Addiction and Recovery: How Buddhism Can Help

Addiction and Recovery: How Buddhism Can Help, October 12, 10:00AM to 4:00PM 

The Aryaloka Buddhist Center is offering a day long retreat for those interested in learning more about how Buddhist teachings and practices can support your recovery efforts. Buddhism can be helpful for anyone already in traditional 12-Step recovery programs. It is another way to understand addiction and recovery from a perspective that compliments the wisdom and tools of the 12-Step approach. If you are someone who has not found traditional 12-step recovery helpful, there are many paths to the source. Buddhism can offer core teachings to help maintain your recovery.

On this retreat we will be exploring:

• The Buddha’s teaching on the 4 Noble Truths and their relevance to the suffering brought about by addiction and the path out of that suffering;
• Buddhist ethical precepts and how living ethically can alleviate shame-based thinking and behavior; 
• Buddhist Speech Precepts- How we talk about addiction and recovery can be skillful or unskillful. How we can un-stigmatize addiction for ourselves and others;
• Mindfulness and Mindfulness of Breathing meditation as a tool for managing craving and understanding the causes of craving;
• Loving kindness or Metta Bhavana Meditation as a means to transform self-loathing and hatred into kindness and compassion towards self and others;
• Sangha or spiritual community as a means to support and sustain us on the path to transformation. This will include written resources, on-line and in-person peer groups that offer Buddhist teachings and practices to support recovery. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in guided meditations, learn core Buddhist teachings through talks and small group discussions. Lunch will be served. 

This retreat will be facilitated by Dharmasukta, an order member in the Triratna Buddhist Community. Dharmasukta is a retired mental health and addiction counselor and is in long-term recovery from addiction. 
 

This workshop includes a vegetarian lunch. You can access helpful information about attending workshops at Aryaloka here.

At Aryaloka, we strive to make our programs available to everyone regardless of their financial circumstances. Our fee structure allows you to pay according to your means. 

The Event Rate is our actual fee for the event. It is for people paying their rent or mortgage, and who can afford occasional or regular leisure expenses such as dining out. Any payment above the advertised fee is a tax-deductible donation. 

The Mid-Level Reduced Rate is for those who are paying their mortgage or rent, though experience a consistent tightness in budget that makes extras like leisure activities or unexpected expenses difficult or impossible. 

The Base-Level Reduced Rate is for those without an income or with an income low enough that making ends meet is a challenge. 

Those whose circumstances are not included above can email the office to make other arrangements including reduced rates, payment schedules, volunteer opportunities and scholarships. info@aryaloka.org