narrative of finding solace in meditation and the supportive arms of those who walk alongside us. Zaw enriches our dialogue with his expertise on how mindfulness creates a 'muscle memory' to combat cravings, charting a course for anyone navigating the stormy seas of addiction. Through shared stories and experiences, we celebrate the unique and personal quests we embark upon toward a life of balance and tranquility.

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Creating a Sustainable Recovery Plan: Mindfulness and the Power of Community — Recovery Collective — Annapolis, MD (recoverycollectivemd.com)
Zaw Maw — Recovery Collective — Annapolis, MD (recoverycollectivemd.com)
Luke DeBoy — Recovery Collective — Annapolis, MD (recoverycollectivemd.com)

Tuesday, January 16th: Live National Recording with Luke DeBoy: Recovery in America. (Link coming soon)

Saturday, January 20th: Workshop & Club 164: Rebuilding the Bridge, Therapy & Recovery. There's no need to sign up; it's a free event. See you there!
New Episodes are released every Monday.

Please send your questions to luke@recoverycollectivemd.com

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Explore a mindful path with Zaw Maw's coaching—Foster balance, healing, recovery, and meditation in your life's journey through his supportive and wisdom-based guidance.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Greetings, fellow seekers of mindfulness and all forms of health and wellness, and welcome to another captivating episode of A Therapist of Buddhist in you. We are co-host Zalhan Luke, and today's exploration promises you to be introspective and enlightening. So all we're being brought to you by the Recovery Collective in Annapolis, maryland a wonderful home for healing, growth and change. Go check out their link in the show notes and if you want some one-on-one counseling from Zal, that's also the place to go. So go ahead and check out the Recovery Collective. This episode is being released the week of January 15th and it is a fun and fruitful week, zal, for me and some of our local listeners here in Annapolis, maryland, in this general area. So Tuesday, which is January 16th, at 7 pm at Club 164 in downtown Annapolis area, I will be presenting in an award-winning your voice, your future Town Hall series. What do you think about that? That sounds exciting.

Speaker 2: 1:06

Yeah, I'll be there.

Speaker 1: 1:09

I'm glad you will be there. I appreciate that support and we'll be live and nationally televised to more than over 125 television stations so, depending on when you're listening, I should be able to put that link for the live event if you want to watch it streaming, or you might be able to check out your TV station. But the topic is Recovery in America and we'll basically be focusing on measures to assist people in recovery from their addictions. So it'll be a panel.

Speaker 1: 1:40

It'll be myself as the licensed therapist and certified addiction you know, quote-unquote I use this loosely expert, but appreciate it Brock Anderson, who's the founder of Club 164, which is a Sobo recovery club, kind of one of its first of its kind, and it's it's we've done an episode with Brock in the club, county executive Stuart Pittman, and then a recovering addict, alcoholic Chad Richie. We'll all be on the panel and then at the club there'll be like 80 to 100 people and they'll be asking questions and when it comes to the topic and the, we'll also get questions from people streaming. So I have it's not like I can exactly prepare for this because it's a live event and it's about recovery in America, but it's certainly a topic that I'm familiar with. So if you have any interests, whether it's live or the recording, I'll make sure to put that in the show notes.

Speaker 1: 2:45

So yeah, and in addition, to that that will be on the 16th and, once again for those in the area, saturday the 20th, I'm doing a therapy and recovery workshop from noon to 5 pm, also at the club. This was set up before this TV thing that was working with Brock gave me a call and they're doing a lot of things, for you know, this is a non-profit sober club and yes, they have recovery meetings, but they offer a lot of awesome services and this year they're doing some resume building. They're bringing some people in that have the skill set to help people with their resume. They're having a lawyer that's donating his time that people might have some legal issues and me, as a therapist, I'm going to donate my time in the sense of from noon to 1 pm I'll be talking about doinga live event or a workshop on kind of the role of therapy in all forms of healing. So I'll talk about how therapy can augment your current recovery if you're not in therapy, or how therapy can augment your 12-step recovery and vice versa.

Speaker 1: 4:07

A lot of times people may go through getting sober through 12-step recovery and they may have a stigma towards talk therapy. So that will be the first hour and then I'll do some breakout sessions individually for people if they might feel more comfortable to talk to them for about 15-20 minutes on their questions and therapy in general. If they want some referrals, I'd be glad to help them with referrals and I'll be doing that from 1 to 5. And the club wanted me to donate some therapy sessions, so I try to find out how can I clinically and ethically best do that. So I'm donating a handful of sessions similar to like an EAP amount of sessions and then, if it's the person's appropriate, I'm not gonna do a deep dive and cut them off after a handful of sessions. But yeah, so that will be on the 20th.

Speaker 1: 5:00

So a lot going on next week for me and if you guys are interested around the Annapolis area, come join us. Pretty interesting, huh. So let's talk about what we're doing next. Huh, what are we doing? I think in this episode we have the privilege of delving into the insightful mind of our Theravada Life Recovery and coach Zall, and I think today we're doing a how. I don't think we've coined a term yet, zall, but you continue to write some awesome articles that people can can check out at the Recovery Collective website, and it's a good one that you're sharing with us today and well, have you read it, and then you're gonna expand on it, and then, if something jumps out at me I know last time we did this you just went right for it, so we'll get right into it. I've been talking too long, so you take it from here. Zall, thanks.

Speaker 2: 6:01

Okay, yeah, sounds good. I might not read the whole thing or I might pause after each thing. I'll just tried to play it by ear, but I want to thank the website for me to have a platform to. I've always been interested in writing, but it's good to have that opportunity to write things that are practical for people and also reflecting on my own genuine experience, so it's a really good connection, so I want to express my gratitude for that. So let's dive in.

Speaker 2: 6:30

So the title of the block, as I remember and it will appear on the screen eventually as well, I believe but it is creating a sustainable recovery plan, specifically, mindfulness and the power of community. So I will be reading that. And again, this comes from my experience, which is original, but things that I learned. It's not original. I learned everything from people, wise people before me, both in recovery and in Buddhism. So, yeah, so there are two parts to it. First is meditation part and then the second is recovery, community part. So I'll expand more on that as I'm reading it. So I'll just go ahead and start reading again the title. But creating a sustainable recovery plan mindfulness and the power of community, self-awareness and solidarity in recovery. Every step is a delicate balance between personal introspection and the strength found in the support of others. This path, while deeply individual, is enriched when walked with others. This block will explore the essence of the first foundation of mindfulness according to Buddhism, where self-awareness becomes our guide and the warmth of a supportive community our steady companion. Together, these elements weave a sustainable path towards healing. Let's discover how mindfulness and the power of collective wisdom can eliminate the road of recovery. First part is the first foundation of mindfulness. According to the sattipatana, which is translated as the four foundations of mindfulness, is a discourse, a Buddhist discourse that specifically dive into the practice of mindfulness. And the first foundation, first foundation of mindfulness is mindfulness of the body gaya k-a-y-a, that's the body term. So this is what I have written. As we navigate the recovery journey, our first and most intimate guide is our own body, the primary focus of the first foundation of mindfulness.

Speaker 2: 9:00

This ancient practice, rooted in the cultivation of self-awareness, teaches us to tune into our body's language, understanding the signals and messages as we move towards healing. Mindfulness of the body begins with simple awareness. It is about noticing the breath as it flows in and out, feeling the subtle rise and fall of the abdomen or the sensation of air passing through the nostrils. This act of mindful noting can be a powerful anchor bringing us back to the present moment, especially in times of stress or craving. But it extends beyond the breath. In how we mindfully observe our actions, whether eating, walking, sitting, standing or resting, we learn to recognize our body's responses to different emotions and thoughts. This awareness is crucial in recovery, as it allows us to detect early signs of discomfort or unease, which are often the precursors to cravings or relapse. This awareness practice helps ground us in the here and now, providing a stable foundation as we face the complexities of recovery. The beauty of the first foundation lies in this simplicity and accessibility. It is always available to us, a constant and gentle reminder to return to the present moment. As we cultivate this awareness, we build a stronger, more present self, better equipped to deal with the ups and downs of recovery.

Speaker 2: 10:43

So I'll pause there really quick and share a little bit of my thoughts as I'm reading it. So what sparked me to do this writing comes from the fact that I was talking to a friend and my sobriety day came up, and then my friend's response was like oh, you have nine years coming up, and it just caught me by surprise and it makes me think about how has my recovery been sustainable for this long? So it was like a pleasant surprise. And then I think about what's been happening in my recent recovery and also what's been consistent in my recovery since from the beginning. And it goes to these two foundations meditation practice and the relying and drawing energy and the strength out of the recovery community. So that's a background story.

Speaker 2: 11:34

But to expand more on the first foundation, it does come from the four foundations of mindfulness. But what I'd like to unpack more on with this writing, with this piece, is so there's the four foundations of mindfulness, which is satipatana for foundations. First is mindfulness of the body, second is mindfulness of the feelings, third is mindfulness of the mind and then the fourth is mindfulness of the truth. But interestingly, there's also another expensive discourse which is called anapati, anapanatati, which translates as mindfulness of breathing, and it's really interesting and very long because it expands each foundation into tetraths, so it turns out to be 16 steps because each foundation is spanned into four steps. So I like to talk more about that and there are different theories according to the canon that some people say that only if you complete all those 16 steps, the path to liberation is possible. But there are also other school of thought where you can just focus on one tetrath deeply and then it can lead to liberation. So I don't subscribe to either necessarily, or one over the other, but I would like to explore more into the first foundation of mindfulness from that point of view. So, without getting too technical, I do wanna share about those four steps.

Speaker 2: 13:06

Which is very relevant for recovery is that the first two steps is quite simple, which has to do with observation of the breath. So when somebody, when one breathes in, if it's short, one notes that that's a short breath, and when you breathe out, if it's long, one notes that it's a long breath. And those are the two simple instructions. But at the same time it can be a span it into. That's a deep breath, that's a shallow breath, that's a sensation of heat at the tip of the nose when I breathe out, or that's a sensation of coolness at the tip of the nose when I breathe in. Whatever it is, it has a lot to do with being present with the body. So it has to do with the breathing, but it can be a span it into the body too, which has been very helpful for me, especially for the past few years, since I started adding yoga classes and practices to my recovery journey as well. So the body can be very grounding when we're present with it.

Speaker 2: 14:07

But then the third and the fourth step is where it gets interesting, because after we've grounded being present, being observant we can start using that as a tool. So the third step is about breathing in and you sensitize your body. So you breathe in and you become sensitive to different feelings showing up in the body, which can be very helpful when dealing with cravings or dealing with stress. And, as we know, you know, or as people in recovery know, drinking or using it's just a symptom, it's a solution. So it is as a result of something that has already occurred, when somebody relapsed. There's also that term people use called a pre-lapse. You know it all starts in the thinking, and drinking or using or going back to an old behavior is the byproduct of everything that has already happened prior to that. So mindfulness is very useful because we can take action before it's too late, you know.

Speaker 1: 15:10

So yeah, do you want?

Speaker 2: 15:12

to jump in.

Speaker 1: 15:13

Yeah, when you said that in that beginning paragraph and this jumped out at me and you were soon to be explaining it. This ancient practice, rooted in cultivation of self-awareness and this is my favorite part so far teaches us to tune into our body's language, understanding its signals and messages as we move towards healing. So I'm thinking about that in someone in early recovery or long-term recovery, to your point that, and I'll ask you, do you have an example whether it's for you or some of your recovery clients that were their examples or your example of what was your body language? What was the signal for you that your body was letting you know, whether it was stress, anxiety or craving? What was some of that body's language that you were up?

Speaker 2: 17:21

Yeah, it is different for different people, but I think there are also some generalization. When it comes to fear, when it comes to anxiety or insecurity, sense of safety, things like that. But for craving in particular, for me, in my experience and people that I've worked with, that the symptom can be noticed in the breathing, like breathing faster, or a little bit of discomfort in the chest or for some people it's in the stomach, like some kind of intuitive feeling, but for me usually at least, into a relapse eventually anyway. But the sensation in general is a little bit of like some kind of a tanglement that needs to be untangled, which also has to do with the first step of that first foundation, which I'll share a little bit. But it comes from that place of like tightness that there is something that is being tightened, you know, and it needs some release, you know. So it can be any kind of tension that shows up in the body.

Speaker 1: 18:32

I know over the years some of my clients they bite the inside of their cheek or, before their anxiety level got bad, where they noticed it was high in anxiety, they might twirl their hair or just rub their hairline and these were signs that some of the body language overtly. And I like your examples too, because it's almost like man if we're present, with our breathing, the cadence, the feelings, the entanglement, it's an awesome level of mindfulness and awareness. It's good yeah.

Speaker 2: 19:14

And then a big part of recovery too is having the ability to make choices. You know that's also it's very related to mindfulness, because we're able to expand the gap between a thought and making a decision. You know, being an alcoholic or an addict means that there's not much of a gap. I have a thought and I do it right away. You know there's a compulsiveness, impulsiveness, but being aware of the body really helps kind of slow down the process and then doing something else as opposed to things that our brain is wired to do in addiction.

Speaker 2: 19:51

Also, to expand more on that too, I realized that I used to just meditate, you know, just with the mind. But since I've started doing yoga, I also have this habit of I do full lotus, you know, cross like it over time, especially if it's a long practice. I self correct by looking at the mirror in terms of like, symmetry or alignment, and it's really amazing how even a minor adjustment, like a micro adjustment, can have an effect on the mind, like some kind of misalignment, and when it's corrected to be straight, like, the mind gets affected by it. It's kind of amazing how mind and body are also connected, you know. So I will, oh yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:35

I keep thinking of your gosh. Each one of these expands into four more steps for the teachings. I can see why. I can see why.

Speaker 2: 20:46

Yeah. So I like to connect the last step, four step, of that first foundation with the remaining part of the writing, which I can just summarize without having to read it. The whole thing is that the four step is the again, that ability to make a choice. So the first two steps is observation, and then the third step is sensitizing, like being in tune with what's actually am I feeling in these parts of the body. And then the fourth step is that I can use a breath and then calm the body or release the tension or soften any kind of tightness, so your body becomes light, a meditation object that you can work with in a way. So that is what it is, but also, at the same time, to connect with the collective wisdom.

Speaker 2: 21:43

Is that people who are connected with meetings and recovery community really knows this, because the suggestion in the recovery community, especially in 12-step community, they talk about going to 90 meetings in 90 days.

Speaker 2: 22:00

And there's power in that, because when we I guess it's different during COVID, but when you go to a meeting or physical gathering, it's your physically being there and if you start paying attention to how you're feeling in the meeting or in the group, there's something that is being communicated.

Speaker 2: 22:19

It's almost like an electrical field when you walk in, either as a warmth or there is a sense of safety and something happened physically in our psyche or something happened to our state of being, and then the more you do it, the more you get used to it, and then I guess some kind of transfer of energy to when you see people who've been sober for like decades and then you start kind of getting that energy, that vibe from them, and then it creates room for safety and then the possibility of some kind of change. So that's how I like to connect the four step of like having that ability to come and choose not to drink or use, with the help of the power of you know, the collective wisdom, or relying on, or at least being open to, some ideas that I haven't entertained before.

Speaker 1: 23:14

That's great. Thank you for that. Yeah, we only scratched the surface.

Speaker 2: 23:19

This is good. Do you have any particular questions that seem unclear or something that jumped out to you, Luke?

Speaker 1: 23:29

I think that's a good starting off point, I guess. What would you tell the? What would you recommend to the listeners as you gave them a taste of that mindfulness of that body, that first foundation? What are you wanting them to take away or recommending for someone that just received a little tidbit from you? Where can they go with this? What should they practice in their recovery practice when it comes to the mindfulness of the body, the first foundation?

Speaker 2: 24:07

Yeah, great question, and that gives me an opportunity to express my, you know, sincere mission, or genuine mission, is I do believe in the innate wisdom, or intuitive wisdom, or intuitive kindness that is available within each and every one of us.

Speaker 2: 24:26

So that's why I also am a big proponent of silent meditation and stillness.

Speaker 2: 24:33

So one thing that I can share is about when we spend time with our body and with our mind in a very intentional and mindful and kind way, on a consistent basis, we end up becoming a good friend to ourself, you know, which is a good antidote for, you know, any kind of destructive or any kind of addictive behavior, which to me, is a form of self abuse.

Speaker 2: 24:58

You know there is an abuse of the body or misuse of the instincts and the body. So, like getting in tune and becoming familiar with how our body responds to different situations or different emotions. It becomes like something that you're working with together, you know, and the choices healthier diet, or healthier lifestyle, exercising they all come naturally as we start listening to the body. The body knows, you know the body does a lot of things that are like beyond our conception, you know, like digestion, or being able to use water in a very proportional way, or like minerals, like chemicals and all these things that are happening, and it has its own intelligence going on. So working together with that is a great help. I hope that answers your question, or I hope that's yeah, that's wonderful.

Speaker 1: 25:59

I want to give, let's say, the listener that either is trying to get to a rural and early recovery and they are, have a craving and they're doing that. One of the coping skills in people's toolbox that we recommend is to do a meditation. Is there something that you would recommend? That might be a little bit, I know it's not often you go to, but how would you guide them when it comes to the first foundation with a meditation if they have a craving?

Speaker 2: 26:40

Yeah, breathing definitely is a good place, but it can also be a little overwhelming for some people. So any kind of walking meditation can be good to being present with each step. But if you already have access to a recovery community, that can be as simple as a meditation practice like physically going to a meeting and then making a commitment to stay for the whole hour. But it is meditation because you don't leave you sit there and there are people around you which is keeping you safe, and that one hour, whether you know it or not, is meditation.

Speaker 1: 27:18

Yeah, that you just saying that reminded me of almost countless amount of conversations I've had with people when I worked at treatment facilities.

Speaker 1: 27:30

And they come into my office and they have a very strong white knuckling type of craving and I talk with them for whether it's five minutes or 15 minutes, maybe 30 max, but usually that 15 minute mark is often the sweet spot and they come into my office and they're shaking their leg and their heads down and they're up and they're just breathing hard and the shortness of breath, but all those things and just full blown physical craving and usually in 15 minutes for the people watching on video, they're back here and I asked them hey, do you notice, Do you know how relaxed your body is?

Speaker 1: 28:14

And it's almost like a whole shit moment. That where they came in talking to me and then a 15 to 30 minute mindful conversation. I helped them realize where their body is now and bringing that mindfulness and awareness to the cravings gone. And your example of walking to a meeting, feeling your feelings and feeling your body and a meeting can be a mindfulness practice. So thank you for reminding me of that, that it doesn't have to be this yes, breathe this way and exhale this no, mindfully walk to a meeting, and it's it. Thank you Appreciate that.

Speaker 2: 28:58

Yeah, it can just be an incremental collection of even if it's like 0.001%, of believing that everything's going to be okay and it adds up and because, as an addict, we know that when we're in that withdrawal place it's like we're going to die if we don't do that, we're going to die if we don't use it. But as we sit with it we realize that oh, actually I made it. So that becomes like a good muscle memory for next time and over the years that's like a muscle that is being practiced, which can be done.

Speaker 1: 29:34

It's awesome. Thank you, zao. Thanks for shedding more light on that to us and for the listeners out there. You may have read only 30 or 50% of his articles, so if you'd like to read the full thing, I'll leave a link in the show notes as well. As we conclude our exploration with Zao today, remember that the transferative power of mindfulness and the strength found in a sustainable recovery plan Carry these insights into your recovery, cultivating self-awareness and fostering connections. Special thanks to Zao for sharing his wisdom and if you found this inspirational, please like, comment and or subscribe. I can't say that enough, so please do so. Thank you and Jeff, two. Healing is ongoing and your journey is uniquely yours. Stay tuned for more enriching conversations on mindfulness and recovery. Be mindful, be present and continue your journey toward a balance and fulfilling life. My name is Luke, this is Zao, and we'll see you next time. Thanks, see ya. Thank you.