Integrating Yoga Postures with

Recovery Philosophy

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Body

Mind Spirit

“The basic principles … were ancient and universal ones,

the common property of mankind.”

Bill W. in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 39

The Approach

Union, Integration, Balance

Somatic + Cognitive + Spiritual

Intentional coping and healing skills

A moving meditation

Body, Mind, Spirit

• Yoga and The Serenity Prayer

– Balance - serenity– Strength - courage– Flexibility - wisdom

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Now it’s your turn

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction; that our lives had become unmanageable2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

• Physical, energetic and emotional surrender

• Change of awareness

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3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God

• “Supreme Universal Spirit”

• Freed of restlessness and negative desires

• Individual spirit and

• Spirit from within unite

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs

• 5 Yamas - universal morals & values commandments or restraints

• Ethical practice that changes the direction of one’s thinking

• Restructure sense of Self

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings

• Be content; accept and embrace character flaws

• Surrender and acceptance

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others

• Nonattachment

• Nonviolence

• Truth-telling

• Cleanliness

• Modesty

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it

• Self-study, inquiry, examination

• Cultivate Self-awareness and Self-forgiveness

• Balance

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry it out

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts and to practice these

principles in all our affairs

• Keep what we have by

sharing with others

• Model through service

• Sponsor or guru

• Learn and apply

Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om

Peace within selfPeace amongst one

anotherPeace within the world

Self

Others Universe

Namaste