Mindfulness and the 12 Steps

Book excerpt: With the artistry of a memoirist, Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart draws on her personal story and an impressive range of knowledge in psychology, spirituality, and the Twelve Steps to show us the way out of the morass of pain and confusion that addiction creates. Mindfulness and the 12 Steps is moving and inspiring, full of practical guidance. --KEVIN GRIFFIN, author of One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps and A Burning Desire: Dharma God and the Path of Recovery FOR THOSE OF US IN RECOVERY, Mindfulness and the 12 Steps offers a fresh approach to developing our own spiritual path through the Buddhist practice of mindfulness, or bringing one's awareness to focus on the present moment. We can revisit each of the Twelve Steps, exploring the interplay of ideas between mindfulness and Twelve Step traditions--from the idea of living "one day at a time" to the emphasis on prayer and meditation--and learn to incorporate mindfulness into our path toward lifelong sobriety. Through reflections, questions for inquiry, and stories from Buddhist teachers and others who practice mindfulness in recovery, Mindfulness and the 12 Steps will help us awaken new thinking and insights into what it means to live fully--body, mind, and spirit--in the here and now.