New material includes Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn, how to run Eight Step Recovery Meetings, teacher's notes and handouts for the Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery Program (MBAR), and how to mentor people through the eight steps.
Human nature has an inbuilt tendency towards addiction. All of us can struggle with this tendency, but for some it can lead to the destruction of their lives, through obsessive and compulsive behaviour. We could say therefore that in some sense we are all in recovery.
It is no surprise that addiction is so widespread. We live in a world where many of us self-medicate in response to hardships, turning to food, drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships, work and so much more in an attempt to promote happiness.
Fortunately, recovery is widespread too. What can the Buddha’s teachings offer us in our recovery from addiction? They offer an understanding of how the mind works, tools for helping a mind that is vulnerable to addiction, and ways to overcome addictive and obsessive behaviour, cultivating a calm and clear mind without anger and resentments. The Buddha’s teachings offer us a path of recovery.
Whether you are struggling to stay off heroin or with an obsessive pattern of thinking that prevents you from leading a more fulfilling life, the same principles – the Eight Steps of this book – apply. These steps take you away from the trouble caused by addictive tendencies, helping you untangle these drives, to discover a richer and more fulfilling way of living.
|
Winner of the 2014 USA Best Book Award, and Winner of the 2015 International Book Award in the Self-Help: Motivational category.
"Eight Step Recovery: Using the Buddha’s Teachings to Overcome Addiction provides a spiritual pathway to recovery for people from any faith tradition, as well as for those who are not religious, and for those who suffer from addiction as well as those who are simply aware of the suffering associated with the human condition. This is a book for everyone!" Professor Chris Cook, Director of the Project for Spirituality, Theology & Health, Durham University, UK
"Blending Mindfulness-Based Addiction Recovery with traditional Buddhist teachings and moving personal stories, Valerie Mason-John and Dr Paramabandhu Groves give us a wise and compassionate approach to recovery from the range of addictions. This comprehensive approach to treatment will be a valuable tool for addicts and addiction professionals alike." Kevin Griffin, author of One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps
“'The Buddha was in recovery'. Taking this bold statement as a starting point, this wonderful book shows how we are all addicted to aspects of life and can all benefit from training our minds and hearts to be free of the tyranny of compulsion. The MBAR (Mindfulness-Based Addiction Recovery) programme draws on a wide range of the Buddha’s practical, yet deeply profound, teachings. Over the eight steps you are given a priceless gift – the possibility to gain mastery over your mind and heart and find freedom." Vidyamala Burch, co-founder and director of Breathworks, author of Living Well with Pain and Illness and Mindfulness for Health
“Eight Step Recovery is a useful resource for Buddhists, addicts, and addiction experts alike.” Tricycle magazine, Summer 2014
|
New material includes Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn, how to run Eight Step Recovery Meetings, teacher's notes and handouts for the Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery Program (MBAR), and how to mentor people through the eight steps.
Human nature has an inbuilt tendency towards addiction. All of us can struggle with this tendency, but for some it can lead to the destruction of their lives, through obsessive and compulsive behaviour. We could say therefore that in some sense we are all in recovery.
It is no surprise that addiction is so widespread. We live in a world where many of us self-medicate in response to hardships, turning to food, drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships, work and so much more in an attempt to promote happiness.
Fortunately, recovery is widespread too. What can the Buddha’s teachings offer us in our recovery from addiction? They offer an understanding of how the mind works, tools for helping a mind that is vulnerable to addiction, and ways to overcome addictive and obsessive behaviour, cultivating a calm and clear mind without anger and resentments. The Buddha’s teachings offer us a path of recovery.
Whether you are struggling to stay off heroin or with an obsessive pattern of thinking that prevents you from leading a more fulfilling life, the same principles – the Eight Steps of this book – apply. These steps take you away from the trouble caused by addictive tendencies, helping you untangle these drives, to discover a richer and more fulfilling way of living.
