Addiction and Recovery: How Buddhism Can Help— The Journey from Me to We
Mondays April 15 to May 6, 7-8:30pm at gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth NH
There are many paths to the source. If you are someone who has experienced addiction to alcohol and/or other drugs, and are seeking ways to support your recovery, Buddhism can offer a path to help maintain recovery from addiction.
The Portsmouth Buddhist Center is offering a 4 week course for those in recovery from addiction interested in learning more about how Buddhist teachings and practices can support your recovery efforts. This course is not a replacement for traditional 12-Step recovery. 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 a family member or friend who supports someone in recovery, and are interested in learning more about Buddhism, we encourage you to attend our Sunday morning classes at Gateway Taiji.)
In this series, 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;
- The Buddhist ethical precepts and how living ethically can alleviate shame-based thinking and behavior;
- 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.
The course will be facilitated by Dharmasukta and Shraddhavani, two ordained members of the Triratna Buddhist Order who have experience healing from the impact of addiction.