Spirit of Recovery

What brings us into the present moment more than acceptance and surrender? These values that lie at the heart of 12-Step programs are also central to spiritual practices of mindfulness. Actions like staying out of results, using the slogans, conscious contact with constructive spiritual power, and sponsorship—mainstays of a program of recovery—naturally develop a mindful approach to living. Specia...

Forgive? Forget it! If we think forgiveness means giving a free pass to someone who has hurt us, who needs it? Fortunately, that’s NOT what forgiveness is all about. Guest Mahala, Unity spiritual leader and person in long-term recovery, shares the real meaning of forgiveness and how it sets us free to enjoy life and fulfill the deepest callings of our heart.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

Can we ever know ourselves completely? Probably not. Yet living recovery means we are continually willing to discover the goodness that lies within us. And that we are willing to acknowledge, thank, and release old ways that once protected us, but now block us. Prayer and meditation are the foundations of self-discovery. Special guest Richard C., a person in long-term recovery since 1974, shares h...

Recovery calls us to find our Source of spiritual food. Strengthening our relationship with that Source brings immense love, comfort, and wisdom into our lives. As we feel the reassurance of our Higher Power’s deep and very practical presence, we have the courage to grow. Special guest, author Allen Liles, shares the profound, loving bond he developed when life circumstances brought him to a renew...

Too often recovering people shy away from meditation suggested in the 11th Step. But meditation is for everyone—no need to be a “spiritual expert.” Guest Tom Catton, in long-term recovery since 1971 and a meditator since 1966, is the author of The Mindful Addict and the soon-to-be-published May I Sit With You: A Simple Approach to Meditation. Tom’s daily practice encourages him to stay awake and b...

Getting on track with life when addiction has derailed it is possible—if those affected are open to support. No one walks out of addiction alone—not the addicted person, not the person’s family and friends. The power of compassionate, experienced help opens the spiritual door of recovery. Guest Tommy Blass, recovery coach and intervention specialist, shares how addicted individuals and their famil...

Recovery is so much more than stopping destructive behaviors. It’s about living from a spiritual basis—recognizing that we are part of the human community—called to integrity, constructive participation, and ongoing progress. What keeps us green and growing throughout the years? Special guest Maureen, with 28 years in recovery, is a true soul adventurer. She has navigated some tricky passages with...

What if you could spend four years interviewing long-timers in recovery? Special guest Arthur Messenger did just that. The result is Tales From the Center of the Herd, a collection of 18 stories that are honest, funny, wise, and tell it like it is. They reveal the power of human connection through spiritual community to make right lives that had been going so wrong. Arthur shares what he learned f...

We are innately whole—naturally equipped with the inner resources to live with meaning and joy. Physical or emotional trauma, however, thwarts access to our well-being. Recovery frees us to clear neurological links to old hurts and connect to our wholeness. My special guest, Teresa Guajardo, M.A., mind-body connection therapist specializing in trauma recovery and LGBT issues, shares how people in...

How do you talk with a beloved older family member when it is becoming obvious that addiction is an issue? This dilemma is becoming more and more common. Aging body metabolism, availability of prescription medications, and use of illegal drugs all add up to a huge increase in addiction in adults over 50. Guest Brenda Iliff, executive director of Hazelden Naples, shares what makes older adults vuln...

Recovery is about learning to feed our soul rather than an addiction. Living spiritually brings us into an ever more nurturing relationship with our Higher Power and ever more fulfilling expression of our authentic self.  Guest Wendy B., in long-term recovery from substance addiction, found that her quest for wholeness in recovery led her to address disordered eating and the lure of the “rat race....

Music is medicine—a profound way of finding our natural healing rhythms. Music is an emotional, physical, and spiritual path that takes us within for deep self-discovery of our ability to affect our own well-being. Special guest Janalea Hoffman is a pioneer in the field of Music Therapy. A musician, author, and speaker, she helps real people with real issues—including recovery from addiction—throu...

At the winter solstice, the longest night of the year gives way to the return of the light. What a parallel with recovery—discovering the light within us and learning to let it shine. And it’s no accident that the several religious holidays celebrated at this time of year feature light. Special guest Guy Lynch shares the deep spirituality of this precious time of year and how we can take simple ac...

Recovery doesn’t mean the damage never happened—it means it no longer rules our lives. Indigenous communities across the continent and world are creating powerful paths to healing as they expand the understanding of addiction and recovery to include acknowledging wounds from the intergenerational trauma of oppression and genocide. Key to recovery is remembering the wisdom within indigenous teachin...

Creativity is the essence of every person—our spiritual birthright. But negative messages, lack of acknowledgment, and fears can block the flow of our gifts. Guests Faith and Dennis, members of Artists Recovering Through the Twelve Steps, share how people reach their creative potential through supportive fellowship and belief in each other’s gifts and dreams. They will explain 5 Alive as bottom-li...

Recovery happens in the context of supportive community. But what if you are on the streets? What are your chances for long-term recovery? Recovery Café and its School for Recovery, utilizing an alternative therapeutic community model, is a refuge of healing, learning, spiritual growth, and transformation. It supports people seeking a life free from drugs, alcohol, and other destructive behaviors....

Gratitude is the spiritual practice of noticing the good that is in our lives. Making even a small shift in our focus fills us with power to go forward. Guest Sandy McKinney, Unity minister with many years of recovery and a passion for social justice and interfaith community, shares practical spiritual principles and practices that foster a grateful heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...

Seeing ourselves in other peoples’ stories is the connection that fosters awareness of the disease of addiction and the hope for recovery—in family members and those with substance or behavioral addictions. Special guest Lynn Bratley, M.Ed., is the founder and artistic director of Improbable Players, a company of actors in long-term recovery that educates the public about addiction and recovery th...

More than 23 million Americans are living in long-term recovery from the disease of addiction. The powerful, positive, spiritual, social, and economic impact on families, communities, and the workplace is impressive. Documentary filmmaker Greg Williams shares how he decided to bring this reality into view through his new film The Anonymous People that opened in New York City on September 17. Learn...

One of the greatest gifts—and greatest struggles—of recovery is consciously connecting with life-giving power. Old ideas about spirituality and painful disappointments must be faced. Special guest John James, MBA, MA, ICADC, has many years as a recovery counselor and is the Chemical Dependency Program Supervisor at Hazelden Naples. John shares how he helps clients find new ways of looking at the c...

Women in recovery reclaim the dreams that were lost to addiction. Focus on self-care, emotional balance, healthy boundaries, and empowering spirituality support a life of fulfillment and connection. My special guest, Brenda Iliff, M.A., shares what keeps women growing in recovery. An active treatment professional for more than 20 years, Brenda serves as executive director of Hazelden Naples, and w...

The Alcoholics Anonymous founders got it right. Although neuroscience was nowhere sophisticated enough in the 1930s to verify it, Dr. Silkworth, Bill Wilson’s physician, described alcoholism quite accurately as “an allergy of the body coupled with an obsession of the mind.” Special guest Steve Castleman found that becoming a neuroscience geek helped him grasp that he really did have a biological b...

Where’s God? In the very midst of our lives. Recovery invites us to get real. And spirituality is about learning to love ourselves even in the most messy, painful, and confusing experiences—not by pretending to “be perfect,” or “too spiritual to hurt.” Special guest Greg Barrette shares how accepting the facts of our psychological makeup, balanced with larger spiritual understanding, opens us to t...

More than 23 million Americans in the U.S. are in recovery. Every person—both those with the disease of substance/behavioral addictions and family members—is testament to the reality that recovery works. It is documented that quality of life goes up dramatically for individuals, families, and society. Special guest Pat Taylor, executive director of Faces and Voices of Recovery—www.facesandvoicesof...

The founding of Alcoholics Anonymous touches everyone—whether familiar with the disease of addiction or not. The experience of the cofounders and their wives speaks to the universal experience of human suffering and the spiritual growth that comes from finding a way through. My special guest, playwright and psychologist Janet Surrey, shares why she and her husband Samuel Shem wrote the powerful pl...